The art of storytelling has been around since before humans invented paper. From communicating through stories by drawing on cave walls to reading them on news websites. The art of storytelling may have evolved. It is still the preferred way of thinking (and learning) for most of us. We think in terms of stories all day. We narrate them to our friends in conversations because stories are intertwined with our subconscious. Let’s discuss the art of creative storytelling.

Stories facilitate learning

Stories facilitate learning. They have been around for generations. Storytelling helps us understand the world around us. We love to understand and retain stories. While we forget most of them almost immediately, ones that tap into our emotions stay with us.

For this reason, stories have been a part of several successful brand strategies. There are several case studies to back this claim up. Look at this chart of the boost in shares for different brands on Facebook, after they introduced a brand character:

Brand narratives

With data present all around us, marketers can utilize brand narratives to introduce more authenticity in their stories. Marketers can strategically use platforms and tools to drive results with their stories.

Humans (A.K.A. our audiences) are attracted to the same fundamental things. One such thing is a good, engaging story, and the other, are visuals.  We process visuals 60,000 times faster than the written word. For this reason, simply creating a brand narrative is not enough to drive engagements. If you want your audiences to be truly invested in your narrative, you have to support it with strong, engaging, and convincing visuals. Let’s see how we can do exactly that:

Humanize your brand

As social media becomes more popular, the interaction between audiences and brands become easier. Brands are continually using various social media platforms to become more approachable. This trend has led to the rise in the need for brands to move beyond their standard corporate images. This helps audiences realize there are real people working behind the scenes.

The two simplest ways to do this with storytelling are to either introduce the faces that work to make your brand what it is. Tell a fictional story that highlights the unique selling proposition (USP) of your brand. Here’s a short guide on how to do both:

Introducing faces

When we talk about introducing the faces behind a brand, it refers to more than simply introducing your team on a camera. Instead, it refers to telling the story of your brand. Communicate your vision. Talk about how you wish to make people’s lives better with your products.

Take the example of Apple, their story is one that not only inspires people but also has elements that people can identify with. For instance, the fact that the world’s first trillion dollar company was started by two friends working out of a garage. It is something we can relate to, especially in the age of startups.

Introducing benefits

Another way to humanize a brand is to show how the offering of the brand is making the everyday lives of people better. When Uber came to India, they understood that the new audience did not connect much with their existing “online cab service” image.

They introduced the “Badhte Chalein” campaign. This literally translates to “keep moving forward”, and related it to the fact that each cab ride people take is ultimately “a step forward in the larger journey of their lives.”

The campaign was a success. Thanks to a series of ads and India’s most popular cricket player as their brand ambassador, Uber was able to capture a large share of the cab market in the country.

While the second example for completely fictional, it was able to connect with the audiences. It addressed their pain points. To get these strategies right, the first and the most important step is to build an in-depth understanding of your audience. Learn their pain points, and how your brand offers a unique solution to their problems.

Let your visuals do the talking

The most popular rule of great filmmaking is to “say without saying.” Consider the beginning of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Most of the beginning is in French. While most of Tarantino’s audience speaks English, he didn’t need an English introduction to communicate what is going on. In fact, in the very beginning, when the German cars are approaching, the elements in the scene communicate everything. It shows the setting. The fact that the cars are German, and that the people hiding in the basement are Jews.

While brand narratives aren’t expected to be as detailed as Tarantino’s films, the same rule can exponentially increase the effectiveness of your narrative. In fact, once you understand how visuals can help create “unsaid” suggestions or context, you can utilize them to your advantage. For instance, if a plumber is trying to create an online presence, they can utilize visuals and other communication tools to associate professionalism with their service. This will especially come in handy if the plumber is a one-man show supported by an online presence.

Align the narrative to the brand’s purpose

While brand narratives can take several forms in terms of concept and delivery, your narrative should stick to the original values on which your brand was formed. For a communication platform like Slack, the initial idea was to fuel productivity and workplace efficiency through better communication within teams.

As their brand grew, they employed several different marketing verticals and collateral such as videos, blog posts, and social media. However, the underlying concept remained constant: to help improve productivity and workplace efficiency.

A brand narrative is critical to marketing success

Studies have shown that 92 percent of consumers expect brands to deliver “content that is linear and expresses a clear narrative.”Moreover, messages delivered as stories can be up to 22 times more memorable than simple facts. The art of creative storytelling can help brands build unmatched loyalty. The sheer versatility that stories offer, make the whole deal all the better. Stories can take the form of videos, infographics, and short messages such as tweets! How will you choose to tell your brand narrative?

This guest blog article was written by Deepasha Kakkar, chief executive officer and founder of Crackitt, a company that helps companies create handmade videos and infographics.