Storytelling in Digital Marketing: How to Share Your Brand’s Story Online

You might be wondering who this beautiful woman is in the photograph above.

It’s my late Mum, Joan O’Reilly. On St Brigid’s Day this year I wanted to honour her, as St Brigid’s Day falls on the anniversary of her death. She died 7 years ago. She was one of the most creative people you could meet.

A model in her early 20s, in dreary 1950s Ireland, she hung out with Irish fashion designer Clodagh (of Clodagh Design now in NYC) and had an innate sense of style that would take your breath away. She never lost it. Til her dying day she took care of herself and her knee-high sparkly socks from Avoca were the talk of the nursing home where she ended her days in 2018.

As a teen I’d come in from school and she’d be busy doing her own dressmaking, surrounded by fabric and patterns on the dining room floor. She made exquisite hand-beaded evening bags that were stocked for a while in Brown Thomas.

She painted, was an incredible cook and baker and loved to entertain. She was quite a shy person but I always felt she belonged in Paris, London or New York, not Dublin 13! Needless to say she visited me a lot when I lived in Paris in the 90s. And she’d have a list of specialist food items for me to bring home that she couldn’t find here (poppy seeds figured a lot, bizarrely, and Valrhona chocolate!)

She died before I set up my business but I’d like to think she’d be proud, and happy I’m working in a creative industry.

Why am I telling you this?

Because it’s one of my stories. Even if it doesn’t follow the exact format of a story, it brings you a bit closer to knowing me and understanding where I come from. I shared this on LinkedIn and I’ve had more engagement on this one post than any post I could write about digital marketing or websites. People love stories and people love to know the stories behind your business.

The Power of Storytelling in Digital Marketing

Storytelling is an ancient art form that has been used for centuries to pass knowledge, traditions, and values from one generation to another. In the context of marketing, storytelling serves as a strategic tool that can differentiate your brand in a crowded marketplace. It transforms your brand from a mere provider of goods or services into a relatable entity with values, aspirations and a personality that aligns with that of your target audience.

Why Storytelling Resonates

As humans we are wired to respond to stories. They are way more memorable than facts alone because they engage us emotionally and intellectually, creating a deeper and more meaningful connection. In marketing, storytelling can:

- Enhance Brand Recall: A compelling story can make your brand more memorable, helping it stand out among your competitors.

- Build Emotional Connections: Stories that evoke emotions tend to have a stronger impact, fostering loyalty and trust between your brand and your audience.

- Drive Engagement: Engaging stories are shareable stories. They encourage interaction, comments, and shares across social media platforms, increasing your brand's reach.

- Simplify Complex Ideas: Through storytelling, complex products or concepts can be broken down into relatable narratives that are easier for the audience to understand and appreciate.

Crafting Your Brand’s Story

Creating your brand’s story involves introspection and creativity. It’s about finding the essence of your brand and expressing it in a way that captivates your audience. Here’s how to start:

1. Define Your Core Values: Identify the principles that are at the heart of your brand. These values should resonate with your target audience and be evident in every story you tell.

2. Write down your back-story: Your USP is often connected to your back story, the journey which led you to starting your business in the first place. Even if you don’t want to tell this back story directly, there are invariably nuggets of gold in there which are the things that will help you stand out from the crowd. This exercise will also help you think about other stories you have to tell and help you figure out which ones are the most likely to help you connect with your audience.

2. Understand Your Audience: Know who you are speaking to. Understanding your audience’s needs, desires, and challenges will help you craft stories that they can relate to.

3. Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): What makes your brand different? Highlighting your USP within your stories can help illustrate why your audience should choose you over competitors.

4. Develop a Brand Persona: Give your brand a voice and personality that reflects its values and resonates with your target audience. This persona should be consistent across all your storytelling efforts.

We cover all of this in our Strategic Positioning work with our clients and in the Brand Accelerator programme and it’s invaluable for building a strong, resonant brand.

Sharing Your Brand’s Story Online

I often get asked ‘but how do I share my stories, and where"?’ You’ve a plethora of opportunities to share your brand’s story. Here are some effective ways to do so:

1. Website: Your website is often the first point of contact with potential customers. Use it to tell your brand’s origin story, share customer testimonials, and highlight how your products or services have made a difference.

2. Blog Posts: Blogs are an excellent medium for storytelling. They can be used to delve deeper into your brand’s values, share behind-the-scenes insights, and explore topics that matter to your audience.

3. Social Media: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X to some extent (but we’re not X-fans at the moment) allow for real-time storytelling through posts, stories and reels. Use a mix of text, images, and videos to share snippets of your brand’s journey, celebrate milestones, and engage with your audience.

4. Email Marketing: Personalised email campaigns can be used to tell stories that guide your audience through the customer journey, from awareness to conversion.

5. Video Content: Videos are incredibly effective for storytelling and all the platforms are really pushing video content these days. Videos can be used to convey emotions, showcase products in action, and tell stories that might be too complex for other formats.

How to tell a good story

A captivating story, especially in the context of branding, is a narrative that is purposeful, emotionally engaging and strategically aligned with your brand's objectives. It goes beyond the simplicity of an anecdote, which might be a brief recounting of a funny or interesting event, by weaving a deeper narrative that connects with the audience on a personal level.

To tell a captivating story, think back to what your English teacher taught you at school: start by setting a clear narrative arc that includes a beginning, middle and end, ensuring there is a flow that takes the audience on a journey. The beginning should establish the context and introduce the characters, ideally reflecting your audience's ‘persona’ to foster connection. The middle, or the heart of the story, should present a conflict or challenge that the characters face, resonating with the struggles or aspirations of your audience. The resolution, or the end, should offer a satisfying conclusion that aligns with your brand's message, showcasing how your product or service can help overcome challenges or fulfill desires. Your brand should be seen as the guide in the story, not the hero. The character/customer persona is the hero.

Yes, but what sets a story apart from an anecdote?

While anecdotes can be memorable and entertaining, they often lack the depth and purpose that stories possess. A well-crafted story in marketing terms is designed to leave a lasting impression, encouraging the audience to see themselves in the narrative and align their values and actions with those presented by the brand. This strategic use of storytelling not only enhances brand recall but also strengthens brand loyalty, as audiences feel a deeper, more personal connection to the story being told. For more reading about storytelling, look up Bernadette Jiwa, Sally Murphy of Welltold (site designed by yours truly) or Mike Garner from Stories That Matter (site also designed by me!)

Measuring the Impact of Your Storytelling Efforts

To ensure your storytelling efforts are resonating with your audience, it’s crucial to measure their impact in the same way you should measure all your marketing activities. Analyse metrics such as engagement rates, website traffic, conversion rates and social media shares to gauge the effectiveness of your stories. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback directly from your audience through surveys or comments to understand how your stories are being received and how they can be improved. As I said above, my most popular social media posts are the ones where I share a personal story (which I try to relate to my business).

To conclude…

Storytelling is not just a trend; it’s a powerful strategy that can humanise your brand, foster connections, and drive engagement. By crafting and sharing authentic stories that resonate with your audience, you can elevate your brand, differentiate yourself from competitors, and build a loyal community around your products or services. Remember, the most successful brands are not just sellers of products; they are tellers of tales that inspire, entertain, and inform. Embrace storytelling in your digital marketing strategy, and watch your brand’s narrative unfold in the most captivating way.