We all still love stories, even as adults. We read and watch human interest tales; we are captured by intriguing and shocking accounts of events and experiences; we are inspired by the triumphs of others.<\/p>\n
Stories Enter the MarketPlace<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt was only a matter of time before businesses saw the value of storytelling. It humanizes them; it provides social proof and inspires trust in their brands. And if they can add some humor and entertainment while telling them, all the better.<\/p>\n
Who has not been entertained by the tales of the Geico Insurance Company gecko? And other insurance companies have followed suit \u2013 we have Flo from Progressive and the Aflack duck. And each of them has a Facebook page.<\/p>\n
You may not want to create a \u201cmascot,\u201d but you do have stories to tell:<\/p>\n
\n- How did you begin your business and what is your mission? What value area bringing to your customers?<\/li>\n
- Who are you outside of your business? Human interest stories are engaging and compelling<\/li>\n
- Who are your team members? What are their back stories?<\/li>\n
- Do you have happy customers who love your product or service? What are their stories?<\/li>\n
- Are you involved in any community activities\/events or supporting any causes?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You do have stories to tell. The key is to tell them in engaging ways, so that your readers and followers will develop a more personal connection with your brand and, even better, share them.<\/p>\n
Extra Tip:<\/strong> Use a photo editor<\/a> to make quality photos and let your stories come to life.<\/p>\nConsumers no longer view direct selling favorably. They are becoming far more discriminating and they want to know who they are doing business with. Smart companies are spending more time developing relationships through storytelling than they are on direct selling, and it is paying off.<\/p>\n
Now that you know the types of stories you can tell, let\u2019s look at them in more detail with some examples that should give you some good ideas.<\/p>\n
1. Who Are You?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s not enough to just launch a business and start marketing your products or services. You need to explain who you are, why you started your business, and what you believe you can do to solve a problem that consumers have.<\/p>\n
One increasingly popular way to do this is to create an explainer video. (people prefer video to text these days). It doesn\u2019t have to be professionally produced \u2013 a smart phone and a good mic will do. In fact, the more casual you can be, the better.<\/p>\n
One of the best examples of a great explainer video is that of Dollar Shave Club. Within just a matter of days, it has hundreds of thousands of views and put this new company on the map. You can view this video that cost $2500 to produce. Quite a good investment.<\/p>\n![\"DollarShaveClub.com](\"https:\/\/futuramo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image1.png\" "\\"DollarShaveClub.com")
<\/a>DollarShaveClub.com – Our Blades Are F***ing Great<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe video is not only genuinely funny, it explains the value of the company\u2019s subscription razor blade service and the problem it will solve for busy consumers.<\/p>\n
2. Who are You Outside of Your Business?<\/strong><\/h2>\nDid you recently get a new pet? Did you have a vacation mishap that could be a humorous story? Do you regularly volunteer somewhere? Were you a guest speaker at an event? Did you receive an award or recognition of some sort? Post a photo or video with a short caption or text on your social media platforms, on your website, and your blog.<\/p>\n
People can relate to these events and activities. And they will see you as a real human with a life that relates to theirs. These are the connections that will establish trust in you and your brand.<\/p>\n
3. Who Are Your Team Members? What are Their Back Stories?<\/strong><\/h2>\nYou have a company culture, no? And you want to project that culture with real people within your organization telling their stories.<\/p>\n
Here is a customer service pro with Toms Shoes explaining what it is like to work at Toms and why she is so committed to the company and her part in its success. The video is casual, informal, and not a \u201ccanned\u201d production \u2013 projecting both the company culture of giving and employees who make that culture work.<\/p>\n![\"TOMS](\"https:\/\/futuramo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image3.png\")
<\/a>TOMS HQ Update – The TOMS Customer Service Team<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n4.\u00a0<\/strong>Social Proof Through Customers\u2019 Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\nStories do not have to be long. They can be as short as a photo of a happy customer using your product. ModCloth, a clothing and accessory retailer, does a great job of this. Its site and social media pages are filled with photos that customers have submitted wearing items they have purchased. Customers can relate to the variety of body styles that are featured in these photos \u2013 real people happy with their clothing purchases.<\/p>\n![\"Eye-catching](\"https:\/\/futuramo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image2.png\")
Eye-catching in emerald.<\/strong>
Source: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ModCloth\/posts\/10156985732007171<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNeightan White, Director of Marketing for the online writing agency, Supreme Dissertations<\/a><\/u>, puts it this way: \u201cWe have always posted testimonials from our satisfied customers. But, because of the \u2018suspect\u2019 nature of these by consumers, we knew we had to do more to \u2018prove\u2019 that satisfaction. Once we began to post photos and videos, we gained the trust we needed, and our sales began to get a solid boost.\u201d<\/p>\n5. Have a Cause<\/strong><\/h2>\nToday\u2019s consumer base is shifting. Of course, Baby Boomers and Gen X\u2019ers are still purchasing and still on social media, but Millennials and now Generation Y make up the largest consumer base. And they are all over social media. They value diversity, equality, and social responsibility, and this is what they want to see from businesses they choose to patronize.<\/p>\n
If you do not have a cause \u2013 local, regional, national, or international \u2013 then you need to get one now. And you need to post your stories of support, especially through photos and videos. People want to see the results of your doing good.<\/p>\n
A popular method of giving is now the one-for-one model that was originated by Toms Shoes<\/a><\/u>. For every purchase of a pair of shoes, Toms donates one to a need child somewhere in the world. Other companies have followed this model. You may not be able to do this, but you certainly can get yourself and your team involved in a social cause, even if it is tutoring disadvantaged kids at the local level. And when you do post your activities on social media, people begin to feel all \u201cwarm and fuzzy\u201d about you.<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/futuramo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/affection-asia-asian-678637-b-1200x800.jpg\")
