Stories sell. Stories excite our imagination and increase our passion.
Above all a good story can make our audience relate to our brand by touching their hearts. And there’s no more powerful way to make a connection with your customer.
Stories connect us to our listeners. When we share our own real-life stories or the stories of others our audiences feel that they know us and that builds trust.
There are many different stories you can tell to help a prospect find that connection with your brand. You can use stories to inspire, teach, caution people or use everyday events to relate to your audience.
So without further ado, lets look at an example of brilliant storytelling.
This is the Google “Reunion” story – I always feel a bit tearful watching it. It’s from Google Search. They came out with it a few months ago and it went viral with over 11 million views. And once you experience it, you’ll see why. Here it is:
Google’s Reunion story that went viral with over 11 million views
The backdrop is the partition of India. In this story, a woman in India reunites her grandfather with his childhood friend (who is now in Pakistan) following six decades of separation with a little help from Google.
This story is sure to resonate with you even if you haven’t experienced all the subtle nuances that are part and parcel of this tale (borders, separation, political tensions between the two countries).
Lessons we can learn for when we prepare our own stories
Always speak about the benefits, not features
The story is an example of how Google Search can help us find what we need. It speaks to the benefit of using Google but in a way that touches our heart. Research shows that most of our buying decisions are made to fulfill an emotional need.
Make your customer the hero of the piece
The heroes who brought the separated friends together were users of Google Search. It’s all about your customer.
Don’t be intrusive and push your brand as the best
It’s obvious that this video is promoting Google. But the use of Google as a brand is woven into the storytelling in a way that feels natural.
Even though we saw the use of Google on laptop and mobile devices, nowhere was anyone pushing us to use Google. It’s perfect for these days where marketing needs to be subtle and you cannot push your brand on your customers anymore.
The story has a clear beginning, middle and end
Every story needs to have all three to work well.
The story has a clear message
The message of the video is clear: We’re Google, and the work we do is making the world a better place.
The story speaks to and touches our hearts
I know that I’ve mentioned this point an umpteen number of times in this post, but the essence of a good story lies in its ability to capture your heart.
Storytelling may seem like an old-fashioned tool, today — and it is. That’s exactly what makes it so powerful. Life happens in the stories we relate to another. A story can go where data is denied admission: our hearts. Data can persuade people, but it doesn’t inspire them to act; to do that, you need to wrap your vision in a story that fires the imagination and stirs the soul.
Your Turn
What are your thoughts on using storytelling as a creative tool? I’d love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks.
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