Persuading Audiences Through Storytelling

Persuading audiences is at the root of marketing strategy. Whether the goal is awareness, acquisition, sales, or retention, audiences need to feel intensely enough to take action. A quote from Blair Warren, an author and persuasion scholar, stands out:

“People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions, and help them throw rocks at their enemies.”

Blair Warren

Warren's quote was in the context of friendships, but it applies well to B2C relationships, too. Consumers will take action when they feel understood. Individuals ultimately want to feel a connection with the brands they support and marketers are in charge of establishing this. Why should I buy your product if I don't think that you're on my team?

How does Storytelling fit in?

Persuading an audience relies on building an emotional connection and building trust between brand and consumer. Storytelling is an exceptionally effective method for achieving these goals.

Research has proven that stories release oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin in the brain, all chemicals that cause positive reactions in our bodies. Consequently, these chemicals cause a rush of feelings that make us more likely to take action. For marketers, this is great news. The goal of most campaigns is to create momentum and get consumers to *do* something. Storytelling can be a great asset in these efforts.

In one study, participants watched different short films. When they were captured by the story, their bodies released those three chemicals and increased empathy. The subjects felt an increase in charitableness and were more likely to act on their feelings of empathy.

Brand stories help us visualize ourselves improving our lives with a specific product. Following along character journeys give us a window to see ourselves succeeding, therefore trusting in the company. Granted, there are many key elements of stories that should be included, but the science shows that persuading audiences is made easier through stories. Storytelling should be a key tool in the marketer's strategy toolkit.

An Innovative Storytelling Platform

STORYSOFT is a platform that helps marketers tell stories that break through the clutter, emotionally engage audiences, and increase conversions.

STORYSOFT stories allow marketers to:

• Create stories once, and reach audiences on any marketing channel
• Amortize their investment of time, money, and energy over time because STORYSOFT stories live forever online
• Add content without restriction
• Build stories easily using desktop or mobile devices with our Story Builder
• Personalize stories based on target audience personas
• Collect first party data and seamlessly export it back to your CRM
• Easily access integrated analytics without having to plug in third party reporting tools

We make brand storytelling simple, flexible, and insightful for marketers.

Experience the future of brand storytelling. Start a free trial.