The anatomy of great brand stories

Faith Ocampo Published on January 12, 2016

excited-businessman-reading-laptop

A timeless marketing strategy, storytelling is the key to building an active and fully engaged audience.

Good stories are memorable stories. They tug at the heartstrings, reinforcing ideas and teaching us important lessons. Great storytellers have the power to inspire, persuade, and most importantly, make people think.

bearded-businessman-reading-book

For these reasons alone, business storytelling has emerged as a timeless content marketing technique that all brands must embrace. According to a research by digital marketing company NewsCred, 78% of chief marketing officers think that the future of marketing revolves around content. While this can be viewed as a great challenge, marketers won t run out of opportunities to create great content, as social media and blogging platforms have turned themselves into massive storytelling hubs.
Unfortunately, not all kinds of brand stories work. Businesses need to tell great stories—those that stick to people’s memory and create a lasting emotional impact. But how?

1.     Remember the 5 C’s.

businessman-using-lalptop-on-stack-of-books

Captivating stories are all about the 5 C s: circumstance, curiosity, characters, conversations, and conflict. When telling your story, no matter what form it takes, laying out the circumstances (i.e., the context) is crucial. Doing so warms up the audience for what s coming next. Add in the element of interest (curiosity), people (characters), and how they relate to each other (shown through conversations) and the story would flow smoothly. Conflict, perhaps, is the most important component. All good stories build up on how characters encounter and then resolve a conflict.

For a better marketing strategy, try to base your stories on these questions:

•     What s your constant struggle and how do you deal with it?
•     What did you gain and lose from starting your business or a project?
•     How many times did you fail before you succeeded with an idea?
•     How did you find yourself in this business?

 

2.     Start in the middle.

shocked-woman-in-glasses-reading-laptop

To entertain your audience and completely engage them in your story, learning the art of withholding information is important. Giving too many details upfront and recounting events in chronological order often take away the element of surprise. If you want to create a big “AHA!” moment, keep your audience on the edge of their seats by not giving them the interesting bits all at once.

 

3.     Present your vision and dreams.

businessman-in-white-shirt-putting-plushie-heart-on-shirt-pocket

Before you place yourself under the spotlight, remember that customers nowadays scrutinize everything. A marketing strategy fails when the audience thinks it benefits only the brand and the people behind it. To put it bluntly, customers don t care about your marketing goals. When you leave out the part that explains how they can benefit from what your company offers, they ll stop being interested.

A story that emphasizes your vision and dreams not only for the organization but also for its stakeholders lends a sense of authenticity and adds value to your brand. It s worth telling your audience how you and your team are gradually fulfilling your goals.

 

4.     Tell the audience why your brand matters.

bearded-businessman-giving-thumbs-up-by-laptop

Content marketing is powerful. A brand s messages can shape customers’ perception about them—for better or for worse. Storytelling allow companies to openly and honestly communicate with their target audience. Thus, marketers must focus on what makes their brand socially relevant. How does your company contribute to people s lives? What opportunities can you provide to everyone? How do you empower your customers?

Stories are the basic building blocks of effective marketing campaigns. Always keep in mind that your messages should encourage customers to stick with your brand. Often, simple and truthful stories can do the trick.
 
 

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.
Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO 6 hours ago
Open Access BPO has officially launched OACIS, its very own coaching tool designed to introduce new paths to employee improvement. With how comprehensive the tool is, expectations are high for how transformative it can be.

Learn more about OACIS here: https://buff.ly/3YYqi9h

----------
We're committed to continuous improvement, striving to deliver exceptional service to our partners and their customers.

Learn more about how we can help your business thrive, please reach out to our team: OpenAccessBPO.com

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#EmployeeManagement #SkillsTraining
#EmployeeExperience #TalentDevelopment
Open Access BPO 7 days ago
The holiday season is a double-edged sword for businesses. On one hand, it’s a golden opportunity to boost sales. On the other, it’s a daunting challenge to maintain exceptional #CustomerService amid the surge in inquiries and heightened expectations.

But fear not, brands, big or small! We know how to elevate your customer service game this holiday season: https://buff.ly/3OreCax

----------
You don't have to face the holiday rush alone.
Partner with a trusted #CustomerSupport call center that's powered the success of industry giants: https://buff.ly/40NMcP9

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerSupport #CX #CSat
#CustomerSatisfaction #CustomerExperience
Open Access BPO 7 days ago
𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗼 is one of today's leading #BPO destinations, contributing to the #𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬' distinction as a premier player in the global #outsourcing scene. The city's economic strength proves its capacity to host rich #offshoring investments.

Its provincial rates, coupled with a population of highly skilled professionals make #Davao an ideal budget-friendly option for English language #BackOffice solutions.

Fuel your 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 with 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 delivered from 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐏𝐎 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨: https://buff.ly/3AMLpDq

----------
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐏𝐎
• Our Solutions: https://buff.ly/3YMscKj
• Our Other Locations: https://buff.ly/4evCh41

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
Open Access BPO 7 days ago
𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 $𝟰𝟴 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.
And this loss is expected to grow annually unless online retailers make a significant move to strengthen their #DataSecurity strategies.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁?

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀:
https://buff.ly/4hOEN8y

---------
For secure #outsourcing services trusted by global brands, elevate your business.
Contact us today: https://buff.ly/4fKNQpa

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#InformationSecurity #InfoSec
#InternationalFraudAwarenessWeek
#FraudDetection #FraudAwarenessWeek
Open Access BPO 9 days ago
𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲!

While internal security measures are crucial, there's strength in numbers.
Luckily, you don't have to face them alone.

#CallCenter outsourcing can be your secret weapon in the fight against these criminals.

Here's how #CallCenter outsourcing can be your reinforcement against these criminals: https://buff.ly/3Z0GZCa

----------
Partner with an #outsourcing partner that keeps #InfoSec a top priority alongside great #CustomerExperience: https://buff.ly/3YYV970

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#InformationSecurity #InfoSec
#InternationalFraudAwarenessWeek
#FraudDetection #FraudAwarenessWeek
Open Access BPO 10 days ago
It's crucial to meet your customers' expectations, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances can get in the way.

Here's a quick guide on how to handle those challenging moments and come out stronger with our #CustomerSupport strategy: https://buff.ly/3O7gYLa

----------
Let's turn mishaps into opportunities: https://buff.ly/3O26Bsc

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerExperience #CX #CSat