Did you know that some of the most successful business owners and copywriters are exceptional storytellers? Advertising executives know this too. Story-telling is one of the most effective ways to influence a prospect.

What is Storytelling?

Storytelling is the tactic of creating an image about your company. Officially, storytelling is “the conveying of events in words, images and sounds often by improvisation or embellishment.”

In the world of marketing, storytelling offers a number of advantages and opportunities.

1. Storytelling establishes a brand. Many of the world’s most popular brands were built on stories. Ford Motor Company for example, was built and still thrives on the story of Henry Ford. Think about the other stories that are connected to brands. They don’t just have to be about the founder of the company either. Many commercials are essentially thirty-second stories. They leave the viewer with an image about the company. This image can help establish or reinforce a brand.

2. Helps readers connect with you. Storytelling is often used in sales copy. It helps the reader connect with you, the sales person. A typical sales page may start out with identifying a problem and promising a solution. Then the copy might move into an “I understand this problem, I’ve experienced it too; this is how I solved it” approach. This is the storytelling aspect of the sales copy. It helps your readers, and potential buyers, identify with you. This establishes trust and liking – two powerful buying triggers.

3. Storytelling helps make a point. Storytelling can be used in content to help make a point. For example, if I told you right now how I used storytelling to sell a product, that would be using storytelling to make a point. I’d be sharing with you how I used storytelling to achieve my goals.

4. Storytelling helps your message go viral. Authenticity has become an important aspect of internet marketing success. When you share personal stories and they have an impact on others, they want to share them. They link to your content, they discuss it on social networking sites and they forward your content to others.

For example, a few years ago a woman sold a $3 deck of cards on eBay for $141 all because she had a hysterical story about the cards. The story went viral and people were bidding on those cards like crazy.

5. Storytelling motivates others to share. When you share your story, particularly on blog posts, others are motivated to share too. Try a little storytelling on your blog and watch your comments soar.

Our lives are made up of stories. They’re what connect us. We have an emotional response. That response can motivate us to share, to connect, and to buy.