Storytelling: How Important Is It to Your Brand?

Courtney Beasley

When you’re the new startup on the block, the right marketing efforts can quickly grab the attention of the right people. Using storytelling as a marketing tool allows tech companies to start a conversation, build rapport and establish trust with intended audiences.

Through anecdotes and experiences, companies can connect with their audience on an emotional and experiential level. Consider your favorite TV program: The characters pull you into their world and you find yourself glued to their journey.

It’s possible to earn a similar level of engagement with your marketing efforts, but it requires dropping the jargon and taking a more human-centric approach.

Though storytelling can be one of the most powerful marketing tactics for tech companies, telling a compelling story can be tough. We see marketers, both old and new, often make the same avoidable mistakes when crafting a narrative. Here are three helpful tips to better share your organization’s story:

• Target your audience: Too often, brands miss the mark when they try to communicate the same message to multiple audiences. Identify your key audience segments and determine what messaging is most important to them. For potential customers, focus on how your company can make their life easier or work more productive. For partners, your integrations may be more important. By crafting a more personalized narrative for each target audience, you’re able to cultivate trust and build long-standing relationships.
• Choose a channel: A message on your organization’s Instagram should look different than something similar shared on LinkedIn or via email. Users vary by channel and your company must use the channel best suited for the story you’re trying to tell and the audience you’re trying to reach. While Instagram may be best to promote company culture, news coverage around your product is better suited for LinkedIn.
• Ask yourself questions: As a marketer, you know your company’s message and audience like the back of your hand. But this familiarity is often where marketing teams can get in trouble. When you stop asking questions like, “Who am I targeting?” and, “What story am I telling?” the content falls flat and the story never changes. Continue to adjust and refine your message as your company grows and the industry changes.

Storytelling, when done right, can transform the scope of a company. It allows partners, existing customers and prospects alike to see your values at work versus simply hearing a sales pitch. When marketers and company leaders engage the right audience, on the right channel with a fresh engaging message, they can cut through the noise and gain loyal customers along the way.

To learn more about how Walker Sands can help tell your company’s story, reach out to us by filling out this form today.