Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan

Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan
Jen Jordan brings a wealth of life and leadership experiences to her writing. After 10 years creating a variety of content for a nonprofit, Jen decided to establish her own writing business. She specializes in creating high quality blog and website content for small businesses. When she's not writing, Jen is a competitive triathlete with a goal of completing a triathlon in all 50 states.

Story Telling Can Help Your Small Business

Story Telling Can Help Your Small Business

Humans love stories. We’ve been captivated by them since the beginning of time. It only makes sense that many companies use storytelling as part of their marketing efforts. Big businesses like Apple, Patagonia, and even Anheuser Busch use storytelling in their marketing strategies.

Storytelling is not a strategy limited to big businesses with unlimited marketing budgets! It can be an even more effective strategy for small businesses to build relationships and communities of supporters. Here are 4 tips to help you successfully integrate storytelling into your small business marketing strategy.

1. Identify the main point of your story

Good stories have a clear and consistent point. A thesis if you will. What do you want readers to know about your business or brand?

Perhaps your main point is highlighting the way your product solves a challenge or problem. Maybe your goal is to highlight your company values or exceptional customer service. The goal here isn’t to give a Shakespearian soliloquy about every product or feature. Instead, the best stories offer enough details for the reader to create a clear mental image without feeling overwhelmed.

As you identify your main point, make sure you answer two specific questions:

  1. Who is my ideal audience?
  2. What is the main point I want them to understand?

Once you’ve got clear answers to these two questions, your story will begin to take shape.

2. Find ways to relate to your ideal audience

Stories are more accessible and relatable than facts or statistics. Before you can sell anything, you need to relate to your audience and cultivate a connection. Whether you use videos, blog posts, e-books, or marketing emails, it’s crucial to find ways to relate to your ideal audience.

Some small businesses rely on telling their own story and their struggles, conflicts, and successes along the way. Even stories of personal failure can be very relatable and powerful! Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, often tells the story of her success after an epic failure. Another strategy might be to share customer stories of transformation.

No matter what kind of story you use, remember to keep it short and simple. People have short attention spans and, when it comes to storytelling, less is usually more.

3. Be honest and consistent with your storytelling

The more honest you are, the easier it is for your customers to relate to your brand and trust your business. Be consistent with your stories across all platforms. Use the same colors, logos, and writing style in all your different communication platforms. Consistency helps your readers easily identify your brand and even creates feelings of comfort and familiarity!

4. Get customers involved in storytelling

Get your ideal customers involved in storytelling for your business! Encourage them to share their experiences with your company or product. Inviting customers to participate in this way can cultivate greater loyalty and even build trust with potential customers.

Some businesses even ask key clients to share a testimonial in the form of a story. What problem were they trying to solve? How did your business solve the problem? How is their day-to-day life now that the issue is resolved? It’s a simple and relatable story arch!

In short, storytelling can be a powerful way to boost your marketing and grow your small business. Whether you arm your sales staff with testimonial stories or decide to tell the story of your favorite product or service, stories connect with people in a powerful way.

Works Cited

https://www.womelle.com/blog/5_Tips_For_Small_Business_Storytelling

https://businessofstory.com/why-storytelling-is-important-for-local-businesses/

https://www.zenbusiness.com/blog/small-business-storytelling/

https://www.namecheap.com/blog/storytelling-small-business-superpower/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/03/29/storytelling-how-small-businesses-can-use-stories-to-win-customers-and-build-loyalty/?sh=4dade99c7c65