How Marketers Can Build Trust Through Storytelling

We live in a busy, noisy world. To stand out as a brand, it is important to find that “wow factor” and build trust among your target audiences. These factors can be achieved through storytelling.

Whether your objective is to grow an audience or sell a product or service, or even just to feel a bit more connected, we want our stories to make an impact. But how do we go about it? Do we use social media? Maybe something more traditional like print? How do we stand out from our client’s competitors?

1. Humanize your brand

People connect with people. Not robots. Or at least, not accounts that have robotic tendencies. Storytelling opens the doors to allow for your brand and or client to be authentic.

Write out your story and think of your target audience(s). Do you want to use photos as a guide? Videos? A timeline of sorts? All of the above? And set a personality and delivery method. What is the framework for this persona – more professional, or casual? It is important to establish this consistency – especially if the account has more than one manager.

A great example is creating a blog. If you have not done so already, you are missing out. Blogs allow you to give a glimpse into a company by using a more casual voice and share your knowledge.

2. Share what’s important to you

People do not buy products or services as easily these days. Storytelling is an important opportunity to open the mind and persuade a consumer down the buyer’s funnel.

Social media is adapting and embracing new opportunities to allow users to share their story. With these opportunities comes the importance of knowing the channels well and segmenting based off of overall goals. Platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube are opening doors to a creative landscape.

Snapchat and Instagram both have live features. These provide “in the moment” content and give brands more flexibility and transparency. And although YouTube does not, it has the ability to lock in a user and keep them entertained with a visual appeal, like the others.

Stay true to your brand and who it is, but use data to initially understand, and later to support it. YouTube recently revamped its analytics. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about the end user and their habits.

3. Share posts from consumers

This may sound simple enough, right? But your consumers want to see their feedback and their stories shared. Let them do the talking. And with this, you may be able to use these moments as added value to your storytelling.

For example, say you are at an event. Share consumers’ photos and shout out’s of your booth and products. What are some benefits of this?

• Opportunity to maximize your efforts
• Engaging with your target audience
• Switches up the look in the newsfeed (if applicable)
• Shows gratitude for their feedback

Storytelling can no longer be ignored. Through a variety of tactics, marketers can stand out among their competitors and build trust by telling an authentic story.