Oral and visual storytelling has been around since the age of the caveman. Around 200BC, written stories began in the era of Shakespeare. This style of written and oral storytelling continued until our digital age when television was born in 1939. Storytelling is definitely an art that will engage consumers, evoke emotional responses and help people remember your brand. Some are great storytellers and others, well, are not so great. The good news is that it is a skill set that can be learned, practiced and improved upon. Good storytelling is about making an emotionally compelling and memorable narrative that ties facts together in an interesting way. And boy do people love to be told a good story! Here are some of our tips to becoming a better storyteller.
1. What message are you trying to send? Knowing what message you want to send as well as making it clear and concise is important. Entertaining people is important but you have to leave the viewer with a message they’ll remember.
2. Try starting in the middle. A linear story can sometimes be boring. First, A happened, which led to B happening. Everyone knows where it’s going. Start with C (the action/confrontation) and work your way backward. Make people wonder where you’re going with this. This will also help “hook” the audience in the beginning.
3. Vary your rate of speaking and volume levels. Make sure that you are not speaking too quickly. Think about the way you would read a book out loud. Emphasize important bits. Change your pace and volume to go along with what’s happening in the narrative. This will keep your viewers engaged and wanting more.
4. Paint a picture. Ask your listeners to imagine and be descriptive when you’re telling a story. What did it look like, smell like and feel like? Try to use all of your senses here. Make the viewer feel like they are there with you.
5. Bring on the emotion. Sharing how you feel or felt about something is relatable. People will empathize through your body language and words. Vulnerability and authenticity make your story more memorable.
Stories are a gift from one person to another as we all crave human connection no matter how introverted some of might be. Storytelling is a great way to connect with others through a shared human experience. Why do you think that User-Generated Content performs so well? Good storytellers are typically enthusiastic and confident about the stories they tell. Next time your brand is looking to connect with its audience think about how your next advertisement will be delivered. What story does it tell and how well is it told?
