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Storytelling in Marketing

Writer's picture: Laura Hope GoldstoneLaura Hope Goldstone

We're often told to start with what we know. Well, I've been in marketing for quite some time now, and I can assure you that storytelling is the heart of good marketing.


Marketing looks at an audience, understands its needs and wants, then looks at a company, understands its offering, and figures out how to connect the two. Marketing is a way for companies to attract new customers (pulling them in) as well as a way to support the sales and product teams in promoting the company's offering (pushing out information). In order for marketing messages to resonate, the content needs to be relevant. And it can't just be plopped somewhere carelessly - it has to be packaged and positioned with sophistication and strategy. That's where storytelling comes in.


If a sales team is ready to sell a new product, the marketing team must equip the sales reps with content that educates prospects and clients on the new offering. This must be supported with external promotions that explain the product, driving home its value above all else. If a prospect receives an email from a sales rep about a new product, but the information is disparate or confusing or irrelevant, the prospect will not convert into a buyer. But if the prospect can clearly understand what the product does and how that benefits him, he will be more likely to at least explore the value of adding this product to his arsenal. Voila - we see storytelling at its professional finest.


Storytelling bridges gaps for marketers. It provides a spectrum on which they can plot their information and plan their promotions. Think of storytelling as a treasure map; marketers unroll the map on their desks and draw a dotted line from product details to market need to sales support to audience understanding to buyer value. Much like miners would use hammers and chisels to dig for gold, marketers must use their storytelling tools to find the treasure at point X. Sometimes this may look like uncovering what is already there, and other times it may require a bit of creativity and innovation to create an X in an uncharted territory; choosing, crafting, and telling the right story is necessary in order to resonate with any audience in any setting.


Whereas we know content is king, storytelling is the means by which good content is created and good marketing is planned and executed. If your marketing strategy does not consider the storytelling elements that drive how to promote something or how to understand your audience or how to educate the market, you are doing yourself a disservice. Incorporate storytelling into your internal and external marketing strategies for better results.

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