brand storytelling - Express Writers

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

June 19, 2024March 8, 2019 by Rachel Moffett

“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 Welcome to #ContentWritingChat! Today, we’re talking all about storytelling with keynote speaker and author, @CarlaJohnson! Make sure you give her a warm welcome. pic.twitter.com/l4LTLDOfua — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 5, 2019 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: A1. Storytelling is an interactive art that uses words and pictures to convey messages that we want people to remember and affect how they remember us. #ContentWritingChat — Carla Johnson – Keynote Speaker (@CarlaJohnson) March 5, 2019 A1. Stories pick you up at one place and leave you at another. They take you someplace that you haven’t gone before and leave an emotional impact on you – joy, fear, hope, etc. #ContentWritingChat — Carla Johnson – Keynote Speaker (@CarlaJohnson) March 5, 2019 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. A1: Storytelling is the idea of ‘pulling back the curtain’ to show a different side to a known entity. It’s crucial for brands because it can 1. Make the brand a known entity and 2. Make their cause more memorable (leading to more brand awareness organically) #ContentWritingChat — Stefan Palios (@stefanpalios) March 5, 2019 Stefan feels storytelling is a must because it helps the brand to become known and also more memorable. A1. Storytelling is an integral part of connecting with people, developing relationships, and building community. As that process unfolds people start to trust you more and want to spend their money with you (if they need the product or service. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/b44yoR1S6U — Gene Petrov – Leadership Coach #SMMW19 (@GenePetrovLMC) March 5, 2019 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. A1 Storytelling helps brands connect with their target audiences a more personal level. Connecting leads to converting. #ContentWritingChat — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) March 5, 2019 Bill said storytelling helps brands connect with their audience on a more personal level. Those connections can lead to conversions. A1: Storytelling goes beyond selling and gives a more personable, in-depth view of a brand and a message/value they believe in. Storytelling tends to be more interactive and really aids in building a brands trust within a community. #ContentWritingChat — Tamara (@itstamaragt) March 5, 2019 Storytelling gives an in-depth view of a brand and the message and values they believe in. A1: It’s the same as it is when we were kids. Storytelling helps words come to life so that we can see a clear picture in our minds. For brands, storytelling is the lifeline between their co. & their consumer! #ContentWritingChat — Maria Marchewka (@_MariaMarchewka) March 5, 2019 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. A1 How can brands use #storytelling? They can use it to share their purpose goals values message vision unique value in a way that humanizes them is engaging builds trust creates community builds leadership builds brand rep.#ContentWritingChat — Bentley University (@bentleyu) March 5, 2019 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: A2 People respond to stories because it gives their brain a way to create context for information. Brands try to prove they are right with data but that is too overwhelming for people at the early stage of a relationship. #ContentWritingChat — Carla Johnson – Keynote Speaker (@CarlaJohnson) March 5, 2019 A2 Research shows when you start with facts, it puts people in judgement mode. Can they believe/trust you? Activates cortisol. Starting with a story relaxes them and builds trust – activates oxytocin. Storytelling is the feel-good drug of business! #ContentWritingChat — Carla Johnson – Keynote Speaker (@CarlaJohnson) March 5, 2019 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. A2. Our brains are wired to remember stories. We have a hard time remembering facts and figures. But a great story puts context behind why we might need something in our lives. That’s huge for the modern marketer. It cuts through the clutter of other messages #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/JY7FhmQo29 — Gene Petrov – Leadership Coach #SMMW19 (@GenePetrovLMC) March 5, 2019 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 … Read more

Your Guide to Content Storytelling: Why Emotionally Connecting with Your Audience Produces More Traction, Sales & Results

