What’s the Story with Content Marketing?
Why storytelling is good for business?
As a writer for film and TV, I know the importance of telling a good story that captures the attention of an audience. It taps into a primal human need to be both emotionally entertained and mentally informed, but you don’t need to be a screenwriter to know that. We all use stories in our everyday lives – to relate experiences, tell jokes, or teach others – so it makes sense that storytelling would be an essential part of doing business, too.
The term “storytelling”, as it relates to brands, has become somewhat of a buzzword lately, however it’s not a particularly new idea. After all, companies like Coca Cola, Ford, Wells Fargo and others have been wildly successful for a hundred years or more partly because of their marketing strategies. What is new in the world of corporate storytelling, though, is the audience and the kinds of communication that are needed to reach them.
Selling is not enough
From the early days of marketing, advertisers realised that it wasn’t enough to just tout the features of a product or service – you needed to make your audience feel the benefits. Over time, that led to the use of slogans, images and jingles to emotionally connect customers to a brand. In the 21st century though, audiences have become more sophisticated, perhaps more cynical, and thus less easily persuaded by overt attempts to capture their attention and money. The old-fashioned methods of storytelling in business are no longer enough. Now, brands must tell their stories and attract customers by proving themselves useful before anyone has even put money on the table for their product or service.
The new corporate storytelling
Instinctually, humans like things that are high quality, easily obtainable and free, but how can a business provide such benefits and still stay in business?
Content marketing
By making free and valuable information available to customers at their fingertips, businesses can build a reputation via association with that quality content. It’s a way to gain the trust of consumers before they make a purchase. In this way, content marketing helps to shape perceptions of a business, thus making that content part of a brand’s story. The topics chosen, the tone of voice adopted and the methods used – be it editorial content, video content or social media posts – can leave as much, if not more, of a positive impression on a modern-day consumer as the expensive TV ads we’re all familiar with.
So if you’re a Dubai business looking to build your reputation, try not to focus just on selling. Let people get to know you through useful English and Arabic content on your website and social media platforms. It’s a brand-storytelling strategy that will pay off in the end.