Between 29-19 BCE, the Roman poet Virgil wrote the first Latin epic poem of his generation. The Aeneid, as it would later be named, was a 1,896-line poem which detailed the triumphant return of Aeneas; the epic hero who escaped from Troy and travelled across the Aegean, facing numerous perils, and eventually settling in Italy. He fought the Carthaginians and even began an affair with the half-goddess, half-African queen Dido. After overcoming numerous battles and tribulations, Aeneas was crowned King and was responsible for establishing a thousand-year dynasty which solidified Roman rule in the Mediterranean.
This might seem like mythology to us, but this story was recanted for thousands of years in Italy by individuals who genuinely believed that Aeneas was the founding father of their nation – even in the Renaissance period. It’s not the case that people were simply less-informed in those days, or somehow less worldly; this was all down to a very clever marketing campaign.
Virgil’s poem was actually commissioned by the Roman Emperor, Augustus. The new imperial ruler, formally known as Octavian, had managed to murder all of his enemies in a series of battles and smear campaigns throughout Europe. By the end, the only man left with any shred of power was Augustus – however, he needed a story which gave his name and future dynasty a sense of worthiness. He couldn’t have people questioning his authority or right to rule. So, he concocted a truly epic tale which let everyone in his Empire know exactly who he was. Through Virgil’s storytelling, the character of Aeneas was forever remembered as the pseudo-mythical ancestor of Augustus. This made the Aeneid the ultimate marketing tool for a new emperor who had a lot to prove.
So, what does this have to do with content marketing, you might ask?
Behind every great marketing campaign is an even better story. There’s been a lot of hype recently in the digital marketing sector about the difference between content marketing and storytelling. The reality is that both are intended to achieve the same task: to create a personal connection between the writer and audience. That’s what Augustus wanted, after all.
Here are 4 reasons why storytelling should be at the forefront of every good marketing campaign.
1. Storytelling can increase revenue
Following the research of SalesChase, a fantastic infographic was recently made which demonstrated how important storytelling is to business success. Here is a sneak peek for those of you who haven’t seen it yet:
Unlike other non-narrative corporate publications, storytelling marketing has the capacity to resonate with customers on a much more personal level. A great story, such as how a company was founded, encourages audiences to align themselves with a brand.
Here is a good example. Have you seen the latest adverts from John Lewis to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the department store?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAxO6KEbTiI
This advertisement is a fantastic example of a business using storytelling to create an emotional connection between a brand and its customers. The premise of this advert is very simple: John Lewis has been with you every step of your life. From infancy, to childhood, and then marriage and even home ownership; the company has shaped the way its consumers live and grow. However, this is only one aspect of the marketing campaign. John Lewis also plays on its existence throughout several generations in Britain. There’s images from the Blitz, the swinging 60’s, and straight through to the 2000s. Overall, this is a very clever campaign.
My favourite part, however, is at the very end; when John Lewis shows how its company logo has changed over the years. Of course, they don’t actually tell you this – it’s all implied. The genius behind this advert is that it lets the audience fill in the gaps. John Lewis uses narrative and storytelling to forge an emotional connection with its customers that will result in more purchases.
The storytelling is so powerful that John Lewis don’t even need to advertise a single product. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the department store has been so successful over the past year.
2. Storytelling can influence purchase decisions
According to research by econsultancy, audience engagement is one of the topic three business objectives of in-house and agency marketers (with 52% and 58% respectively). The reason for this focus is that engaging content, such as those that contain a distinctive narrative, is more likely to encourage customers to purchase a product.
When the average internet user is subjected to over 100,000 digital words per day, it’s not surprising that customers are demanding more from their businesses. 92% of consumers want brands to communicate with them through storytelling. Quite simply, it’s much easier for online audiences to remember and resonate with a business who advertise their product in a succinct way.
Images, for example, make it easier for customers to remember a brand image. In fact, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the human brain compared to text alone. Digital businesses who make infographics receive 12% more online traffic than companies who do not. I’m running a serious risk of information overload here, but I promise there’s a point to all of this.
Online consumers are naturally drawn to businesses who present their brand in a succinct, understandable, and memorable way. One of the most effective methods of achieving this is through great storytelling. Here is a good example from Ben and Jerry’s:
Ben and Jerry’s have a fantastic marketing campaign which revolves around promoting the brand’s narrative. Founded in 1978, in Vermont, the company was started from ‘humble beginnings’ by ‘two guys’ who enjoyed making tasty ice cream. They would even provide ‘free scoops for all, all day long’ on special occasions- how lovely is that?
