The Story Path in Marketing: Storytelling Marketing - ARTICLE GATE

 How meaningful are the stories to you? If we focus on the meaning of the word, unfortunately, we may not reach a definition that can adequately express the meaning it carries.

Therefore, instead of relying on conventional definitions, I would like to start by presenting you with a perspective appropriate to the subject of my article. The structure we call a story can be described as a set of concepts that affect all the experiences we have had from past to present, from A to Z.

We can make this meaningful for a 1-year-old child, or for an adult. Here, just like in digital marketing, our story should have a purpose, quality and message.

Of course, at some point, the story we tell must meet the right target audience. That's where Storytelling Marketing comes in!

Stories; they have managed to transcend time, people and cultures and continue their existence for centuries. In the minds of many of us; I'm sure it's a story that he couldn't get out of his influence, that he didn't forget even though he heard or read it years ago.

This situation actually arises from the nature of bringing the message in the story told by the narrator to the reader.

“There are no good or bad stories. There are good or bad narrators.”

The place of storytelling in human life is so great that its adaptation to marketing was unmissable. That's why storytelling has been used as a marketing method for centuries.

Marketing should not be evaluated only for a product or commercial concept. The concept of selling the idea has a very close relationship with storytelling at one point.

The marketing method, called Storytelling Marketing, combines the unique impact of the story with the ability to sell. If you have started to visualize the subject in your mind, we can apply for recognition now!

“Storytelling: The art of using words and actions to bring elements and images to life while stimulating the listener's imagination.

Although it is an ancient art form, it has carried the feature of being the most valuable human expression until today.”

In stories, the role of the narrator is more important than the quality of the story. In story marketing, the role of the marketer is equally effective as the role of storytelling.

In fact, we can say that there is a correlation here. The marketer's recognition of his target audience and his marketing skills directly affect the quality and quantity of the purpose, product and idea he markets.

Engagement is the main factor in storytelling marketing. The marketer who interacts with the reader, listener or audience; He should be able to convey his thoughts completely to the other party by reacting according to different expectations and cultures.

In marketing, storytelling is embellished with words that stimulate the listener's imagination and essentially enact a composition in the minds of the audience.

This strategy, which has been used for years to activate the masses and to place some elements in their subconscious, has managed to become the center of attention in the field of marketing.

So much so that storytelling marketing is drastically changing today's sales strategies. How Does? Let's examine all the details together.

What is Story Marketing?

 story marketing; It is a marketing technique that brands and businesses use to promote their products, services or brand values ​​using storytelling and to establish an emotional connection.

It is used to increase interaction with the brand by influencing the target audience emotionally, rather than informing them about a product or service. In marketing studies, a story is told to the target audience and the values, vision, mission or products of the brand are conveyed.

Strategies created with storytelling marketing increase brand loyalty by creating a more positive opinion of consumers about a brand. Thus, the brand can achieve social media shares, word of mouth marketing and reach a wider audience.

If we examine the subject in the context of today's marketing; It is worth remembering that thousands of advertisements are published every day for the sale of products and services and these advertisements reach large masses in a short time. What are the details that make an advertisement more meaningful and successful for you than other advertisements?

Here a fundamental distinction emerges that separates the consumer and the producer. As a marketer and digital marketing worker, I start by describing good advertising as a good storyteller. The success of the brands we all use today is therefore not a coincidence.

The product, story, mission and vision that each of them has are brought together with consumers in such a good way that each of us inevitably turns into a brand representative. If you're wondering if there is an effective way to achieve this, then what we're about to tell you will be of great interest to you!

Let's assume that as a brand owner, you aim to bring your story and products to the widest audience. In this direction, your story begins the day your brand was founded and extends to your products, services, solutions, who you reach, your working principles, and your business culture.

Of course, it would not be right to give specific patterns for a story. Business owners have already started to write their story the day they founded their brand. However, it is the subject of marketing to explain this to your target audience in the most accurate and effective way. So let's look at the details of storytelling marketing as a type of marketing.