June 19, 2024January 16, 2018 by Adam Oakley

Hello, 2018! Isn’t it crazy we’re weeks into the New Year already? For one of our first Write Blog posts in 2018, I’m beginning the year with a powerful topic. I want to unveil the what, how and why of a rare content epidemic that can transform our marketing world as we know it. What is this epidemic, you say? Content storytelling. Research has proven that emotional connection is EVERYTHING in marketing: On average, emotionally connected customers are 52% more valuable than customers who are only highly satisfied. Emotionally connected customers engage with your content, buy products, and keep coming back. In a study of retail banking customers, those who were emotionally connected to the bank were 6x more valuable than highly satisfied customers. This is because: They remained customers much longer They held more products at the bank They concentrated more of their balances at the institution Just look at the average lifetime revenue of highly satisfied customers ($10,189) versus emotionally connected customers ($59,500). There’s a difference there that adds up to tens of thousands of dollars. It’s pretty clear that when you connect with your audience/potential customers on an emotional level, amazing things happen. Your customers become better, more loyal, and invested in what you do. They don’t just like or trust you; it’s deeper than that. So, how do you get to that level with them? Content storytelling can be the lynchpin. To get a better idea of how it’s done, let’s start by looking at how a major credit card company, Chase, courted millennials and plugged into an emotional connection with them for awesome results. Ready to dive in? How JPMorgan Chase Courted Customers and Won Their Hearts with Content Storytelling JPMorgan Chase has had a lot of success with millennials. They recently introduced a credit card targeted at this generation with the intent of inspiring emotional connection – with lots of success. What happened? Use among millennials rose by 70%, while account growth increased by 40%. Big gains, right? Let’s analyze a piece of their strategy and look at how they used storytelling to tap into millennial emotions. They did it with TheSkimm, a targeted daily newsletter that briefs its readers on world news and issues. First, there’s something you should understand about TheSkimm. It’s not just a news briefing delivered to your inbox daily. It’s also a wildly popular newsletter with a distinct tone of voice that offers tips for living a better, more successful life. It’s generally well-regarded and loved by celebrities, influencers, and average readers alike. (Among its fans: Oprah, Trevor Noah, Lena Dunham, and Sarah Jessica Parker.) Happy birthday to @theskimm. One of the best things young people can do to their inbox. — Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) July 21, 2016 However, according to Bloomberg, its most notable demographic makes up 80% of its readership: professional females ages 22-34. Along with that, TheSkimm gets great engagement when you look at its open rates (anywhere from 35-40%). Of course, the draw of TheSkimm for its readers mainly has to do with the way it presents its content. The newsletter has a style that’s fun to read, and it elegantly covers an array of news topics from various angles so readers feel informed and knowledgeable. It honestly reads like an email from a worldly, well-informed friend who has a hefty dose of wit. Here’s an example of a news snippet from TheSkimm’s daily digest: It’s important news in an easy-to-swallow format, with linked text so you can read further in depth. The thing is, this news outlet also includes affiliate advertising in their content. The other thing is, it’s not intrusive or annoying, and its presented in a way that’s meant to be helpful. And, it works: There’s no mention of brand names. But, these are obviously coupon offers (at least, to anyone with a marketing eye). They’re presented the same way as the rest of the information in the newsletter. It fits. Plus, these seem like offers that any millennial woman would be interested in. Enter Chase. Media Logic explained how the credit card company managed to take advantage of TheSkimm’s native advertising and seamlessly appeal to their built-in audience (even with branding!). Chase was able to tap into TheSkimm’s storytelling style and direct readers to their own blog: It only works because Chase is continuing to build the narrative that TheSkimm started: “You’re a young professional looking to create a successful life. You need help getting there. We have your back.” There is no tie-in to Chase’s various products or services. The Chase links within TheSkimm take you to content that meshes with the story already in progress. The results (particularly that 70% rise in millennial credit card use) attests to how well this strategy worked. Stories tell – and stories SELL! How to Use Content Storytelling to Emotionally Connect and Inspire Brand Devotion So, now you know how stories can sell. Storytelling in content marketing, needless to say, is integral. Via Content Marketing Institute The power of stories has followed human civilization since the cavemen first painted figures on cavern walls, telling the story of their way of life as hunters. It’s been with us since human language first developed, allowing us to entertain and regale each other with experiences both real and made-up. Emotion has always been at the core of stories. Stories make you feel something, whether that’s delight, surprise, sadness, fear, joy, or plain old empathy. Stories are how we communicate. What is a conversation but a series of intertwining narratives? Storytelling is also a better way to present content. To tell stories in your content, draw on what you know about them intuitively. Use these aspects to make your content come alive for your readers and create that emotional connection. 1. Be Personal When somebody gets personal, we automatically feel more invested in what they have to say. A personal story or point-of-view has far more emotional resonance than one told from a third person or objective perspective. Example: … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Storytelling & Other Tactics for Successful Personal Branding in Content Marketing with Tara Clapper

