Using the Art of Storytelling to Connect with Your Customers
We’ve all been there - a few paragraphs or pages into a reading just wishing for it to be over. Maybe for you that was your Introduction to Biology textbook, or, maybe you stumble across articles like this on the internet each day. My guess would be the latter - although perhaps this experience does warp you back to your college dorm, too.
The mainstream use of the internet brought with it many incredible things like the ability to freely share ideas, but this also presents one major problem: a lack of regulated information and no standard to which posted writing is held. What do I mean by this? There are a lot of really bad blog posts out there. A lot, a lot. Millions of them, probably even billions. You might even be thinking that this is one of them.
So, how do we make sure that our blog posts don’t fall into that ‘really bad blog post’ category? There are a few major things to keep in mind.
1. People connect with people.
First off, it’s important to recognize this foundational concept: people connect with people. Even if you’re writing for your business, this concept is crucial. Every brand has a voice, and you want your brand’s voice to be sincere and relatable. Find your voice and stick to it. From blog posts to social media, consistency with this voice is key.
Think about this… have you ever seen a phrase and read it in the voice of a friend or an actor? That’s because the person you’re thinking of has a genuine, consistent voice, and knowing their personality helps you recognize exactly how they would say something. It should be the same way for your brand. This can be tough if more than one person is behind your brand’s blog or social media, but it can be done with careful study and imagination. Your voice will help customers humanize your brand, allowing for a stronger connection and greater sales.
2. Empathy is key.
The way that our brains are wired allows us to feel the emotions that others around us feel. Similarly, when our brain recognizes a story, our sense of empathy is awakened, and our brains value that emotional connection over everything else. Building an emotional connection with our readers - and keeping it - will help them continue to think of us.
For example, have you ever watched a TED Talk or been at a conference where the speaker leads in with a story? Did you find yourself connecting to this total stranger in a way that was deeper than the way you connect with those you pass on the street all the time? My guess is yes, because it’s happened to me many times before. Whether you’ve been through an event similar to the speaker or not, you are still able to put yourself into their shoes and see the situation the way that they did, awakening the empathy centers in your brain.
So, to connect with your readers, tell them stories. Spark emotion. Put them in the center of the problem and allow them to feel what it feels like to be there.
Which brings us to our next topic.
3. Conflict is juicy.
Just like stories can spark emotion, they can also drive up a person’s adrenaline. One great way to do this is by properly setting the stage and introducing the conflict. It’s a biological instinct to produce adrenaline when conflict is sensed, and, as humans, adrenaline is addictive. That’s why we listen so intently when our friends share the latest gossip or tell us about the problems they are having. While we may not have the juiciest “tea” to spill to our clients, we can still play off this same concept.
If you’re selling a product, what problem does your product solve? If you offer a service, what solution are you getting at? Do you have a client or customer who has shared a particularly compelling story about how your product or service has helped them? If so, share that story with their permission. Instead of just sharing the solution you’re offering, tell the story of the problem to engage your reader.
4. Use the ‘F’ word.
Don’t be afraid to share your failures. With the global realization that most of what you see on the internet is nothing but a highlight real, it is important, now more than ever, to be transparent. Transparency includes sharing your failures, owning up to your errors, and maintaining integrity. It’s possible that you made the perfect prototype of your product on the first try, but it’s far more likely that it was a long journey of mistakes and missteps that got you to the point of success. Share that story and what you learned along the way.
Failure is relatable, as there isn’t one person on this planet that hasn’t faced it before. Plus, stories of grit and perseverance carry with them far more important lessons than stories of ease do.
Some great questions to start with are: What have you failed at? When have you failed at this? How did it inspire your business? What didn’t you know that you do now? Why was failing a good thing?
5. Give your audience what they need to know, and nothing more.
There’s a fine line to walk between setting the stage completely and sharing too much information, and it’s one that must be faced with care. By leaving important information out, your story will have gaps that the reader is looking to fill, but, by including too much detail, your reader might find him or herself skimming for the point that you are trying to make. How much do you like listening to a friend’s story that just never ends? Probably not much.
To avoid either one of these tragedies, it helps to ask a colleague or friend who is unfamiliar with the story for their opinion. Were they able to paint the whole picture? Were they given too much to think about? This should help you determine how to edit your post, and it will be easier to determine this on your own with time. Be clear, concise, and stay on track, and your reader will thank you.