Here’s the thing; storytelling marketing is one of the most important elements that will turn you from an overworked entrepreneur to a thriving business owner. The only problem is that you already have a long list of tasks that come along with building a brand and less time to focus on marketing than the White Rabbit in Wonderland.
Is it really worth it to spend your time, budget, and energy on leveraging the power of storytelling in email marketing? Can storytelling in sales really be applied to your business email marketing as well? The short answer is yes.
Purpose-driven brands are already selling to their email list, have a stream of consistent leads, and make clients come back for more - on autopilot.
And so will you, as soon as you understand the benefits of storytelling marketing.
The art of using storytelling in email marketing
But first, what is storytelling marketing?
We previously mentioned the importance of utilizing storytelling to truly leverage brand loyalty. Basically, unlike plain, boring emails that simply focus on selling a product, storytelling marketing helps brands stimulate the imagination, evoke certain emotions, and inspire customers to want to find out more.
Whether you want to exemplify relatable challenges and offer your audience an experience they can relate to, or simply want to build a more personal connection with your audience, storytelling marketing will be your best ally.
That’s the ultimate formula that can easily boost click-through rates and finally grant you better conversions. Don’t forget that your communication skills directly relate to the growth of your business.
What storytelling in email marketing can do for your business?
Storytelling marketing boosts conversions and ROI
According to Headstream’s research, if people love a brand's story, 55% are more likely to buy the product in the future, 44% will share the story, and 15% will buy the product immediately.
Let’s be honest. How many times have you clicked on an article that included a person’s name on the title and with an indication of a story-style experience? “Here’s how Anna made $100K as a brand affiliate” sounds a lot more interesting than “Join our affiliate program to make money” right? The same applies to your email marketing strategy.
Stories from real people, engaging hooks, and an effortless ability to make your audience visualize the words in your storytelling marketing. These are the keys to success.
Customers absolutely hate to be sold to
As OneSpot research indicates, a great story can absolutely make consumers happy to consume ads. This actually makes a ton of sense if you consider the fact that we constantly get bombarded by hundreds of sleazy ads each and every day.
When was the last time you actually took advantage of the 5% off sale that keeps popping up in your inbox each time you check your emails? Exactly, these uninspired emails don’t make the cut anymore. As for social media, 48 percent of people go as far as blocking ads.
On top of that, 92% of consumers want brands to make ads feel like a story. No wonder why storytelling marketing is proven to boost conversion rates by 30%.
Storytelling in email marketing can communicate the value of your message in the best way possible
Let’s take statistics as an example (the most hard-to-communicate and evidently boring type of content for every industry). Every marketing consultant under the sun will tell you that the only way to make readers focus on statistics is to make data feel a bit more alive. Storytelling marketing is deeply personal and relatable while cold data are inherently not.
But how can you use the power of storytelling to keep customers engaged in your content?
The University of Pennsylvania's experiment on the power of storytelling in marketing
The University of Pennsylvania knows the art of storytelling all too well.
In an effort to find the best way to raise money for “Save the Children”, the university came up with two different versions of a leaflet. The first one was all about stats, data, and the numerous problems children in Africa face. The second one included the same exact same statistics, along with the personal story of Rokia - a 7-year child struggling to live in poverty.
Then, the university offered $5 to every participant in the study. Each participant only got one version of the leaflet. After this, they were asked to donate to “Save the Children”. The people who had read Rokia’s story donated twice as much money as those who’d ready the stats. This translated to $2.38 vs. $1.43.
Types of storytelling in email marketing
While there are numerous ways to take advantage of storytelling marketing, here are a few easy ideas for you purpose-driven brands who want to step up the game.
Origin stories - Time to let customers get a glimpse of your own story and build even stronger connections. Remember, 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support. So, make sure to use conscious Film Production to your advantage and take those stories and implement it in your emails.
Product launches - What’s a better way to launch a product that a story-driven copy that engages customers?
Success stories - People love reading stories they can actually relate to. Even more so if they come from a brand’s customer base or the founders themselves.
Interview stories - Whether it’s video or in written form, interviews are a fantastic way to upgrade your storytelling marketing
Behind the scenes stories - What’s the first rule of storytelling? To offer as much background information as possible. In this case, your behind-the-scenes content will do just that!
Time to leverage the power of storytelling in email marketing for your business
No matter if you are a brand-new business or already have a loyal customer base who swears by your products, storytelling in email marketing is exactly what you need to get more leads, build connections and thrive!
If you're interested in using storytelling in sales and captivating your audience with stories that they can relate to, then start by downloading our eBook - Authentic Growth: 5 Powerful Human-to-Human Strategies to Increase Brand Loyalty.
Let’s schedule a discovery call to further discuss the potential of Storytelling marketing and all the ways it can improve your business together