December 31, 2020March 24, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

In our latest #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about storytelling and personal branding. If you’re ready to take your personal brand to the next level, this is the chat for you. Keep reading for the recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Storytelling & Other Tactics for Successful Personal Branding in Content Marketing TOMORROW: It’s another #ContentWritingChat at 10 AM Central! Join us as we chat storytelling and personal branding with @irishtara! pic.twitter.com/brJyiPBgrQ — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 21, 2017 Our guest host this week was one of our own team members, Tara Clapper. Tara is our talented Content Development Specialist. In this chat, she shared some helpful tips on personal branding that you’ll want to put to use for your own brand. Q1: What is personal branding and who needs to develop their own personal brand? To kick off the chat, we wanted to hear how our chat participants defined personal branding. We also wanted to know who they felt needs a personal brand. To find out what some of them said, check out these responses: A1: A personal brand is a curated (but hopefully genuine) expression of who you are, online and off. Everyone needs one. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 21, 2017 Tara said your personal brand is an expression of who you are, both online and off. It should also be genuine. There’s no need to be fake, so keep it real and true to yourself. And as she said, everyone needs one! A1 If you’re in mktg/run a biz (even if it’s just a blog for now), YOU have a brand statement! Develop it = stand out. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 21, 2017 Great answer from Julia! She said if you’re in marketing or running a business, you have a brand. You need to develop that brand in order to stand out online. A1. Everyone has a personal brand! It’s just a matter of genuinely reflecting that brand to the outside world. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 21, 2017 Kristen agrees that everyone has a personal brand and that it’s all about reflecting that brand to the outside world. A1 Personal branding is important if you’re in a public-facing role at your company. You’re an extension of the brand. #contentwritingchat — Cristy (@lacristysalinas) March 21, 2017 Cristy brought up a great point for those who work as part of another company. If you have a public role within that company, you have to be careful about the image you put forth, as it reflects on the company as a whole. A1 Anyone who is serious about career development, digital marketing, or wants an online presence. #contentwritingchat — Chris Bell (@riskycontent) March 21, 2017 Chris feels anyone who is serious about career development, digital marketing, or who wants an online presence should be focused on personal branding. Q2: What are the key steps someone should take when developing their personal brand? Now that you know why personal branding is so important, you need to know what steps to take in order to develop a brand of your very own. Here’s some advice straight from Tuesday’s chat: A2: 1) Define brand; 2) Clear messaging on social media; 3) Consistency in branding; 4) Make it multi-faceted. #contentwritingchat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 21, 2017 Great response from Tara! When developing your personal branding, you need to define your brand, have clear messaging on social media, consistency within your branding, and you should also make it multi-faceted. A2.#Branding: -Define purpose -Discover value -Develop voice (tone, personality) -Deliver message consistently#contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/2w31Z0C3am — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) March 21, 2017 Gabriela shared some helpful steps to ensure you effective craft your own personal branding. She recommends the following: define your purpose, discover the value you can provide, develop your voice, and deliver your message consistently. A2 a) define what you want to stand for (mission, MVP) b) develop into slogans, social handles c) logo + color palette! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 21, 2017 Julia’s advice is to start by defining what you want to stand for. You should create a mission statement for your brand so you and your audience know exactly what you represent. You can then develop that into slogans and share it on social media. Don’t forget to have a nice logo and color palette to create a great brand image as well. A2. Look at brands you admire, make a list of things you love about them. Use those keywords to shape your own brand. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 21, 2017 Kristen knows you can learn a lot from other brands that are already established. Make a list of the brands you look up to and ask yourself why you love them so much. While you don’t want to copy them exactly, you can implement what you love about those brands into the creation of your own. A2: No matter what you do, be authentic. Being fake only hurts your brand. #ContentWritingChat — Cathy Iconis (@CathyIconis) March 21, 2017 This tweet is a very important reminder from Cathy. As she said, you need to be authentic in everything you do. Being fake will hurt your brand because people will see right through you. Q3: What is storytelling and how can brands use it to their advantage? You’ve likely heard all about storytelling by now, but what exactly is it? And how can brands use storytelling to their advantage? Check out these great tips from the chat: A3: At its core, storytelling is the TRUTH and the WHY behind your brand. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/PgPs6suHTR — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 21, 2017 Tara feels storytelling is the truth and the why behind your brand. A3/a: Storytelling = is using a narrative to give context to your message!!! #contentwritingchat — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) March 21, 2017 A3/b Storytelling + #branding makes content -memorable -relatable -builds trust -communicates brand tone/personality#contentwritingchat — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) March 21, 2017 Gabriela said storytelling is using a … Read more

