The Power of Storytelling in Social Media Marketing

storytelling marketing

When we look at film or novels, the core of telling that story is to move and entertain the audience. This fundamental idea behind telling a story is what steers all types of advertising. Your business is more than just what you’re trying to sell; it’s about your ideas and the people behind them.

For social media purposes, storytelling becomes a creative ordeal of figuring out who your audience is, what they want and how to capture their attention. Research has shown that since 2000, the average attention span of a human being went from 12 to 8 seconds in about 20 years. This is a big problem for any type of media and marketing because it gives advertisers just a few seconds to capture their audience’s attention. But at the heart of any engaging story are two key elements: understanding your online audience and developing a story style that resonates with them.

Understand Your Audience and Platform

Consumers play a large role in how you tell your story. Certain demographics spend time differently online, and the language they use varies drastically. In turn, the language should reflect who you’re speaking to. Grasping these wildly different communication styles is one way to tell an intriguing story people will listen to.

A significant amount of research is conducted for understanding the different platforms and the tone of language used in each. Through customer reviews and interviews, data analytics of social media engagement and competitor analysis, brands can mold their voice, graphics and story into narratives that move their audience.

A great example of a company fully grasping its image and platform is Wendy’s Twitter account. Wendy’s grasp on Twitter’s tone of voice and audience is known because of its famous banter with competitors and witty responses to consumers. This type of engagement has created a trend of fast food restaurants responding to each other. It also encourages consumers to engage with the brand directly because of its snappy responses on the platform.

Develop Your Storytelling Style

There are endless creative opportunities to how you share your narrative; storytelling in advertising can move an audience with more than just words. Videography, graphic design and consumer engagement are some of the ways advertisers convey their messages across a multitude of platforms.

One brand in particular sticks out for its impressive visual storytelling. In 2014, Always started an incredibly moving campaign with a short three-minute video created by award-winning director Lauren Greenfield. In the #LikeAGirl video, Greenfield interviewed girls of all ages and asked them stereotypical questions and actions. The responses from young girls were drastically different from the older teens. This thought-provoking message was intended to inspire and move their main demographic, and the results showed the power of  this one timely message.

Some of their campaign results include:

  • 96% positive sentiment in three months
  • 4339% increase of Always YouTube Channel subscribers
  • Over 50% increase in claimed purchase intent

By evoking emotions within consumers, brands can create stronger bonds with their target audience and leave a lasting impact. Instead of hiring individual experts, you can work with a team that utilizes these elements to aid in your company’s platform presence. Appleton uses data, research and expertise to understand and help develop your goals for building the story your company wishes to tell. 

Ready to write your story? Work hands-free and collaborate with a professional advertising agency. Appleton is an award-winning, full-service Orlando online marketing agency that specializes in search engine optimization. Appleton works with local, national and international clients to deliver custom content, persuasive online ads and expertly crafted campaigns. By implementing valuable and shareable digital content strategies, Appleton can create the perfect social and online marketing experience for your brand and audience. Your Internet advertising goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-246-0092 or info@appletoncreative.com.

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