Storytelling is one of the most widely used ways for brands to connect with consumers today. We’ve seen everything from Coca-Cola’s tender stories about Christmas and family joy, to Save Ralph’s thoughtful message about cosmetics testing on animals. However, you should know that there are storytelling rules.
That’s right; certain parameters contribute to a story’s success when we want to convey a brand message. Whether you are an advertiser, copywriter, or marketer, if you are looking for new ideas and in your head thoughts such as “how to write my essay for me free that will impact my audience,” this article is for you. Read on and learn the rules of storytelling!
Table of Contents
1. Create a new perspective
There are several rules for building a powerful story. The first one is that what you are going to tell has to be a departure from what it really is. What does that mean? It must create a new perspective in the audience. For example, a story revolves around war, but the central message is willpower. Or a journey through a teacher’s day, with the final learning being to appreciate the beauty of life.
The authors indicated that perhaps this is the most complicated rule since it involves questioning our own attitudes that we see reflected. And sometimes, the answers or conclusions we obtain after this analysis are unpleasant. However, you must be clear about one thing: written, and book storytelling can be analyzed more closely than one presented on TV or advertising. In the latter case, the message and moral should not be too difficult to interpret.
For this not to happen to you, it is necessary that:
- There is a clear scenario.
- People can identify at some level with the protagonist’s story. Write about common events, but transferred to another context.
There is coherence in the transformation of the character. It is difficult to empathize with a character who turns from bad to good overnight. There must be a path and lessons to be learned that people can identify with.
2. Write identity-based stories
Establishing a relationship between the audience and the storyteller is very important, and there is another rule of storytelling. How to achieve instant empathy? By conveying values and beliefs under a personal persona. This technique is very powerful and has been seen in speeches such as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher or activist leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Make sure you know who exactly you are talking to and take some time to research this prototype person: what does he do, what does he like, what does he dislike, what are his main problems, dreams, and desires, how does he speak? With this information, you can shape your story to create a deeper connection with a specific group.
3. Be true to your experiences
There is a difference between watching a storytime on TikTok and listening to a celebrity talk about a global issue. The person in the storytime is likely to catch the attention of Internet users more quickly because of how they relate to an experience of their own. Perhaps they are very detailed or enrich their story with images or annotations. This is the difference between telling something you have lived in flesh and blood and something you can tell without depth.
Therefore, it is always better to tell stories that you have experienced yourself. If not, talk to people who have been through something similar to get a deeper understanding. In addition to these storytelling rules, it is recommended that to make stories more believable, you should:
- Pay attention to details: therein lies what is striking.
- Link some elements with others. There should be a cause and consequence for everything that happens.
- If possible, write different points of view. It does not necessarily have to be included in the main narrative, but it will help you think about how each character would really act in a given situation.
4. Highlight the challenging
Another rule of storytelling has to do with giving people that bit of excitement. According to the basic narrative structure of the hero’s journey, several turning points in the story represent challenges for the protagonist. For example, the first call to adventure, the trials after crossing the threshold, and the final big challenge.
If you want to use storytelling for your brand, your character’s difficulties can be those pain points for your audience. If you want to tell the story of a person’s life change, as part of a personal trainer promotion, for example, the challenges would be the main conflicts of your potential customers: lack of time and discipline, low motivation, unsuitable exercises, among others. It is important to highlight the challenges to generate empathy.
People should see themselves reflected on the screen and think, “it happens to me” or “I know someone to whom this happened.”
5. Establish a connection through simplicity
If you are writing a story for a brand to convey a message through storytelling, know this: you have just three seconds to grab attention. Nowadays, we are exposed to many stimuli, so we receive an impressive amount of information every second. And if something is not to our liking, we simply change the channel, swipe or leave the page.
This means you shouldn’t create a story that’s too complicated to understand. In fact, keeping it simple is one of the most important storytelling rules. First, focus on making your script understandable quickly and correctly. Then you can add details, but always be careful not to alter other important facts or events.
Storytelling is one of the deepest and most effective ways to deliver messages to a specific audience. Not only can you generate empathy through a common situation, but it also increases the probability of interaction and a positive feeling toward the brand. What are you waiting for to try this technique? Use the storytelling rules described in this article to enhance your stories.