Advantages of story marketing:

• It creates an emotional bond between your company and your target audience.
• To customers; It allows you to explain who you are, your values, and why you should choose them.
• People who feel familiar with the brand feel more confident when shopping.
• If there are negative judgments about your company, you can change these perceptions with compelling stories.

To summarize; Compared to other marketing methods you can use to promote your brand, storytelling produces much better and long-lasting results.

At this point, it is possible to explain the advantages it will provide with a more concrete example. The popular song of recent times, "Ali Cabbar", created a great success with its story. Even though the song was very beautiful, the fact that there was a story behind it made the piece more special and aroused curiosity. Well, products start to arouse curiosity when there is a story behind them.

When you Google “ Ali Cabbar ”, you will see pages where many platforms feature this story. If your brand's story succeeds in attracting attention, you will start to see that there is content about your brand not only on your own website, but also on dozens of websites.

Story Creation Steps

Before we move on to the steps of creating a story, let's give you a few more briefs on why you should do this.

“Psychologist Jerome Bruner has shown that stories are 22 times more effective marketing methods as a result of his research in this area.

In a similar study, Harvard Business Review found that emotional connections increase the recommendation rate of brands.“

Your Storytelling Marketing efforts are up in the air unless they match a unique character. The reason why people are so affected by stories is that they assimilate the characters and identify them with themselves.

When you do this in the best way, you will get much better results than you expect.

Regardless of the content you are telling, the target audience should be able to put themselves in the place of the hero there. If people see a piece of themselves in this story, it will be much easier to get them into action.

Here we can refer to the narrative element, which we can call the "Hero's Journey". Movies, books, and TV series feature the main protagonist's journey at the beginning.

For example, the book "The Stranger", one of the cult works, begins with the loss of the hero's mother. After we develop sensitivity towards him, every word he says will affect us more.

When you look at the dramas, you can clearly distinguish the hardships of the heroes, their good intentions and the scenes they show until they give the message "one of you". The hero you will create in your story must be like "one of your target audience"!

Conflict – Resolution – Reward Cycle

The final part of the story building steps is the conflict – resolution – reward cycle. You have created your hero, but you do not yet know what path he will take.

Let's take a closer look at the cycle that has been used for years and has been successful in every process it has been used.

Your hero should embark on an adventure and this adventure must contain elements that your target audience can visualize.

There must be a "conflict" in his adventure, and this conflict must contain the complex emotions that many people experience.

Finally, your hero must win the conflict, reach the resolution and win the prize. The stories you will create this frame manage to impress people of all ages!

Tips for Creating a Good Story: Q&A

The information we have provided so far has included a lot of information about storytelling. If this information seems complicated to you or you want to see clearer steps, you should definitely know the question-answer technique.

Follow the list of questions we have prepared from beginning to end, in order. Your answers to the questions will allow you to create a unique story for your brand. The subject of each question is your hero.

• Who is your hero (customer profile)?
• What are their needs and wants?
• What's the problem?
• How is he currently solving his problems?
• How does your brand step in to help?
• What are the solutions offered by the brand?
• How is the transformation process and what does the future hold for your hero?

Here, within the framework of these questions, you can write your own brand story.

It's Your Turn, Write Your Brand Story!

It's time to write your brand's unique story!

• Explain why the company was founded, its mission, and how it overcame the challenges. You should keep this part as short as possible. The elements that should come to the fore are as we mentioned at the beginning of our content; brand identity, values ​​and purpose.
• Determine the narrative language of the story within the plan you have made; You can use a humorous, emotional, motivating expression.
• Start describing your hero. Do not forget to include items that will identify the main character with the target audience.
• Create conflict and offer a solution that includes your brand.
• Finally, complete your story by telling those who prefer your brand what advantages await them.

After creating the story, you should take care to share it with all members of the company. To make it more impressive, you can include your colleagues and refer to their adventures.

Set the Story Setting

Today, there are dozens of platforms where you can share your story. Below you can see all the options.

