STORYTELLING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
We all love movies and television shows that make us laugh or cry, books that fill us with suspense, and music that “fits our mood.” We also love to tell our family and friends what happened on vacation, what we did over the weekend, etc. Why is that? It’s because we not only love reading and listening to stories, we love to tell stories.
From the cavemen painting on walls and minstrels who entertained people with their ballads and news to bedtime stories, music, movies, and television, storytelling is embedded in our hearts, in our minds, and our culture.
Whether we like it or not, we live in a world where we are bombarded with information, and honestly, it can be overwhelming. With this information overload, we seek out something to identify with, something that stands out. That is where storytelling comes into play.
According to Kinesis, storytelling has 5 psychological superpowers.
- Emotion — Storytelling activates almost twice as many neural centers when you listen to information in the form of a story versus listening to information in the form of data.
- Action — Emotions have an impact on our behaviors and therefore the actions we take when we are in an emotional state.
- Value — Because stories have an impact on our emotions, they have the ability to change our perceived values. According to the study Significant Objects Project, pairing a story with an object can increase the value of the object significantly.
- Memory — Finally, storytelling has a clear connection with memory. Using stories to help with memorization is known as “The Story Method,” which is used “in everything from Alzheimer patients to college students studying for tests.”
Looking at this list, it is clear that storytelling stirs up emotions, which can cause people to take action, and change their perceived values. If stories can do all of that, the brand, the company, the product is memorable. This is because stories empower the listener/reader to visualize the elements of the story and related them to their own experiences.
And isn’t that what we try to do with social media? We use our experiences to get others to relate to us because they understand where we are coming from. So, we shouldn’t look at social media as just another channel to push our products and services. We should look at social media as a channel to humanize our brand, connect with people, and show them who we are. We want to build an authentic connection, engage with people, and build influence.
So, you may be thinking “How do I do that?” First, it is important to respect the platforms. No two platforms are the same. Learn the nuances and cater your messages accordingly.
Second, know your audience. Remember, it isn’t important to be on every channel. You only need to be where your audience is.
Third, develop a long story. Look at your goals in both short-term and long-term before you start to develop your social media stories. Once you have your goals, develop your stories. Your stories should be present in every content piece including images, social media posts, video clips, etc. which will create a cohesive thread through the story of your brand and business.
Fourth, humanize your brand and bring value. Use storytelling to build a connection with your audience. Put yourself out there by describing your journey, your thoughts, your ideas, your vision and even your wins, your losses, your ambitions and your anxieties. These stories not only humanize and bring value but they foster an emotional connection with your audience.
Storytelling is an art form. It takes patience and time to develop. Don’t waste time and money on promoting Instagram posts and developing Facebook ad campaigns that don’t convert. Connect with your audience, build a relationship through authenticity which will lead to influence, and then the leads and conversions will come.
