Express Writers

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Storytelling Tips for Brands in 2019 with Carla Johnson

by | Mar 8, 2019 | ContentWritingChat

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Storytelling Tips for Brands in 2019 with Carla Johnson

“Storytelling” is quite the buzzword these days when it comes to brands and creators… But what do you really know about it?

Are you well versed in the art of storytelling? Or could you use some tips to enhance your skills?

If you’re ready to weave powerful storytelling into your brand’s strategy, dive into this recap of #ContentWritingChat for some amazing tips!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Storytelling Tips for Brands in 2019 with Carla Johnson

Our guest host for this month’s chat was Carla Johnson. Carla is a world-renowned keynote speaker and an author. She knows a thing or two about storytelling and had some great advice to share with us during the chat.

Q1: What is storytelling and why is it so important for brands today?

To kick things off, we asked everyone to share their thoughts on what storytelling is why it’s so important. Here’s what a few of them had to say:

Carla said that storytelling is an interactive art that uses words and pictures to convey messages. We use this to help people remember our brands. She went on to say that stories will take you to a completely different place afterwards because of the emotional impact they can have on you.

Stefan feels storytelling is a must because it helps the brand to become known and also more memorable.

Storytelling helps you connect with people, develop relationships, and build community. As Gene said, people will start to build trust with you over time, which ultimately leads to them spending money with you.

Bill said storytelling helps brands connect with their audience on a more personal level. Those connections can lead to conversions.

Storytelling gives an in-depth view of a brand and the message and values they believe in.

Think back to when you were a kid! As Maria pointed out, stories help the words come to life and create a clear picture in our minds. That’s going to stick with your customer for a long time.

Brands can use storytelling to share their purpose, goals, values, message, vision, and unique value to the world. Not only that, stories will humanize a brand, encourage engagement, build trust and leaderships, and create community.

Q2: Why are people so responsive to stories? And how can marketers use that to their advantage?

But what exactly makes stories so effective? And how does a brand take advantage of this? Here’s some advice:

Carla said people respond to stories because it gives their brain a way to create context for information. Data can often be overwhelming, while stories relaxes your audience and builds trust with them.

Gene mentioned that we often have a hard time remembering facts and figures, but we’re wired to remember stories. The key here is to create something memorable for your audience.

Sarah agrees that good stories will always stick with us!

And when it comes to telling stories… Skip the fancy jargon. They need to be understandable and relatable for your target audience, otherwise they’ll tune it out.

Stories keep us engaged and pull us along on a journey. And we always want to see how things end, right?

Stories are more than just sharing information with your audience. It’s about forming a connection.

A good story is going to evoke an emotion for your audience. Get them feeling something!

Ray agrees that it’s all about emotion. Done right, you can make your audience feel something that brings them closer to you.

Stories can also allow us to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, which can really tug at your heartstrings.

Q3: Storytelling is great for evoking emotion, but how can you use it to inspire your audience to take action?

So, you’ve got your audience feeling something… Now what? How do you push them to take action? Here’s what you need to know:

Facts aren’t necessarily going to inspire people to take action. It’s the emotion that sparks us to get up and do something about it.

Make sure you are super clear on whoo your audience is. Figure out what they’re struggling with so you can be sure you’re crafting a message that will appeal to them. Otherwise, you’ll fail to get them to take action.

Start with the problem your audience is dealing with and then present the solution that you can provide them with.

Always ask yourself… What’s in it for your audience? You need to be able to show them howl they’ll benefit and how to take the next steps with you.

Make sure your story leaves people wanting to know more, otherwise they’ll never be inspired to take action.

Ray suggests helping your audience to see themselves in the story and direct them to the action they need to take.

Of course, you cannot forget to add a call to action. Be clear! Don’t leave people wondering what to do next.

And while you’re on their minds, continue building that relationship.

Q4: How can you measure the impact of your stories to determine if you’re seeing actual ROI?

As with anything in business, you want to make sure you’re seeing a return on your investment of time and money. Otherwise, something needs to change! Here are some tips on tracking ROI:

Understand the purpose of what you’re creating and this will guide you to the right metrics to track.

As Lexie said, you have to set goals for your storytelling. You need to know what you’re trying to achieve before you get started and then you’ll know what to watch for.

This is the time to get real friendly with your analytics! Make sure you’re tracking things to see how your content performs.

Pay attention to whether or not people are engaging with your content, if you’re seeing more traffic, etc. If not, it’s time to revisit your strategy.

David suggests looking to see how many people are discovering your content, how many are interacting, and whether or not they’re buying from you afterwards.

Check out things like your click-through rate, leads, sales, etc. You’ll also want to look at comments, DMs, and other engagement.

Conversions are always key to measure!

Engagement, clicks, impressions, duration of views… All off these are important! But brand sentiment is equally as crucial.

Conversations are great to track because you want to see that your content gets people talking.

This is a great strategy to follow!

Q5: How can we incorporate storytelling while still remaining true to our overall brand message?

Now, how can we stay true to our brand during this whole process? Check out these tips:

These are great tips that Carla had to share and it all starts with getting clear on your brand’s purpose.

Know who you serve, what your brand stands for, and communicate it through your content.

Bill said it’s not just about what you make, but what you make possible for your audience.

User-generated content can help tell your story while still staying aligned with your brand.

Lexie’s suggestion to create brand guidelines is great because it can keep the whole team on the same page.

One great piece of advice for you: don’t overthink it!

Q6: What are some common mistakes brands make in their storytelling?

These are the mistakes you’ll want to avoid! Are you making any of them?

One big mistake is expecting to see results overnight. This is a long-term game!

Another mistake is telling the story for you, not your audience. This is about them!

Not understanding your audience is a big no-no. How can you expect to create something that resonates if you don’t know what they want?

Don’t just cram any story into your messaging. Everything needs to flow!

Boring stories aren’t cool. Make it interesting to your audience if you want to grab their attention and keep it.

Don’t forget about your overall brand strategy!

Vanity metrics aren’t what you want to watch.

Q7: Which brands are doing a great job at storytelling? Tag them!

These brands are all great examples that you can start learning from.

Carla said Target does a great job with storytelling.

For Gene, he’s all about Lego, Death Wish Coffee, and Warby Parker.

SEMrush, Simon Sinek, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Apple are great examples.

And who doesn’t love Wendy’s sassy online personality they’ve crafted?

Q8: What’s one thing we can do today to improve our storytelling within our brand?

Now, you can’t just consume all of this information and not take action. Today, do at least one thing to improve your storytelling. Here are some suggestions:

Get your employees involved!

Sarah said to spend time getting to know your ideal customer and how you can make their lives easier.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re unsure! It’s the best way to get to know your audience.

Determine your mission, value, vision, and goals.

Pay attention to what people say about your brand. That can shape what you create in the future.

Jessica agrees that it’s so important to listen to your audience.

If you have a team, make sure everyone is on the same page.

Encourage your employees and customers to share their story because it’s powerful and relatable. It brings such a personable element to your brand.

Want to join us for the next #ContentWritingChat? It takes place on the first Tuesday of every month at 10 AM Central! Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat to stay updated.

Tags: brand storytelling | storytelling