Digital Storytelling: What Stories to Tell and How

In the beginning of November, when the COVID-19 scare returned to Europe, Burger King came out with an announcement. Given the fact that the public will have to return to ordering in, we would expect the announcement to be a catchy thing on how Burger King can beat its competitors on quality food.

But no.

“Order from McDonald’s,” said the Burger King announcement. 

No, they’re not going out of business and no, they’re not merging with their biggest rival. They are simply advising the public to please stay indoors and be safe. And if that means ordering from their rivals, then so be it.

It’s a beautiful gesture but we’re not going to discuss Burger King’s big heart further.

What we’re here to talk about is how marketing is no longer about marketing.

You don’t go out there and tell the public, “We’re here. Buy from us.” Not anymore.

Instead, you tell stories.

Why do stories sell?

It’s in our psychology to listen to stories. We love them. And they have the tendency to make an impact on us.

Digital storytelling has become the brand new way of reaching out to your audience; you market by not marketing. Instead, through stories, you give them a glimpse of:

• Who you are
• How you fill a need in the industry
• How you help society as a whole
• What your core philosophies are, and
• (In some cases) How being associated with you makes your customers better than the rest

What a brand stands for has more meaning to today’s customers than the product they offer. Nike is the biggest example. When the brand took a stand against racism and stood with Colin Kaepernick a few years back, the world actually listened. 

Yes, stories matter.

There are multiple different ways of telling a story through digital media.

Data-backed storytelling

Data visualization is one of the most impactful means of grabbing your audience’s attention. Yes, of course, great punchlines and copywriting matter but on creating lasting impact, numbers are still king.

Numbers packed with credibility and value make your audience understand these points immediately and easily. Relevant data appearing on web banners, videos, social media posts, or just plain old content catch the reader’s attention far more than just text.

Customer-centric storytelling

In olden days, we used to call this client testimonials. We would get clients to share their experiences with us or our products in two lines and that was it. Needless to say, times have changed.

This has taken a whole new life in recent years. Remember Maggi’s ‘Meri Maggi’ campaign? There were customers sharing their favourite stories of how Maggi came to their rescue at some point in their lives. When an ordinary person talks about you and what a difference you made, others listen.

And it’s not limited to ordinary people. Google’s lovely client story videos give us an insight into how their solutions helped these clients, where leaders from the client organization share their experiences. They’re engaging, understandable, and relatable.

A customer story can be an engaging case study, a video, or just a quote from the customer.

Leadership storytelling

Long gone are the days where your brand was carried on just the shoulders of the brand name. The leadership didn’t do much to affect the brand image. Things are different now because perspectives are different.

Now, with the huge digital media presence of leaders, what they do matters to the general public. Leaders represent the brand, which makes it important for them to have a formidable stance on these platforms. Leaders like Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Vas Narasimhan market their companies ever so subtly with their views and perspectives on LinkedIn.

Leadership storytelling is one area where you shouldn’t get it wrong. 

Philanthropic storytelling

Profit and purpose now go hand in hand. The demographics of customers have changed with the oldest of the Gen Z becoming financially independent. And Gen Z cares a lot about the society and the environment.

Any company which is seen as protecting only the shareholders’ interests, which was enough in the 80s, is no longer considered great. If your company takes its CSR activities seriously, then it’s high time you told that story. 

It can be videos, data, or plain old written text of how you made a difference.

So get writing!

Digital storytelling is the new marketing plan. Brands like Burger King, Swiggy, and others are already well set in the game with their extremely witty and catchy content.

So crack your knuckles and get your story on paper. And if you find that a little too much work, that’s where we come in. Econz Digital supports brands with their content marketing through storytelling, increasing their reach, and more importantly, garnering trust for them from their clients. Contact us and we will help you. Like we always say, “We love stories. That’s why we tell them.”