Blurring the line between content marketing and storytelling

Faith Ocampo Published on November 27, 2015

smiling-matured-businessman-reading-book
“Clarity” is the number one word in a marketer s dictionary. In an industry that doesn t allow any room for hesitation, especially on the consumer s part, the marketer s job is to instill the brand message in a buyer s mind. So the marketer has to make it clear, straightforward, and laser-focused. However, as technology transforms the way consumers think and decide, there are instances wherein, perhaps, it s better that readers cannot decode the real intentions behind a brand s marketing effort.

Now, you re probably thinking that this would confuse consumers even more than they already are, thanks to the content explosion brought by the Internet. Won t they choose a brand who boldly takes out their marketing guns and relentlessly fires?

young-people-smiling-reading-tablet
Storytelling for brands is a trend automatically strengthened by social media and the customers’ need to feel involved and informed.

In a rapidly changing marketplace, it seems that customers prefer brands they feel connected with. Marketers have come to realize this, prompting them to respond through content marketing, all for fostering relationships between brands and their target customers.
But even this is getting old. There are types of content that consumers quickly dismiss because of their aversion to online ads. This has led us to the era of ad blockers, which is among the biggest enemies of online marketers.
Storytelling, as a content marketing strategy, seems to address the elusiveness of a content that engages readers and drives up conversion at the same time. From the traditional marketing lens, storytelling may be viewed as a weaker variant of other online advertising techniques simply because it doesn t directly urge consumers to buy. But in reality, the power of storytelling for brands is so pervasive. It s a trend automatically strengthened by social media and customers need to feel involved and informed.

Marketing challenge 1: immerse consumers in your story.

businessmen-coworkers-chatting

What makes brands stories relevant now more than ever is the consumers clamor for substantial content. Today s customers are wiser, more speculative, and more meticulous. There s a tiny, negligible chance they ll buy your products just because your Facebook ad says they re good; rather, they need to see something that supports your claims without the cringe-worthy hard selling tactics they ve grown tired of.

Stories create an emotional connection with the audience. Whether it s an anecdote about your CEO, where your product ideas come from, or how you developed your newest innovations—these open up a relationship with your customers. They don t have to commit to your brand or immediately buy your products to build a connection. By allowing the audience to discover who you are as a brand, you ve opened the door for powerful possibilities. If you continue to build up on this momentum through content marketing, there s no telling where the limits are.

 

Marketing challenge 2: create shareable content.

writer-with-laptop-thinking-of-writing

What s a tell-tale sign that your content works? In a social media-obsessed world, the answer is simple: shares.

If your content isn t spreading as fast as you had hoped it would, either your SEO strategy needs updating or your content didn’t satisfy the audience s standards. If you re sure it isn t the former, you need to rethink your content marketing strategy. Consumers won t share anything that s obviously just an advertisement. The most dangerous thing you can do is forget that, aside from the element of interest, this tech-savvy audience values authenticity, honesty, and transparency—the ingredients of a shareable piece.

 

Faith is a digital media enthusiast aiming to become an active part of the tech world by sharing her insights. She likes to blog about everything digimarketing, technology, and social media.

One response to “Blurring the line between content marketing and storytelling”

  1. What stories should telemarketers tell? - Open Access BPO Neo Captive Blog says:

    […] before you give up on your telemarketing efforts, why not give storytelling a […]

Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO 19 hours ago
The 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 is a top #outsourcing destination. The country's capital, Manila, where Makati is located, houses most of the country's top 1,000 companies.
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗣𝗢's flagship center in Makati leverage world-class infrastructures and the nation's most expansive talent pool.

Our facilities in the Makati Central Business District offer scalable multilingual solutions for global businesses.

𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀: https://buff.ly/4e7eRln

----------
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗣𝗢
• Our Solutions: https://buff.ly/4f22Mip
• Our Other Locations: https://buff.ly/4e68ej1

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
Open Access BPO 20 hours ago
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗣𝗢 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲-𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.

Drop It Like It's Hot: The OABPO Weight Loss Challenge began with an early morning wellness session hosted by the outsourcing company's Clinic Services with guest speaker, fitness coach JR Madriaga. Both the morning and evening sessions were streamed online for those who could not be physically present.

After discussing the rules of the challenge and weigh-in schedules, Coach JR talked about some of the most effective methods of losing weight. He highlighted the healthiest ways for the participants to get their weight loss journey started.

A high-energy Zumba session soon followed the discussion. It not only served as a fun way to start the challenge but also emphasized the importance of incorporating physical activity into daily routines.

More than 80 employees from both Open Access BPO Makati and Davao signed up for the three-month weight loss challenge. The grand prize, originally P25,000, has since been doubled to P50,000, with the winner to be announced in next year's Kick Off Party.
Open Access BPO 21 hours ago
Did you know that it's possible for you to connect with your Chinese #ecommerce customers even though you don't speak their language?

#CallCenter outsourcing can greatly help in atracting and supporting customers from this gigantic Asian market.
Here's how partnering with an #outsourcing #CustomerExperience procall center can establish these connections: https://buff.ly/3C8HG3G

----------
Whether it's Mandarin, Cantonese, or Hokkien, Open Access BPO's multilingual services are your best bet for an improved market presence in China: https://buff.ly/48uCcfp

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerSupport #MultilingualCallCenter
Open Access BPO 23 hours ago
𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫.

Our blog post provides you expert tips and strategies to help you handle these situations with empathy and professionalism.
Discover effective strategies and best practices to ensure your communication remains clear, respectful, and compassionate: https://buff.ly/4eaaJkD

----------
Deliver exceptional #CustomerExperience with our services to ensure #CustomerRetention and foster brand loyalty: https://buff.ly/4f3L4vd

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerSupport #CX #CSat
#outsourcing #CustomerSatisfaction
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
Our dedicated Xiamen and Taipei teams always go #AboveAndBeyond for our customers. To show our appreciation for their hard work, we spent during #CSWeek treating them to some fun and games at the office.

They even took part in the special video challenge to share how they show their dedication in customer service. And of course, they had a special dinner last Friday to close the festivities.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerServiceWeek #CSWeek
#OABPOCSWeek2024 #AboveAndBeyond
#CustomerServiceWeek2024
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 #𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 #𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦.

Learn about the crucial skills, traits, and mindset of these #CustomerService experts, key for exceptional #CX and sustained positive brand reputation.

Here are the types of high-performing customer support agents: https://buff.ly/40pii3K

----------
Outsource with us today and get a team of dedicated experts for your business needs: https://buff.ly/3C0mNHH

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CallCenters #CX #oustourcing