How to Boost Your Sales with the Magic of Storytelling in Marketing

Ever wondered how a simple story can become your secret weapon to boost sales and connect with your audience? Join me as we dive into the art of storytelling and discover how it can take your marketing to the next level. Learn how harnessing the power of stories can transform your brand, making it resonate with authenticity and purpose. This episode is your go-to guide for crafting a brand story that not only reflects your core values but also makes your audience feel like they're a part of your success story.


Mentioned Resources

-> Story Branding Resource
Building a Story Brand by Don Miller


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Chapters

• 0:44 The Power of Storytelling in Marketing
• 4:11 Crafting Compelling Brand Stories for Connection

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:44

Marketing and selling products and services online is all about connection, and one of the best ways to connect with your audience is through storytelling. People don't just buy products or services. They buy stories that resonate from people they can relate to and that makes them feel something. Today, we're going to explore how to market your business through storytelling on your website. Whether you're an e-commerce brand, a service provider or a coach, using story in your marketing can set you apart, building stronger connections and ultimately, driving more sales. So let's dive into the art of storytelling and discover how it can take your marketing to the next level. Welcome to the e-commerce made easy podcast.

Speaker 1: 1:28

I'm your host, keri Saunders. When we started this business, all I had was a couch, a laptop and a nine month old my main goal to help others. Now, with over 20 years in the e-commerce building industry, and even more than that in web development, I have seen a lot. I love breaking down the hard tech and the easily understandable bits to help others be successful in their online business. Whether you're a seasoned e-commerce veteran or just starting out, you've come to the right place, so sit back, relax and let's dive into the world of e-commerce together. Welcome back to the e-commerce made easy podcast.

Speaker 1: 2:01

Today we're focusing on one of the most impactful ways to market your business storytelling. If I were to think back to the beginning of BCSE, I can see where I naturally incorporated story into our products and services for many years there. I don't know why I knew to do that, I do not know where it came from, but I did and I recognize that as we got bigger and as I got busier, I spent less time describing our products and services and didn't give them that story flair behind them, and you can really see that effect on our business revenue whenever that became pretty consistent, where I wasn't adding story all the time. And coming back to being good at storytelling again is something we've been working on and getting better at it again. So I wanted to make sure that I brought this topic to our podcast so that maybe those of you who aren't making it a priority might know a little bit about it or aren't even aware of it, can learn more about it. So you can focus on this and make sure this is something purposeful in your business, because a good story can capture attention, engage emotions and create a lasting impression. Just think about it when you're talking to your friends. What do you remember the most? The stories that they're telling you and what that makes you feel, what those stories make you feel. That's what you really remember most when you're talking to people. But what makes a story effective in marketing and how can you tell one that actually leads to sales? We're going to cover it all in this episode and try to help you out with that on a high level, and I totally recommend, if you're not already familiar with Donald Miller's book, a story brand. We'll link to it in the show notes. It's an excellent one to help you perfect this as well.

Speaker 1: 3:48

The first thing that we want to help you perfect this as well. The first thing that we want to do is identify your brand story. It isn't just a generic about a section. It's a deeper reason why you started your business, the values that drive you and what makes you unique. Your brand story should resonate with your audience and make them feel like they are a part of something bigger. So how do we uncover our story?

Speaker 1: 4:12

I want you to first ask yourself why did you start this business? Think back to that moment that sparked your business idea, or how did you flow into it? What problems were you trying to solve or what change did you want to make? Steering the why behind your brand can help you connect on a personal level. And then I also want you to look at highlighting your values. What does your brand stand for? Whether it's a sustainability brand, a quality or innovation, the values that shape your brand can be an essential part of your story. And then I want you to work on showing the journey Share where you started and where you are now. Audiences love to see progress and transformation. It helps them feel invested in your journey.

Speaker 1: 5:00

For an e-commerce business, your story might be about creating products to solve specific problems, or for service providers or coaches, it could be about overcoming your own challenges to help others. When your audience understands the purpose behind your brand, the more likely to feel connected and feel loyal to that brand. I know many of my top brands. I'm actually connected to and feel loyal to them because of the story behind their brand and what they stand for and who they are. So think about your top, say, five brands. Why do you love those brands? Really take it apart. Figure out all the little bits as to why you love that brand, and then the second thing we can do is use your customer's journey as part of the story.