• Writing: Written stories are one of the most affordable options. You can publish it on the blog site, share it with magazines, and publish a book.
• Conversation: Stories you will tell in person; TED talks, presentations, and panels. Telling your brand story to young audiences by agreeing with university communities will make them a role model and strengthen their loyalty to the brand.
• Audible: The most beloved story tool today is undoubtedly the podcast. You can reach large audiences by telling your story aloud on various platforms.
• Digital: Stories prepared in media format are much more comprehensive than the above techniques. Our recommendation; your preference for digital media with interactive stories, videos, animations and images.

When choosing a medium, you should consider your target audience and focus on the area that will appeal to them the most. Social media applications, platforms such as YouTube host stories that the target audience can interact with.

At the same time, you will have the advantage that they can share your story and watch it over and over. If you are considering publishing it on your own website, you should ensure that your target audience engages by using a comment panel.

Conclusion

In our content, we've covered all the details you need to know about story marketing. First of all, you should learn storytelling and visualize how you can make a more impressive narrative.

For this, you need to find the words that will best express the brand values ​​and culture. In storytelling, which is an art based on words, you should not overlook any detail. Go with a plan and be sure to review our story creation steps. As a result, you will establish an emotional bond between the product and the consumer. You can associate this with the fact that people who grew up in a neighborhood prefer the neighborhood grocery store because they know it. The familiar feeling that your brand will create with its sincerity and story will succeed in attracting the masses.

Of course, a common story will not be effective to ensure this success. In the rest of our content, we will describe a seamless process that anyone can use to define their own brand.

Identify Brand Identity and Values

Consider your brand's values ​​before you start the process. You probably have an idea about this, but your colleagues, business partners and customers are also included in the process.

Therefore, look at your brand identity and values ​​from as broad a perspective as possible. Think about all your values ​​that will impress people and examine the story marketing processes.

Brand Value

You can start the process by determining the values ​​that will best express your business. Having these elements clear will make it catchy and impressive. For example, while determining Adidas brand values; used the concepts of performance, passion, honesty and diversity.

Brand Purpose

It is not possible to create an effective story without determining the purpose of your brand. For this reason, you should know that you need to determine the purpose of your business along with its values.

The brand purpose should include sentences shaped in line with your sensitivities. For example, the purpose of Patagonia; It is based on protecting nature, not causing unnecessary harm and creating the best product.

The fact that it is an extremely impressive approach for nature lovers is one of the factors that are effective in growing its target audience.

You can determine what you aim for while revealing your product and service in line with people's sensitivities.

Your target audience; may be animal lovers, the elderly, the disabled, children. If there is a value that you want to protect, it should definitely be included in your purpose.

Make a Plan

You now have clear ideas about your brand's personality, values ​​and goals. It's time to write a compelling story. In fact, the hardest thing we've talked about so far is making a plan.

As storytelling adapts to the marketing process, many people get confused and face unsuccessful results because of its unplanned progress. We have explained the tips of the planning process for those who want to progress flawlessly.

• The purpose of your plans to market products and services is to increase sales volume and generate revenue. First, forget about it and think more emotionally.
• How the story you tell will affect the target audience should be your focus. Get an idea of ​​what they will feel and think when they hear your story.
• Don't rule out the possibility that the story will sensitize certain audiences. For example, advertisements centered around a mother's day-themed story were heavily criticized for the impact they would have on children without mothers. Show sensitivity to progress within the framework of the values, spirituality and culture of your target audience.

You now have an idea of ​​what will and will not happen in your story. Now, we can move on to step three.

Be Original

The most important principle is that your story is original and real. If your narrative is fake or fake, your brand's reputation will suffer more than you might expect.

Do not include any details that will make the target audience question the reality of the story and do not appear insincere.

For this, you can stay away from exaggerated discourses and overly emotional narratives. Ultimately, your listeners should trust your word, be impressed, and feel that you value them.

You can see the basic steps of creating an original narrative in the following items:

• You should know the history of the company and tell a story about what happened during the establishment process.
• The people who created the brand, their original vision and their challenges should be your focus.
• If your experiences are indicative, you should definitely tell what you have been through. When your audience sees you as a role model, their loyalty to your brand will increase.

You also need a character to impress people. Now let's look at how to create the hero of the story.

Create a Hero