What is LARP & 7 Ways It Made Me a Better Brand Storyteller

March 23, 2022February 10, 2017 by Tara Clapper

Like most writers and many content marketers, I’ve been a natural storyteller my entire life. Over the years, I’ve practiced my storytelling skills in a variety of ways: by earning an English degree some people branded ‘useless;’ through active participation in theater groups as an actor, crew member, and playwright, writing collaboratively with others I trust, and by creating and participating in LARPs (live action role playing games). Even as a recent college grad at a self-publishing company, I realized the thrill in completing and marketing work – especially when a long-term success pays off. It’s not just about having a story, but selling it. Each media – theater, collaborative writing, formal scholarship – has taught me something new about storytelling, but LARP is the culmination of these skills. The medium itself is also flexible enough to warrant explanation and innovation. Scroll past the infographic for the full story by Tara! What is LARP & 7 Ways It Made Me a Better Brand Storyteller (Infographic) What is LARP? LARP stands for “live action role play.” In this interactive medium, participants create a story collaboratively while representing a character in the LARP, sometimes to a very immersive degree. LARP covers a variety of genres such as medieval fantasy, sci-fi, western, and post-apocalyptic. Some games include boffer or ranged weapon combat; others focus on personal interaction and emotional intensity or a combination of the two. Styles vary greatly depending upon genre, region, and participants’ preferences. Like a consultant might encourage participants to role play sales and customer service scenarios, LARP is also a very effective educational tool. It’s used heavily in schools in Scandinavia and it can be very similar to military combat simulations. Depending on the LARP, you might do something similar to Model UN – or you may feel like you’re in Lord of the Rings. There are several ways in which LARP helps participants hone their storytelling skills: You drop any pretense of the ‘real world’ (except for physical and emotional safety). As adults, we’re often encouraged to focus on reality. LARP sparks your imagination and allows you to focus on building a story with others. This is not unlike how a marketing team can function at a brand of any size. As in real life, LARP worlds and scenarios often feature problems and solutions. Innovation helps you get things done, complete objectives, and reflect on your progress – almost like a more natural agile marketing process. LARPs do not always have a beginning, middle, and end format, but they can. Participants often reflect upon their role in that story. LARPs may provide the opportunity for you to be less rigid and confined in how you tell your story – and that’s a great lesson to take into the business world. By portraying someone else, you can become more empathetic (deliberately or not). Imagine if you could understand your readers this way – or your customers! I’ve been an active LARP participant for a decade – that spans most of my career in publishing and marketing. I’ve participated as a player, non player character (NPC – a scripted character who helps the game master tell the story), and as a game designer, marketer, and staff member. 7 Major Lessons for Brand Storytelling from LARP When it comes to storytelling, LARP has taught me seven major lessons that I deliberately apply to business: 1. Just Provide Setting: The Secret to Community Successful marketing brands like HubSpot know that building a community around your brand requires a long-term strategy and an investment of time and money. They do it because it works. While brands can and should provide spaces for enthusiasts and customers to discuss their brand, ultimately the community usually works best with guidance instead of harsh motivation. At Seventh Kingdom IGE, a medieval fantasy LARP in New Jersey, a small staff handles the logistics of events. But with extensive lore and an ongoing story, players also take responsibility by taking on leadership roles in game. In the real digital world, existing players are to credit for a great deal of recruitment, which usually happens by word of mouth and by players posting about their positive experiences on Facebook. While players love the game and its brand, what they crave most is the ability to be the hero (and villain) in the game world – similar to a video game or a tabletop RPG like Dungeons & Dragons. 2. Customers Invest in Experiences When you sell a LARP ticket, what are you selling? The game may include basics like lodging and meals, but people are really investing in the story and in the experience – and, if your LARP is particularly impactful, in a person’s transformation and education. Experience means you’re selling them the experience; transformation means you’re flipping non-fans into fans or even altering their worldview with their product. As LARP can be a very social and personal experience featuring high levels of immersion, participants often enjoy both the experience and the transformation. As internationally renowned professional game designer Claus Raasted said, “I’m not only an experience designer, but a designer of transformations.” That’s storytelling full-circle. What would change about your business and how you market it if you took this approach? 3. Play Your Own Story We all know that employee engagement is necessary and enthusiastic employees are the most productive advocates – but what about the management? Are you playing your own story? A LARP could be a week-long epic battle scenario or a two hour experience at a convention. One thing I’ve learned about successful game masters and game designers is that they play their own story. Sure, this happens out of necessity sometimes – just like a business, the game can be short-staffed or someone calls out sick and upper management needs to fill in. However, I advocate for intentional insertion into the game world (or business) you’ve created. With a small investment of time, you’ll possibly learn more about your LARP (or business) than … Read more