By Shannan Hearne, Summit Technologies Marketing Specialist
Storytelling is a powerful tool in content marketing that can capture the audience's attention and keep them engaged. Here are some elements and techniques to consider when developing a story for content marketing:
Characters: Strong archetypes or characters with a well-known pattern of behavior are necessary for any good story. In brand storytelling, the protagonist is typically the target audience, or the story could revolve around a client, putting the customer at the center.
Conflicts and resolutions: Content marketing is consumed to solve problems. Create plots in your stories that illustrate your audience's problems while leading them to your recommended solutions.
Authenticity and emotion: Relatable stories with a human element resonate with the audience. Use a tone and voice that resonates with the target audience while being appropriate for the brand. Other narrative elements, like keeping a readable rhythm and maintaining the right amount of detail, can keep the audience's attention.
Cliffhangers: Teasing the next topic in a content series or creating a two-part piece can maintain some tension and keep the readers subscribed to the next piece.
Visuals: Creative design is equally important to copy in storytelling. It's essential to ensure that the visuals complement the copy to tell a full, compelling story.
Calls-to-action (CTAs): Providing a call-to-action (CTA) is crucial to guide readers to take the next step after consuming the content. The most common CTAs are links or buttons at the end of a piece of content that directs audiences to do something, like opt-in to a newsletter or contact the business.
Before starting to write, do research on the topic to ensure that the story angle is credible. There are two key ways to do this: source your own information and conduct interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs).
After settling on a topic, conducting research, and finding a direction for the story, choose the best platform to tell it. Content marketing is not just long-form content; there are many different ways to bring the story to life, such as videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media posts.