Storytelling in Business: The Most Powerful Tool to Humanize Your Brand
Storytelling isn't just for novels and folktales. The art of storytelling is also an essential tool for business leaders: it can engage employees, charm customers, and inspire growth. Why? Because stories have always been the way human beings connect with each other on a deeper level than simply facts and figures. We're drawn to stories because they reveal to us the heart of what we all share in common as human beings—an experience that goes beyond our differences in nationality, race, class, or gender.
Storytelling is a powerful way to connect with people. It's how we remember information, and it's what makes us feel seen, heard, and understood. Think about the last time you listened to a good story—you probably didn't remember the exact words or phraseology of that story, but you remembered the emotional arc of character development. You likely even remember some of the details of that story long after hearing it. That's because stories are memorable and a major part of the psychology of brand storytelling is how it affects our brain and how we perceive products.
Storytelling is an important aspect of marketing, and it’s not just for big brands.
While other forms of marketing—such as advertising and PR—can be expensive and time-consuming, storytelling can be done at any scale. It’s a powerful way to connect with customers on a human level. Storytelling can be used in all aspects of a marketing strategy.
Storytelling has three different components: the story itself (or narrative), the message you want to convey through your story (or lesson), and how you present your message (or delivery).
[ Here is a brand storytelling checklist you can use if you’re stuck. ]
If you want to get people’s attention, you have to tell them a story that they find interesting and relevant. The best way to do this is by focusing on them and not just yourself.
Stories work because they’re humanizing.
Stories are the most powerful tool you can use to humanize your brand. They help people understand, relate and remember things better than any other medium. Stories bring something to life, helping people to understand things in a way that cold facts never will. They make things more relatable by showing us how others have dealt with similar situations as well as our own emotions and experiences when dealing with them ourselves. Stories allow us all access into someone else’s world where we can see what things look like from their perspective instead of just our own (which is often limited by our own narrow view).
Storytelling helps make your business more relatable.
People want to do business with people they like and trust. When you can put a face on your brand and humanize it, you’re more likely to be able to build relationships with those who may be interested in or even already using your product or service.
It’s not just about sales; it’s about being able to connect with your customers so that they feel like you are personally invested in their success and happiness. Brand stories help people identify with a product by making them feel like they’re buying into a lifestyle. Brands that tell compelling stories can connect with consumers on an emotional level, which means the person won’t just feel satisfied with their purchase—they’ll truly believe that the product is an extension of themselves. By telling a story about your brand or products, you can take people on an emotional journey that leaves them feeling connected to your business and invested in its success. This can lead them to become evangelists for your brand because of how much value they feel like they have received from working with you!
Telling stories creates a feeling of belonging.
Stories create a sense of belonging, community and identity. They are an effective way to engage with your audience because they’re memorable. People remember stories more than they do facts or statistics, so if you want people to learn something from you in the long run (even if it’s just getting them excited about your product), tell them a story.
Humans have been using stories as a means of communication since before we even existed as humans on Earth! So no matter who you are or where you come from, everyone understands how important storytelling is for building relationships with other people and making strong connections between two or more parties involved in any exchange of information.
Bottom Line: It's no surprise that people are more likely to remember a good story than facts and figures for many reasons—our brains are wired for storytelling and we learn best through stories instead of data. The ability to create a narrative that's entertaining, compelling, and memorable is what keeps us coming back for more. After all, no matter how large or small your company may be, it still has a story to tell. What’s more, that story doesn’t just belong to the founder or the CEO. It belongs to everyone who works there—each and every one of which is equally important in its creation. And if you can start thinking about things that way—as part of an ongoing narrative between you, your company, and your customers—it’ll become much easier for you to connect with people on a personal level.