Does your company have a story?
Do you have a story?
Of course, you do. Everyone does, but are you using it to generate leads? Do your customers know about it? Does it strengthen and differentiate your brand?
Here are three reasons why many eCommerce companies are having success using stories to stimulate more sales.
1) EVERYONE Has Statistics
It’s true. Stats aren’t hard to come by these days. Whether you’re borrowing them from someone else or doing your own research, collecting numbers is easy.
A great statistic can grab attention, and it can definitely make a point, but how long does that message stay in the customer’s mind?
Not long.
Numbers alone are hard to remember, and they don’t resonate with customers enough to make a long-term impact.
2) Stories Stimulate Emotion
While numbers fade from our memories, stories tend to stick with us.
A good story helps us share meaning and purpose. It engages our imagination, stimulates the senses, elicits emotion, and builds a connection between author and reader.
Companies forget how powerful and lasting a great story can be.
If your customers don’t know your story—how you persevered through hard times, how you saved that client from the brink of disaster, how willing your employees are to go above and beyond—you’re losing an opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level and to make a lasting impression.
In this short video, Starbucks talks about how they are trying to share their story with their customers through marketing initiatives.
3) Stories Are Sharable
Because stories do such a great job stimulating emotion, people love sharing them, especially across social media. Click over to your personal newsfeed, and I’ll bet there’s a story featured somewhere near the top.
The newest Budweiser commercial is a great example. Days before airing during the Super Bowl, it was already being shared across the social network. The story is memorable, and it says more about the Budweiser brand than any statistic ever could.
Instead of coming out and saying why you’re the best at what you do, tell customers a story that shows them those attributes.
What’s your story?