A friend of mine told me a story about a friend of hers who had recently purchased a new set of glasses specifically for drinking a variety of vanilla cognac.
He already owned an impressive array of stemware that would have served the cognac nicely. However, the shopkeeper had told him an amazing story about the benefits of this particular line of barware and its unique shape, giving it the ability to create a cognac drinking experience like no other glassware.
The story convinced her friend of the additional level of sophistication and class he would gain as a result of owning the perfect glassware for his cognac. The story was compelling, praying of an authentic desire to provide unparalleled quality and a unique experience to customers.
When my friend first told me this story, I was like seriously? Someone would buy another set of glassware to drink their cognac because of the glass shape and a feeling? Then I realized that the story this gentlemen heard and that influenced him to buy the glassware was because it gave him the feeling of being unique, sophisticated, and special. And in a very real sense, it is this feeling that he bought.
This is what we have to do as marketers!
By providing your customers with a feeling that they want to have, rather than just simply showing them a product or service that they can use, they'll be more likely to want to buy that product or use that service.
Tell the story of your brand — how you began, about the struggles and triumphs you've had, and how they've affected what your principles and philosophies are now.
Whichever way you decide to weave your story, your customer should feel as though they are the main character. In the story that the shopkeeper told, the man was able to imagine himself as the main character using the barware.
He imagined an improved social life once his friends and coworkers discovered how successful he must be to own such high quality and expensive glassware. He was proving (perhaps to himself) that he was a successful adult — one able to afford obnoxiously overpriced glasses.
Imagining these things was reason enough for him to purchase the barware, even though it wasn't really necessary. All because the shopkeeper told him a story.
It's important that your story helps to connect you with your fans and followers — in turn gaining you more fans and followers, because they will be more likely to share your brand and story with their friends and family.
Capture them with a story and then continue to tell that story through the content that you post on your social media platforms, blogs, and articles.
What ways have you used storytelling in growing your social media relationships? Sound off in the comments below!
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I totally agree, Niki! Loved the DOVE campaign myself!