Speaker 1: 5:43

This is a very powerful way to tell your story. Instead of just highlighting your products or services, show how it fits into the lives of your customers. Take them through the challenges your ideal customers face and how your business helps them overcome these challenges. So some ways that you can do that is one identifying your customers pain points. Think about the problems your customers are facing and weave those struggles into your story so when people feel connected, that you understand their situation, the more likely to see your solutions as the right one. This is something we were very good at at BCC in the beginning when we were creating modules and plugins for the original shopping cart that we worked with. I was trying to solve honestly some of my own problems and then also problems of other people that we had met online and that were asking for solutions, and so I was pretty good at identifying the customer's pain points. And why do you need this module plugin to this specific shopping cart? To help it work better and make you more money or make things easier on your staff and your admin trying to fill the orders. So I weaved my customer's pain points into my story very well in the beginning.

Speaker 1: 6:59

You can also work on showing the transformation. Use your storytelling to demonstrate how your product or service can transform their lives, take them from the pain point and away from it into more joy. So describe what life was like before using your product, the relief they felt when they found it and the benefits they experienced since. So in my case, I talked about why this module that we would add on to a shopping cart would help either save them time, bring them more money, and how that did it. And then my customers actually reiterated that in their testimonials and reviews and we'll talk a little bit more about that here soon in the podcast. Well, actually it's the next one. So we want to include our customer testimonials too. So this makes it even more powerful and I know that we talk about this a decent amount on the podcast that reviews testimonials. Customer proof are key. Customer proof are key. So when you back up your story, your personal story and what you're trying to solve, with customer testimonials that reiterate that story, that's going to make a double powerful situation there and really help people understand how you can help them. So when you encourage and include these customer testimonials, especially ones that talk about the transformation and the benefits and how it's helped their lives. That can really double that impact of your storytelling.

Speaker 1: 8:25

And then point number three is we want to share personal stories for authenticity, about our brand, and I know this is something that some people in business shy about, and we can find the right balance here. So if you're a bit of a shyer person and you don't want to be too out front on social media, you can do this in a way. Just think about how you can set your right, your own boundaries for this part. But one of the best ways to build trust and connection is to share personal stories about yourself, your team or your business journey. So there's three different things here we can talk about, and so you can pick what you're most comfortable to talk about, or talk about all three if you are comfortable with that. But authenticity that's hard to say, but authenticity is key in storytelling and nothing feels more genuine than sharing your own experiences. I know this is something that I can work to weave more into our marketing as well, so it's going to be one of the things that's on our list.

Speaker 1: 9:22

But some ways to get started is you can share the struggles as well as your successes in your business. People really appreciate honesty, so don't be afraid to talk about the challenges you face along the way and how you've overcome them. It really helps make us all human and it humanizes your brand and makes you a lot more relatable. You can also think about potentially introducing your team. You can give your audience a peek behind the scenes by introducing the people who make your business possible. Share their stories, their passion and why they love to do what they do. This makes your brand feel more like a community. I know one of our local coffee shops here in Athens, ohio, does a really great job of this. They feature an employee pretty regularly. Tell their story, what do they love, what do they do outside of being a barista at the coffee shop. It really does help humanize the brand and help me connect more with the staff at this particular coffee shop. And actually, if you're local, I want to give a shout out to Donkey Coffee in Athens, ohio. They're an awesome coffee shop.

Speaker 1: 10:30

And then you can also celebrate milestones, so share the story behind the major milestones. Whether it's your first product launch, hitting revenue goal or receiving an award, celebrating achievements with your audience can help them feel part of the journey, and you can do this in a non-boastful, non-bragging way. Many times, when you do this in the right way and it's really easy to do it in the right way they want to cheer you on and they're going to get excited and they're going to likely comment and just give you that positive feedback back on social media or wherever you're presenting this. So don't be afraid to do that. And when we share our personal stories, you build a connection that goes beyond just the transaction and they're going to look to come back for more from you. They are more likely to support your brand that they feel personally connected to. So don't be afraid to let your personality and value shine through. That's what makes each of us unique as human beings and that's what makes our businesses unique as well.

