We are living in an age of content overload. Smart marketers know this and get busy publicizing their products and services through innovative content on social media.
With lots of businesses sharing different brand messages in a variety of formats, people often don’t pay attention to or retain the marketing messages they see.
This is why storytelling is so effective. According to brand story coach Celinne Da Costa, research shows that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts. Besides, 92% of people prefer ads that feel like a story.
Storytelling is one of the best ways to help people remember your brand’s message. It affects seven areas of the brain and makes the information more memorable. It is certainly the future of marketing.
Stories are easier to identify and recall. They can motivate consumers to take action.
There is no platform better than Facebook if you want to share stories to improve branding and increase customer interactions. With over 2 billion monthly active users, it is the most widely used social platform in the world.
It’s not hard to tell your brand’s story on Facebook. Here are six of the best ways to help you get started:
1. Share Your Brand’s History
Let others know more about your brand. Every business has a story to tell, like when and how it started. Who are the main people behind the business? What problems did it face in the initial days?
People are always interested in watching or reading true stories, so they are a great way to engage your audience.
Have a look at how IBM shared their brand’s story with their Facebook audience back in 2013.
The IBM story educates people about how much technology has changed while sharing their brand’s history at the same time. This example, shows a great way to present your brand in a positive manner to your audience.
2. Leverage The Power of Videos
Telling a captivating story using videos is a great way to reach audiences. Facebook video posts increased by around 94% in 2018 according to Mediakix. Besides standard videos, Facebook live videos are in great demand with approximately one in five being live.
This Apple Christmas commercial is one of the best brand storytelling videos that Apple ran on Facebook.
It got 20 million views on Facebook in the first nine days of its launch.
Another great example is the Google #YearInSearch 2018 campaign that mentioned the top searches from the previous year in the form of a story.
What do both of these stories have in common? The answer is emotions.
Both stories present the power of emotions in an unforgettable manner. They also help viewers see themselves as characters in the stories. Both Apple and Google succeeded in making the audience the hero of their stories.
3. Combine Stories With Data To Get More Engagement
When you combine data with stories, you are actually using data storytelling. It is a method where you add charts, graphs, and real user data to present the story to your target audience. This type of story is personalized and hence, offers the best results.
Here are some ways to share data stories on Facebook:
- Decide which data is important to your audience.
- Create a personalized data story using the user data you already have in your database. You can even research more data or collect feedback from actual customers. Then combine all of that data and filter it to use the best possible sources.
- Present your data in the form of images or videos.
- Simplify your data to make it easier for your prospects to consume.
4. Collaborate With An Influencer
One of the easiest ways to expand the reach of your brand’s story on Facebook is by collaborating with an influencer.
Communities such as NeoReach, influence.co and Hoop.la can help you discover the best Facebook influencers within your budget. You can build your profile on their platform and influencers will contact you directly according to your set criteria such as follower count or budget.
When influencers share your story, people take it more seriously because content from a person they follow is more trustworthy.
[See related article: 3 Things Instagram Influencers Can Teach You About Building A Large Following]
5. Use Newsjacking (But Stay Away From Negative Publicity)
Newsjacking is the practice of sharing stories about recent news events in order to amplify your branding and reach.
To use this tactic, you can track trending hashtags and craft stories around them. You need to be highly creative and fast. The entire idea of newsjacking is to get the attention of the media.
Create a story based on a recent news event and share it on your social profiles for journalists to discover. If you are too late sharing your story, you will lose your chances of receiving citations or links.
[See related post: Why Newsjacking Is The New Black?]
Also, make sure you stay away from negative stories because they can do more harm than good. Know your audience, be quick, add humor in a positive way, or support a social cause.
6. Use Facebook Marketing Tools
Tools can help make your tasks easier. They can help you create faster and better professional stories and share them in a systematic manner.
You can use a variety of Facebook marketing tools to reach your customers more effectively. There are tools that let you schedule your posts at specific times of day and measure the overall ROI from your social media campaigns.
Measurement is an important aspect of marketing. Unless you know where you stand, you won’t know how to make improvements.
When you use the right analytics tools, you can find out which stories resonate most with your audience. You can then implement those insights to create more compelling stories.
Final Thoughts
Facebook storytelling is an essential marketing strategy that builds stronger and longer lasting relationships with your audience. Your stories must provoke an emotional response because emotions drive actions that leads to sales.
Always remember that storytelling is science. You must understand what kind of messages activate the seven areas of the brain and use them in your stories. Personal and emotionally compelling stories are always better instead of simply stating the facts.
You can use the strategies above to craft Facebook stories that connect with your ideal audience.
[Main Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels; other images, videos, infographics or screen prints are from their respective websites and/or social platforms]
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is the co-founder of Attrock, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.