Photo by Fancycrave.com from Pexels<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n6. Words are Still Important<\/strong><\/h2>\nJournalists get it. Headlines, photo captions, and compelling beginnings to their stories engage readers and motivate them to read on.<\/p>\n
While visuals are key to your storytelling, so are words. And you must really write like a journalist to tell your stories well. If you are challenged in this area, then you need to get help. There are a number of freelancers and writing services that provide the kind of creative storytelling copy you need \u2013 and you can find them at places such as Grab My Essay<\/a><\/u>, Upwork<\/a><\/u>, Rewarded Essays<\/a><\/u>, Freelancers.com<\/a><\/u>, and other sites.<\/p>\n
You do have stories to tell. The key is to tell them in engaging ways, so that your readers and followers will develop a more personal connection with your brand and, even better, share them.<\/p>\n
Extra Tip:<\/strong> Use a photo editor<\/a> to make quality photos and let your stories come to life.<\/p>\n Consumers no longer view direct selling favorably. They are becoming far more discriminating and they want to know who they are doing business with. Smart companies are spending more time developing relationships through storytelling than they are on direct selling, and it is paying off.<\/p>\n Now that you know the types of stories you can tell, let\u2019s look at them in more detail with some examples that should give you some good ideas.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not enough to just launch a business and start marketing your products or services. You need to explain who you are, why you started your business, and what you believe you can do to solve a problem that consumers have.<\/p>\n One increasingly popular way to do this is to create an explainer video. (people prefer video to text these days). It doesn\u2019t have to be professionally produced \u2013 a smart phone and a good mic will do. In fact, the more casual you can be, the better.<\/p>\n One of the best examples of a great explainer video is that of Dollar Shave Club. Within just a matter of days, it has hundreds of thousands of views and put this new company on the map. You can view this video that cost $2500 to produce. Quite a good investment.<\/p>\n The video is not only genuinely funny, it explains the value of the company\u2019s subscription razor blade service and the problem it will solve for busy consumers.<\/p>\n Did you recently get a new pet? Did you have a vacation mishap that could be a humorous story? Do you regularly volunteer somewhere? Were you a guest speaker at an event? Did you receive an award or recognition of some sort? Post a photo or video with a short caption or text on your social media platforms, on your website, and your blog.<\/p>\n People can relate to these events and activities. And they will see you as a real human with a life that relates to theirs. These are the connections that will establish trust in you and your brand.<\/p>\n You have a company culture, no? And you want to project that culture with real people within your organization telling their stories.<\/p>\n Here is a customer service pro with Toms Shoes explaining what it is like to work at Toms and why she is so committed to the company and her part in its success. The video is casual, informal, and not a \u201ccanned\u201d production \u2013 projecting both the company culture of giving and employees who make that culture work.<\/p>\n Stories do not have to be long. They can be as short as a photo of a happy customer using your product. ModCloth, a clothing and accessory retailer, does a great job of this. Its site and social media pages are filled with photos that customers have submitted wearing items they have purchased. Customers can relate to the variety of body styles that are featured in these photos \u2013 real people happy with their clothing purchases.<\/p>\n Neightan White, Director of Marketing for the online writing agency, Supreme Dissertations<\/a><\/u>, puts it this way: \u201cWe have always posted testimonials from our satisfied customers. But, because of the \u2018suspect\u2019 nature of these by consumers, we knew we had to do more to \u2018prove\u2019 that satisfaction. Once we began to post photos and videos, we gained the trust we needed, and our sales began to get a solid boost.\u201d<\/p>\n Today\u2019s consumer base is shifting. Of course, Baby Boomers and Gen X\u2019ers are still purchasing and still on social media, but Millennials and now Generation Y make up the largest consumer base. And they are all over social media. They value diversity, equality, and social responsibility, and this is what they want to see from businesses they choose to patronize.<\/p>\n If you do not have a cause \u2013 local, regional, national, or international \u2013 then you need to get one now. And you need to post your stories of support, especially through photos and videos. People want to see the results of your doing good.<\/p>\n A popular method of giving is now the one-for-one model that was originated by Toms Shoes<\/a><\/u>. For every purchase of a pair of shoes, Toms donates one to a need child somewhere in the world. Other companies have followed this model. You may not be able to do this, but you certainly can get yourself and your team involved in a social cause, even if it is tutoring disadvantaged kids at the local level. And when you do post your activities on social media, people begin to feel all \u201cwarm and fuzzy\u201d about you.<\/p>\n Journalists get it. Headlines, photo captions, and compelling beginnings to their stories engage readers and motivate them to read on.<\/p>\n While visuals are key to your storytelling, so are words. And you must really write like a journalist to tell your stories well. If you are challenged in this area, then you need to get help. There are a number of freelancers and writing services that provide the kind of creative storytelling copy you need \u2013 and you can find them at places such as Grab My Essay<\/a><\/u>, Upwork<\/a><\/u>, Rewarded Essays<\/a><\/u>, Freelancers.com<\/a><\/u>, and other sites.<\/p>\n1. Who Are You?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>2. Who are You Outside of Your Business?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
3. Who Are Your Team Members? What are Their Back Stories?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>4.\u00a0<\/strong>Social Proof Through Customers\u2019 Stories<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Source: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ModCloth\/posts\/10156985732007171<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n5. Have a Cause<\/strong><\/h2>\n
6. Words are Still Important<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/futuramo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image4.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/futuramo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Bridgette-Hernandez.jpg\")
<\/p>\n