People love stories. We are all made for stories. Stories are what bind us together. They transcend time, space, reality. They shape us from our earliest childhood. We love interesting, inspiring, educational, humorous stories. From prehistoric times and cave drawings of buffalo hunting (or today’s interpretation of hunting a woman with a club), people love them. They affect us on an emotional, empathetic level. Stories move us to think and take action.

How does storytelling affect my brand?

As we said before, people love stories. Emotional decision-making has a much greater impact on decision-making than numbers and facts.

And there’s no mystery here. There’s a scientific explanation for this: Customers are driven primarily by emotions – feelings and experiences, rather than factual information, such as the qualities of the brand and the content that represents it.

The emotional response to an advertisement is much more influential on the customer’s decision to purchase a particular product than the content of the advertisement itself and the facts we present.

Interest me! This is the key point of a good storytelling. Our brain is in constant search for stories. People spend a third of their waking part of the day daydreaming and fantasizing. This stops the moment we get a good story that occupies our attention.

It’s much easier for people to remember a story than dry facts and data. This is because the human brain can’t tell the difference between listening/reading a story and actually participating in it. In both cases, similar neurological centers are stimulated.

Be interesting, authentic, lucid…

Of course, the question arises – how to find a good story? It is in this question that the answer is found. To find a good story. Stories are all around us. And your brand certainly has a story of its own, it’s up to you to find it.

To get started, answer the following questions:

What is it that you’re offering?

Whatis your brand for?

What makes you different from others?

If you want your story to have an impact, you need to base it on your clientele’s understanding. What motivates them, what are their needs, goals, dreams and aspirations? That is why this is the initial step. This is where the beginning of every good story begins.

Your story must have a good “bait”. The answers to the previous questions will certainly help you define the right “bait”. What’s going to motivate your target audience? Once you’ve defined this, you’ll have a foundation on which to develop your story.

The best stories and ideas usually come from the clients themselves. Listen to your audience. Clients are the best source of good stories. Their stories are credible (they really happened!), it’s easy to relate to them, and you won’t have to put too much effort into writing them. You can use them in integral form, or use their feed back to create a story that is based on reality.

Once upon a time there was one….

Once you’ve found your story, it’s time to tell it. It’s important to tell it in the most impactful way that will have the most impact on your customers.

Be authentic! Above all, people value honesty and authenticity. Stick to your brand’s main message. Emphasize how you meet the needs and solve the problems of your customers. Make it easy for your audience to identify with your brand and its values.