Copywriting brand storytelling, let’s face it: you’d rather watch a good movie than the news. There’s a reason for that. Storytelling is ingrained in all of us, and leveraging that fact can go a long way towards a comprehensive shift in your copywriting process.
It’s not easy. You want to write straightforward facts about your product and the benefits it provides. That’s understandable. But what if we told you that through brand story copywriting, you could transform the way your audience sees your brand?
Of course, you have to get there. Join us as we consider the benefits of storytelling in digital marketing, the components that make for a great story, and share 10 prompts that can help you tell your own brand stories to engage and satisfy your audience.
The 4 Core Components of Any Story
Let’s start with a basic definition of what a story actually is. Because, as much as everyone seems to think they can recognize one, it’s surprisingly difficult to reconstruct its parts.
Still, it’s been done, and we’ll do it here. Every story, at its core, can be broken down into 4 major components:
- The Problem. This is the beginning of the story. Something is wrong or something needs to be done.
- The Conflict. Something prevents the story from simply going from problem to resolution.
- The Climax. It’s the turning point of the story. The actions and conflict clash to the point that the audience doesn’t know which will win out.
- The Payoff. The result of the conflict plays out, and the story ends. This is where you’ll see either the Hollywood Happy Ending, or further tension that introduces the sequel.
Every story fits into this framework once you break it down. From your favorite movie to this quote of what some think is the shortest example of a fully-formed story:
For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.
3 Reasons We Love a Good Story
We might live in an age of controversy, but almost everyone can agree that stories are, in many ways, the fabric and thread of what makes us human. It’s how we tell our history, both in society and for our own families. Humans are just wired that way.
Don’t believe it? Here are 3 reasons storytelling will always succeed:
- Storytelling has been around for at least 30,000 years, making it the oldest type of recorded communication we know about. And it still endures.
- According to one Harvard study, we spend between 30% to 50% of an average day daydreaming. That’s a lot of time to spend spinning your own stories in your head.
- We make purchasing decisions based on emotions, not logic. Imagine how much more powerful your marketing can become if it taps into those emotions through storytelling.
The takeaway is simple: stories are essential to what makes us human, and have been since the beginning of our existence. They stick with us every day and resonate with us long after we hear them. Do we need any more evidence to showcase their importance in marketing?
8 Prompts that Can Help You Find Your Own Brand Story
You know the components of a story, and you know why it works. That should give you the perfect foundation to start building your own. But where do you start?
At its core, your brand story should be the story of your business. It should be the narrative behind what makes your products and services compelling. That means you have one core story, plus several subplots that might end up as spin-offs.
You know better than anyone where your story had its beginning. These prompts merely help you think through how you might frame the story for the sake of your audience:
- What problem were your business and its products or services designed to solve?
- What problems have you overcome personally to start your own business?
- Who would the hero of your story be? Think carefully; it might not be the main character (you).
- Has any story you’ve recently seen or read resonated with you because it reminds you of your business?
- Why do your customers tell you they love your products? What problems do those products solve?
- Think back to when you were a 10-year-old child. How would you have described the business you’ve built today?
- What would you describe as the climax of your business story? Have you already lived through it, or is it still ahead of you?
- Are your customers active or passive parts of the story? Do they just consume it, or do they help to tell it?
Are some of these questions a little whacky? Maybe. But they can be invaluable in helping you think through your own brand story. And once you’re at the point of having built a basic framework, it’s time to put that framework into action through brand story copywriting.
How to Embrace Brand Story Copywriting and Transform Your Digital Marketing
It starts with finding your core brand story, then building it out in full on the About section of your website. From there, you can weave storytelling into every aspect of your marketing strategy.
Your content marketing, for instance, can benefit significantly from these storytelling angles. You can integrate data and even news into an approach that puts the narrative, and the audience, front and center. The same is true for social media, where you can optimize reach and engagement through effective storytelling.
Even in paid digital ads, through tactics like Carousel ads and video, you can effectively tell your brand story. As a result, you’ll get a better return on investment alongside more awareness and engagement on both social media and Google search.
Of course, you might need help. After all, brand story copywriting requires extensive skill and at least a bit of experience. Fortunately, you’re not alone.
With the help of the right digital marketing agency, you can take your brand storytelling to the next level. Find your story, and integrate it into all of your digital channels. It’s the best way to attract, engage, and retain an interested audience that will be key to helping your business grow.
