Why your business needs a story
People like, and generally desire to feel connected to a group or community (Especially when times are tough), to have a sense of belonging is instinctual.
Stories elicit that feeling and give reason to communicate and relate. Stories stimulate emotions and give people something to believe in.
Storytelling in the business world, whether it's B2C or B2B is about creating a sense of alignment between you and your prospects and customers.
Storytelling is why you're doing what you're doing and telling it in a way that engages and appeals to a specific audience.
The primary goal of storytelling is to create a human connection. To do that you need to be authentic, genuine and appealing to your audience. Stories help resonate with the audience that needs your help and guidance.
Stories help people make sense of information and pending decisions that need to be made. For example, deciding on what product or service to choose.
Stories are about standing out, not blending in.
Markets are crowded, if you want to survive you need to stand out and your brand story will help you with just that.
Tell people why you're doing what you're doing and what's in it for them. If your story has a villain, conflict or cause (like pollution, health or a call to shop small), let it be known and create a narrative about how you're going to overcome challenges.
Tell a story with the right context and create contrast by being consistent, authentic and controversial to speak to a specific audiences emotions. Stories elicit emotions and emotions are remembered.
By putting your audience right at the centre of your story, you can make them the main character. Once they are there a story can alter the way people feel and think about just anything. Like the dilemma of choosing locally produced products over cheaper, mass-produced products.
Make no mistake, a story is more than just the text on your website or what you post across social media - It's your values and your mission and how you communicate that to your customers wherever they may be.
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