Human beings are storytellers by nature. Increasingly, businesses are finding ways of tapping into our affinity for stories and discovering the power than can be unlocked by telling a simple tale. When Simon Sinek says in his TED Talk that “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it,” he is speaking to the kind of business-client relationship that is more than a basic exchange of money for goods and services.

Indeed, effective storytelling can help foster deeper connections to a company or brand, allowing existing and potential clients get to the “why” that motivates you and makes your business special.

Telling your origin story

Just like your favorite comic book hero, every company has an origin story, a tale of an idea, belief or mission that was born and cultivated with passion and an oftentimes superhuman effort. Today’s technology allows you to broadcast your company’s unique origin story to a global audience. Our connected world gives you an unprecedented opportunity to communicate not just what you do, but why you are compelled to do it.

Showing some personality

In an age when a purchase can happen as fast as a mouseclick, storytelling is a way to put a face on a company that may otherwise struggle to create real human connections. An engaging website, creative video content, photography and social media can tell day-to-day stories that make a company’s personality shine through the competition.

Creating an emotional connection

Have you ever noticed how a restaurant meal is much more enjoyable when you have an engaging server, when there is some light banter during which you may even learn something about the person connecting you to a product? We consume stories because of the emotional payoff that comes from following a narrative populated by relatable characters. If a business transaction comes with some level of positive emotional engagement, a customer is much more likely to remember and want to relive the experience.

Building a loyal following

Our appetite for storytelling is so fundamental to who we are as humans that we often equate it to basic life functions like eating (“I binge watched that show,” or “I’m a voracious reader”) and breathing (“I inhale books”). The satisfaction that comes with buying a high quality good or service is essential to winning repeat customers, but what can get a client truly inspired is the sense that they experienced something that they need to experience again. With the creation of a fond memory comes the anticipation of “what’s next?” If enough customers are wondering what’s next for your company, you have a following.

Letting clients do the talking

If you are effectively telling your own story, you will give the customer something to talk about in the voice that you have cultivated. Conscientious consumers are always on the lookout for experiences that are worth sharing with friends, family and the general public. Word of mouth is an effective marketing tool, but providing welcoming spaces on social media can lead to blog posts, Facebook reviews, Instagram selfies, tweets, hashtags—all the channels that create a dynamic connection between your business, existing clients and potential new customers.

How Michigan Creative can help

Of course running a business takes time, and busy workdays often do not leave much bandwidth for telling the kinds of stories you’d like your customers to hear. At times it can be challenging to assure that everyone on your team is telling the same story, and even something as seemingly simple as running a Facebook account can be a drain on your time and energy.

Whether it means developing your website, coordinating your social media strategy, or producing multimedia content, our team at Michigan Creative has the tools, experience and creative spark to help shape a narrative that matches the “why” that lies at the heart of your business.

517 489 4970