The Importance Of Storytelling in Marketing Campaigns

We all know that storytelling is not a new concept. It’s a tale as old as time, interwoven into our everyday lives. We read bedtime stories to our children, translate adventures onto the big screen, and take heed of old wives tales.

But it’s not just an art – it’s no wonder that the universal language of storytelling is now firmly a valuable marketing tool too, with the capability to set you apart from your competitors. Join us as we take a deeper look into what makes the science of storytelling so effective and why it should be one of your top priorities for 2022.

Make a human connection with your audience

As data-driven as we like to be at House Digital, the secret is to look deeper when planning your next marketing campaign. After all, marketing results rely on human cognition and the countless micro-decisions people often make without even realising it. 

The science of storytelling

The key is to build up your story with your core audience in mind. Create something that will resonate with them, whether that’s presenting your audience with an ad they can closely relate to or one that elicits emotion. Ideally, you’ll do both!

If you’re looking for a good starting point, empathy and nostalgia are two powerful emotions that have been the driving force behind many successful marketing campaigns in the past. Think of the (empathetic) horror you felt for James Nesbitt’s daughter and her disastrous haircut in the 2003 Yellow Pages ad, or the classic Christmas nostalgia (or instant dread!) that washes over you every year upon first viewing of the ‘Holidays Are Coming’ Coke ad. 

It’s important to keep that loose connection to your brand or product within the concept, but your main focus should be on the characters you create and the events that unfold in your story. They are the memorable components as they make up the human experience that drives the connection with the audience.

If you’ve previously relied exclusively on more direct CTAs when marketing your services, you’re missing out. It’s time to tap into the science of storytelling. After all, employing emotion as a marketing technique has been found to engage the brain differently, triggering neuro associations. That means that if you do it right, your marketing campaign will stick in consumer’s heads.

Convey your brand values in an engaging way

It’s all well and good appealing to consumers’ emotions with a heart wrenching story, but you need to think of your end goal too. If you want to get the most out of using storytelling in a marketing campaign, you need to find a way to keep your brand relevant within the marketing message of your ad. Relevant that is, but not at the forefront. Remember, rather than directly selling a product or service, it’s the storytelling aspect of your campaign that will engage with your audience.

Storytelling is fantastic at helping to convey what your brand represents more effectively. As opposed to seeing bold calls to action, audiences tend to be more receptive to a marketing message that has personality and transmits meaning. This is your opportunity to show people what your brand is all about. Whether it’s overcoming adversities or family, consumers will associate you with your marketing message and see you on a more personal level. With our marketing hat firmly on, this can only be a good thing: appearing in this way is more likely to incite trust and loyalty over time, increasing the likelihood of your audience opting for your product or service over those of your competitors!

Use storytelling to deliver data-driven marketing

Here at House Digital, we believe in the power of storytelling. In today’s fast-paced society, the human aspect and escapism of storytelling in your marketing campaign is undoubtedly of value.

Now’s the time to align storytelling with your current digital marketing strategy and to use it to support your current objectives. A good place to start is to keep up to date with the latest trends and to implement these in your storytelling ideas. The best kinds of storytelling marketing campaigns are often incorporated into a long term marketing plan, helping to develop a cohesive image of a brand and what we associate them with.

If you’re after a helping hand, we offer a wide range of marketing services, including SEO, Paid, and Organic Social. Contact our friendly team to learn more and unlock your full digital marketing potential.