6 Ways To Tell Better stories in your content marketing

Today, in the midst of increasing the amount of information available - both online as well as offline, the majority of people's focus spans are just the same length as a sleeping goldfish. With all the information that is helpful however, it's not easy to connect with your target people and keep them engaged. There's a silver lining in all the noise because it's left people starving for something very particular: a human connection.

One of the best ways to build a relationship to other people is through stories. When we incorporate stories into our content, we transform the information shared into knowledge. It shows that we're doing our work for more than profit. we're committed to solving this problem and helping our viewers. Also, it helps create a sense of context among each piece of content we make by weaving them in a greater image.

"If you desire to draw people in and make them want to listen, then present a compelling and authentic tale. Stories are a great medium for expressing your opinions, impress people and make the human connection." - Jeff Bullas

  Here are 6 ways to make better storytelling happen in your content marketing:  

1. Your audience should be the hero.

This is the very first and most important secret to storytelling for your business. The hero is not you, your customer is. If you are focused on your own interests and what's interesting to you the stories you tell are perceived as "hype" and have the opposite effect. It's instead of building a connection with your audience and attracting them, your stories will turn off them.

That's not to say you should not tell stories about your life. Sharing your stories is essential. But remember that your viewers will experience your tales like they are living the stories. So make sure that the story and the message convey the ones they want to hear.

  2. Find out where your customers are in "The The Buyer's Journey"

There are a lot of stories to share Which one will you pick? The stories you tell should be ones that will resonate with your audience and will be relevant to their needs in the present. You need to give the story that will help people feel encouraged to move forward together with your help.

The buyer's journey is an effective framework to help us understand the state of mind of our clients when they're considering whether or not to buy from us. The buyer's journey includes three fundamental stages: Know the Trust, Like and Know. Let's take a look at each:

Learn: At this stage your target audience only needs to know you exist even. They may not even be aware of the problem you resolve. Stories you share here should paint a picture of the issue or potential which will entice them and curiosity immediately. They should be concise (your readers won't have that much of an attention span for them but) and should provide entertainment, emotional or actionable benefit.

  3. Don't reinvent the wheel - use frameworks

In many cases, storytelling does not come easily. Yes, we "tell stories" but there's a strategy to telling a story that connects you with your audience. Without frameworks, you're trying to reinvent the wheel each whenever you tell a tale. Frame help us take different perspectives and explore new avenues of thinking that help us to escape from the ruts of thought that we commonly are stuck in.

There are numerous frameworks available but my favorite method of telling stories that connect with your audience and motivate them to take action is the Crossroads Formula. It is the Crossroads Formula breaks up the phases of the Buyer's Journey into questions, and matches them to the various phases that comprise the Hero's Journey.

  4. Make use of to tell stories using images

Don't be limited to one medium in your storytelling. When you're telling or writing the stories, you can add visuals that improve the emotional impact or message you want to communicate.

Visuals are processed quicker by the brain and retained longer than simple text or spoken words. Vision is the strongest sense we have and the visual signals cut into our brains without our conscious awareness. They break up big chunks of text, and help keep readers engaging. They can subtly communicate ideas and emotions in ways that other forms of communication cant.

It doesn't require to have a Hollywood film budget to make it visually-driven storytelling. Take a look at Wait, What's the Matter? A blog written by Tim Urban with millions of followers ... You'd think with that many followers they'd have enough money to create incredible visuals, however the blog is full of stick figure drawings that look as if they were created by an 11-year-old with paint software in the year 1995...

Here are some easy ways to incorporate images into your posts:

Screenshots that include annotations There is no need to spend a lot of money on layout here. Taking a screen shot with a few quick annotations can increase the value of your ideas to visitors through the use of actual examples to support your essay.

Charts and graphs -All you require to tell a good story is a line. Charts and graphs help you create visual representations of the data and present an image-based story that reflects the rise and fall of the data. Look at the way Kurt Vonnegut (my favorite author) transforms classic stories into simple graphs.

