Storytelling: a necessity for your organic/zero waste shop

Stories have always shaped the way human beings make sense of the world.

Today, storytelling is the cornerstone of any communication strategy. Stories are strategically important to your business.

They ensure that your target audience can:

• find out more about you,
• buy in to your values,
• recommend you to other people,
• remember your messaging,
• be more receptive to your offers and your products.

In this article, we explain why storytelling is a necessity for your business and how to use it!

The power of a good story

There’s nothing more convincing and powerful than a good story!

You know that feeling you get when you want to know what’s going to happen next and you keep reading or watching an episode of your favourite series until it’s way past your bedtime?

Simply put, the goal of storytelling is to give your audience the very same feeling by communicating a unique message, created by your company, and by immersing them completely in your world.

Conveying emotions

Storytelling enables you to connect with your audience and grab their attention to develop a strong and long-lasting relationship. It’s a way to differentiate yourself and to create a unique identity by conveying emotions.

If your storytelling is to be successful, the story you tell must be based on your brand values.

Authenticity is key: be real and don’t be afraid to express and defend your beliefs. In this way, your stories will be seen by your target audience as being more human, sincere and natural.

Understanding your target audience

To be effective, storytelling must respect some basic rules of communication: one of the most important is understanding who you’re talking to.

By understanding the characteristics of your audience, you can consider their needs and expectations and work out what kind of stories they are interested in.

Understanding your target audience will help you to choose the right tone, language and register to ensure that your message is successfully understood.

To identify your target audience, we recommend that you develop your persona using this template.

How can storytelling be used in practice?

This communication technique can be used consistently to position your company in the long term but it can also be used more specifically during a campaign.

Here are a few examples:

• Use stories on social media! They give your audience the impression that they’re immersed in your world, taking an active part in your day-to-day activities. Show them things they don’t usually see (remember, authenticity is key!): film “backstage” and “behind the scenes”. This will definitely strengthen the bond between your brand and your customers.

• Make your messages more attractive while being honest. For example, instead of saying “our day cream moisturises your skin”, say “our day cream will leave your skin feeling as soft as silk”. The idea is to use images so that your target audience can imagine what you’re talking about.

• Shared stories are the best. Interact with your customers and encourage them to share their experiences with your company. In this way, they can help to create your story.

Don’t forget to personalise your stories. This will help your audience to understand that there are real human beings behind your brand, something which will resonate with them. Talk about your day-to-day motivation and why you do what you do.

It’s often said that a picture paints a thousand words. But a picture only tells the story as you understand it when looking at it. The power of words enables you to tell your own story, a story which defines your brand, your values and why your customers choose to put their trust in you.

What stories will you tell your community?

And if you’re on Instagram, check out our 8 techniques and tips for engaging with your community 👇

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