Attracting Customers Through Storytelling
It’s often said that you need to pick a business niche and stick with it when starting your business; however, that might not necessarily be the right way for you to start.
One alternative to choosing a niche is telling your story in a way that connects with your audience. If you do this well, you’ll never be short of customers who are interested in you and what you stand for.
For example, you could be an eco-conscious business looking to connect with customers who share your mindset (or you could attempt to change the mindset of potential customers who aren’t yet eco-conscious).
However, you need to keep in mind that there’s no one way to write a story, and you shouldn’t attempt to do so without first researching what makes a good story and how you can make yours compelling enough that customers will buy into your business.
Why is storytelling important when building your business?
No two businesses are the same. You might work in the same industry as your competitors, but you started for different reasons, have a different voice, and have a different way of doing business.
It’s important to get this message across to your customers as it affects whether they trust you as a brand and, ultimately, whether or not they’ll buy from you.
In other words, if they feel like your story isn’t genuine, it can shape their overall view of your business as not authentic.
What makes business stories different from other types?
Typically, you need to keep an objective in mind when you’re telling a story in your business. It’s not the case of stringing words together in an attempt to be entertaining (although that can be one of the objectives).
The more effectively you tell your story, the more likely you are to create a personal connection with the intended audience. This connection, in turn, has the power to change opinions, give the inspiration to achieve goals, and provide a way to change things for the better.
Six different types of stories are used in business, and each plays a role in reaching your objectives.
- Who am I? - Typically used when attempting to establish a connection with your audience. Tell them about your experiences, dreams, goals and accomplishments.
- Why am I here? - Typically used to replace suspicion with trust. Tell them about your agenda and what you’re trying to get out of the situation, not just what you can do for them.
- Teaching stories - Typically used to illustrate a situation. Inform the audience how changing their behaviour can lead to a meaningful result.
- Vision stories - Typically used to inspire and encourage the audience. Inspire your audience to overcome their frustrations and challenges to achieve their goal.
- Values-in-action stories - Typically used to reinforce the values you want your audience to consider. These stories can help you demonstrate integrity and commitment to your audience.
- I know what you’re thinking - Typically used to validate the audience’s perspective of the situation. By anticipating their point of view, you can deal with their unspoken concerns.
The contents of your story will differ depending on what type of story you’re writing. Just remember you must make it compelling enough that your audience will want to engage with it and carry out the desired objective.
You’ve written your story, now what?
Once you’ve written your story, you need to be able to communicate it. How you communicate it depends on the type of story you’ve written and the intended audience. Typically, businesses use one of the following:
- Case studies
- Adverts
- Landing pages
- Videos
The type of communication you choose depends on the type of story you’re telling and its length. However, keep in mind that some forms of communication are more personable than others, which can aid in communicating the story.
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