Memes HTML0 Memes Memes are fantastic as they use familiar concepts and characters and apply them to a new setting of our material. Based on the simple-exposure result that people are more likely to choose concepts or pictures that they already know in preference to those they are not familiar with.

Quote imagesThis is a simple and efficient way of adding some visuals to your content. If you are adding an influential person's quote to support your ideas create the form of a quote. It makes the person quoted look like a rockstar also (which means they are more likely to share your content)

  5. Set big goals

It's not enough to look back at your past to find tales, but you can also create your own tales by establishing high-level goals for your company.

Story-driven goals, often known as a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) are the kind of impact that you'd like to create in the world by your work. It's the future that is created day in and day out with the work you're doing.

There are a few important advantages to having a BHAG:

• It allows you to discuss your company -A large goal can be an effective tool that can spark conversations and interest when discussing your business.
• It is a way to create something larger than yourself The result is something greater than yourself. with a major goal you demonstrate that you're doing the work you do in a way that is more than profit, you're serving more than just profit. It allows you to involve your followers in your goals and contribute to improving the world by cooperating together.
• The creates greater meaning for both you and your team It is a way to create more meaning for your team and you. A BHAG does not only affect your clients, but it also impacts your team. Your team will get inspired by your mission which increases loyalty and motivation.

For a BHAG to be created, you must have a goal that is measurable which is connected to the story you're telling. If the goal is measurable, you'll be able to communicate the progress you've made and also make it concrete. The goal should push you to step out of your familiar area. The thought of your goals should create a little worry and you'll be wondering "how am I going to achieve this?" This pushes your limits and spurs you to act.

To learn more about how to make the BHAG look up: Storytelling Secret Weapons - How to Make A BHAG

  6. Make an "secret recipe"

When you were young and your mother, grandma or a significant other in your life would cook that special dish that you enjoyed. Let's call it "grandma's lasagna". It was a dish you loved enough that it made impossible to eat anyone who else's lasagna. We'll be honest, your grandmother didn't do anything special to her lasagna but because of that personal connection that you felt with her, the different lasagnas seemed boring...

You can create that "grandma's lasagna" effect with your business by establishing the concept of a "proprietary process". A proprietary process is a way to tell an account of the process that helped you can achieve certain results.

Imagine Brian Dean's Skyscraper Technique The Skyscraper Technique isn't anything unique about the individual aspects of this technique However, the word "Skyscraper" has become a standard use by SEO marketers.

Here are some of the key aspects of a process that is proprietary:

1. Create it in 3-5 steps:3 steps is the most effective because it's easy to remember and understand.
2. Show you're ordinary:It should point to your humanity as well and share the frustrations and challenges of your audience.
3. You're different:Though you can relate with your client however, you've done the job or discovered a trick that makes you uniquely suited to solve the problem.
4. Show you care toonnect your efforts to your own personal story or a symbol that illustrates the reason you are interested in the solution to this specific issue.

Another example: I take my clients through "The Scalable Storytelling Method":

• Discover - We find some of the most intriguing parts of your life.
• Define - We get clear on how we want the story to be told.
• Delegate - As a creative team you can have help to tell your story.

For additional examples and details about proprietary methods, check out: Storytelling Secret Weapons - A Proprietary Process.

  Make your story more engaging for the audience through better storytelling  

Storytelling can have a dramatic effect on the level of impact and efficiency of your strategy for marketing through content. This can spark new concepts of what to create and give new meaning to your goals that inspire your team to develop further. Be confident and open about being vulnerable and honest, it helps create the emotional connection your audience is hungry for.

Beginning with the basics of your story and keep a careful watch to see how the public reacts to what you share. Make sure to practice and evaluate your storytelling in daily conversations, if it engages your audience's interest, then try it in your content.

     Do you have a way to create stories through your content? Tell me in the comments!  

Kyle Gray helps entrepreneurs create powerful storylines for their businesses that drive sales, growth and increase engagement. He has worked in a variety of startup companies and small businesses to create effective and sustainable strategies for content marketing. The Book The Story Engine outlines his methods for making marketing through content and storytelling for brands simple and successful.