Whether it’s true or not, the narrative surrounding Ben and Jerry’s has become a widespread corporate mythology in itself. The purpose for this type of rhetoric is to encourage customers to think of Ben and Jerry’s as an old-fashioned, small-time business with an unrivalled personal touch. The narrative helps you to align with Ben and Jerry’s; gratifying users with their knowledge that the company finally made it big, despite all the challenges. This type of storytelling is one of the reasons that Ben and Jerry’s dominates its market and rakes in profits of roughly $200million a year.
3. Storytelling makes customers happy
This might sound a bit mad, but storytelling in content marketing actually has a positive effect on the human brain. According to the latest research, storytelling has a neurological and emotional effect on people.
’Neural coupling’ is a process where a listener will hear a story and translate the narrative into a way they can directly understand. For instance, they will actively imagine themselves in that story and turn the narrative to align with their own ideas and values. This theory is by no means new, but it has extremely useful ramifications for content marketing.
Customers will also begin the process of ‘mirroring’ a reader’s rhetoric when they’re listening intently. This means that customers are potentially susceptible to aligning a brand’s ideology with their own core beliefs, especially when the narrative is done well. This arguably stems from a very basic human need to feel belonged in a larger group. When a business makes a personal connection with a consumer, they can often feel the need to ‘mirror’ that brand and reaffirm that close connection.
A great story is always emotionally charged; something that a great marketing campaign will exploit to within an inch of its life. When humans experience an emotionally-charged event, such as an engaging narrative, the brain releases dopamine. This chemical helps to make people feel happy, but it’s also intended to help the brain remember information with greater accuracy. For this reason, there is significant psychological benefit to using emotionally-charged storytelling in a marketing campaign.
4. Storytelling encourages businesses to think harder
So far, I’ve focussed a lot on why consumers need storytelling in their marketing needs. However, businesses should also relish the opportunity to convert their brand ideology into a story-telling format. If you want to create a narrative which defines your company or relates a product better to the consumer, then there are several points you may wish to consider:
- Who are your customers and what do they want?
- How can they benefit from storytelling?
- How can your business benefit from storytelling?
- How will you go about producing and achieving this process?
- How will you measure the success of storytelling?
This might sound like a lot to think about (and it is) but these considerations are incredibly useful for helping brands to develop a self-awareness about their own identity and business strategy. Storytelling is immensely useful and fun, but it also has a very real practical purpose (as we’ve already seen).
Developing a narrative for your advertising campaign definitely won’t happen overnight. It takes time and it’s important to have the right strategy which distinguishes your business from its competitors. You should also be prepared to fail and return back to the drawing board. It’s all about refining your storytelling techniques and developing the perfect content team to execute your business strategy.
A great story has the capacity to resonate with a person on a deep and meaningful level. You can only achieve this through in-depth market research and coming to a core understanding of who your customer is and what they want. That’s why storytelling in marketing can help businesses refine their overall brand mantra.
Why should businesses use storytelling in their marketing campaign?
When I started this blog, I used the example of the Aeneid and Augustus to illustrate the following points about a great storytelling strategy. A powerful narrative has the capacity to alter the way people think about a brand; even if they had no previous knowledge of the distributor. Storytelling is also deeply memorable and has much more cultural longevity than a simple written text. Furthermore, a great narrative is powerful enough to prompt consumers to question their own identity and reaffirm their personal set of values. This is something that Augustus unquestionably achieved with his epic poem; so much so that Virgil allegedly tried to burn the manuscript before it reached the public dominion.
A lot has changed since the birth of digital marketing, but storytelling still resonates deeply within society and has numerous for the company who uses it well. Quite simply, the human brain loves a good story; in fact, we are neurologically wired to process visuals and stories quicker and more efficiently than any other medium. If marketers want to be savvy, then they have to take advantage of this fact and give consumers exactly what they want.
Not only this, but storytelling is also very useful for businesses too. A great narrative which has mass appeal – whilst also connecting deeply with an individual – requires a substantial amount of customer understanding. This only comes from substantial market research.
Like storytelling itself, a great marketing strategy which involves a detailed narrative is a two-way process. The reader loves to tell the story and the listener can’t wait to sit down and listen.