Speaker 1: 11:30

So the fourth point that we can do is we can use visuals to enhance our story. So don't just limit yourself to words. Also use visuals when it's appropriate to bring your story to life. So, whether it's through photos, videos or even simple graphics on your website, visuals can make your story more engaging and more memorable, because we all tend to remember visuals and pictures, and especially if you're having a hard time getting the story and the words itself to create that visual in their mind. Using a photo or a picture or a video along with it can help solidify that visual picture and story in their head. So some ways to incorporate visuals effectively is to tell visual stories on social media. This is actually very recommended. Social media is a lot about sharing photos and videos and visuals, so platforms that are pretty popular right now, like Instagram, facebook and TikTok, are perfect for visual storytelling. So are more professional ones like LinkedIn. That's also great for storytelling.

Speaker 1: 12:35

Um, use all the features of each of these platforms. Many of them have the ability to place um images on there or something of a, the type of a reel where it's a smaller video. Um, some of them have stories. So use the features of each of these platforms. I'm not going to say you need to use all the platforms. Pick the ones that resonate with you, but use most, if not all, the features that each of these platforms. I'm not going to say you need to use all the platforms. Pick the ones that resonate with you, but use most, if not all, the features that they have, because that also helps you with your visibility on social media, but use those to showcase behind-the-scenes content, share product journeys or highlight customer stories.

Speaker 1: 13:12

With these, you can also create a story video, or also called a brand video. It really tells your brand story and showcases your customer's journey, and it can be really highly impactful. This video can live in your website homepage and email campaigns or as a pin post on social media. So doing a story brand video can really reap the benefits long-term and you can use it over and over again. If it makes sense. For your business, too, you can use before and after visual visuals. So if what you're doing, your products or your service creates this tendency of having a before and an after visual, make sure that you're using that, because it is going to really transform what they're looking at and what they're seeing, and they're going to be able to connect with it a lot more when they can see that tangible before and after.

Speaker 1: 14:05

Have clients share screenshots or testimonials showing their progress with your product and then, number five, end with a call to action that ties back to the story. We talk about call to actions a decent amount on the podcast and in our course, and we want to make sure that we're tying the call to action back to the story. It needs to be relevant to what we're talking about at the moment whenever they see that call to action. So every story you tell should have a purpose, and that's where the CTA comes in. So, once you've engaged your audience with your story, guide them to the next step that ties back to that story. So some ways to create an effective CTA is making it relevant.

Speaker 1: 14:48

Your CTA should feel like a natural extension of the story you're telling. So if you're sharing a story about how your products solve a common problem, invite the audience to try it out for themselves and learn more. You can also use it to offer clear benefit. So let them know what they're going to gain by taking the action, whether it's feeling more confident, finding an easier way to do something or getting starting on a transformative journey. Highlight the benefit behind their experience. So it's just another way to really draw them into your story. And because they're going to be wanting for more and they're like, ok, yes, this is a great clear benefit. I need this. I'm going to click on this button, I'm going to subscribe to this newsletter, I'm going to download this tool or tip that I need and then also make sure you keep your CTA simple. We want to make sure that they're clear and not clever. So, whether it's signing up for a newsletter, booking a consultation or exploring your product catalog, the CTA should be clear and it should be very actionable. So we want to tie our CTA back to our story. It really creates a seamless transition that guides the audience from feeling inspired into taking action.

Speaker 1: 16:00

All right, so let's do a quick recap. So, when we're weaving stories into our business, there's five main points that we can do this and five main ways we can do this. And the first way is by identifying your brand story and having a great brand story on your website, using your customer's journey as part of the story, and that's going to help tie your words to real life people using your products or services. Number three is sharing your personal stories for authenticity. So showcasing you, showcasing your business, showcasing your team, for example, making you more human and not just some brand that's out there that is cold and stale and stark. And number four, using visuals to reinforce, enhance these stories is a great idea to do and it really just helps tie it all together even more. And then, finally, we want to end with a call to actions that tie back to our story. This is really important to help create that flow, be very seamless, from learning and engaging with your brand and your products and your service to taking that next step and that next action that you want them to take.

Speaker 1: 17:15

All right, so that's all I have for this week's episode of the e-commerce made easy podcast. We truly appreciate you listening in and learning with us and we absolutely love to hear from you. So if you would love to drop us an email at podcast, at bcsengineeringcom and in your favorite podcast player app, there should be a link there that you can actually text us and you can text Carrie, you can text me and I will see it and I will respond and get back to you. So remember, when you're out there, make sure to share our podcast with other listeners who you think might benefit from it Other business owners. The more we get our word out there, the more we can help more people and we truly appreciate our listeners, you as well as you, spreading our word out to others. That's all I have for you this week and we will see you next week.