We all have a story to tell.
And storytelling engages us because it makes us feel things. It takes us back to moments in the past that move us, and allows us to project ourselves into the future.
It makes us empathize. It makes us feel part of a community with which we identify.
It sparks our creativity; a good story lets our imagination run wild.
And in marketing it opens up a world of infinite possibilities. It captures our attention as the curious ones that we are.
The stories are easy to remember and also differentiate us from the competition because no two stories are alike.
It is an exercise in creativity that, if well constructed, knows no limits.
Storytelling is a way to connect with your target audience in the most natural way possible.
As Gabrielle Policella says "Humans have been telling stories forever. Parents tell stories to get our kids to sleep at night, coaches tell stories to motivate us to win, and among friends we tell stories just to make each other happy. Why? Because people remember stories better than most things. Stories make you feel something and allow you to get emotionally involved with the characters."
A well-told story creates that positive emotion that connects, that motivates us to take sides or take a particular action.
The more we identify with the story, the more deeply it resonates with us.
A story of mystery, childhood memories. Stories that make you travel back in time.
Ads (Nike) that reinforce self-confidence and our ability to work hard for our dreams until we achieve them. That encourage you to focus on your passions and go for it.
Stories of "ordinary" people doing extraordinary things, creating positive change in their communities.
How strong can such a story be? Storytelling can bring out the best in us.
Try to identify the necessary elements to get involved in the story. And get excited.
In the words of Guillaume Lamarre, in his book "Storytelling as a communication strategy".
You can write a good story keeping in mind that:
- Stories need conflict: Someone wants something and can't get it just like that. Be sure to put some obstacle in the way of your characters.
- You can create subjective expectations that confront the "objective" reality (I have a certain vision of my world although the reality is very different).
- It is important to set the story in a concrete situation (the moment you are in now, for example) - an explosion or something powerful that is going to transform us - and show that transformation or new reality.
- You won't fail if you delay the resolution of the story as long as you can - keep the intrigue going until the end!
Drama triumphs so make your story dramatic. How? By exaggerating things, for example by making your character feel that his or her life will change forever if for some reason he or she misses the train.
As absurd as it may seem, in the character's inner world it will be something really dramatic.
Let's dare to tell more stories. Storytelling will give us as many possibilities as we want.
