Why storytelling is the salt you need in your copywriting
Storytelling has been part of our lives since the dawn of time – but how do we incorporate it into our modern-day texts?
An old Transylvanian folktale tells the story of a king who demands his three daughters to answer the question of how much they love him? The first daughter answers that she loves him like honey, the second one answers that she loves him as sugar, but the little one answers that she loves him as salt in any food. The king struck by this answer, sends her away, just to recognize at the end of the story – after eating all his food without salt – that the little princess gave him the loveliest answer and that he was wrong the entire time.
Through copywriting many times you end up being like the king in our story above: your content has honey&sugar, but you still feel that something is missing. You might not notice it, but your readers will. and they will not refill their plates.
So how can you prevent this failure mistake and write the most creative, authentic, and incentivizing content you’ve ever dreamed of?
Storytelling may be the salt you are looking for.
As the bestseller business author Annette Simmons underlines: Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins and this could not be more true for such a competitive industry as the one of copywriting. Storytelling brings opportunity, but also a responsibility to the table and lets you present your goals in a way that truly relates to your readers, who ultimately become your customers.
Storytelling makes the content real
Send me one more ad about that brand new apartment which has a perfect design and I will as always press delete. However, if you describe to me how my Christmas tree will easily fit in the living room and how I will share the loveliest dinner with my friends and family under its cozy lights, I may give a thought to it. After all, in how many apartments you can easily fit a Christmas tree?
Storytelling transforms properties and facts into reality, thus becoming the show don’t tell of copywriting. Show how your business, product or service exists in the real world and how it can change even a little bit the life of your potential customers.
A good story can be the perfect way to do this.
Storytelling sparks a human connection
People do not buy products just for the sake of their properties, but for the feelings and sensations, those products could bring to them. Stories spark human connection through emotions – a key element of any human behavior.
The better the story, the deeper the connection you will create with your reader.
Let your readers feel important, acknowledged and seen. Wrap your content in such stories, which will make your reader feel alive and eager to buy your products or services.
Storytelling brings originality
As the digital marketing pioneer, Ann Handley, emphasizes in her best-selling books about copywriting and marketing: tell the story only you can tell.
What makes your product or service different? Why is it interesting? How does it matter?
Storytelling could be a useful tool for bringing originality into your copywriting. There may be 50 other companies selling what you want to sell, but you still have your unique story.
Find that story and stand out from the crowd.
Storytelling drives focus
– by Barry Schwartz, showed the world how being bombarded with all this data and information makes people feel utterly lost.
A need for focus is more acute than ever before and storytelling could be the mean of achieving this goal in your copywriting.
If you stand out of the crowd through your content, you, therefore, drive your readers’ focus towards your products and services. Create those stories that make customers recognize you effortlessly and they may even thank you for saving them the time.
Storytelling makes the content real, connected, original and your readers focused. This way it becomes the salt you need in your copywriting.
However, do not forget that storytelling, just like salt, is an ingredient and not the meal itself.
Your goal through copywriting is not just to entertain, but to make a call to action: transforming your readers into customers.
Conclusions
When it comes to storytelling, there’s no shortcut – creativity, time and a pinch of salt is what you need to make your texts stand out from the crowd.
If you want amazing stories for your blog, website or social media platforms, let’s have a chat.
Article by Adriana Cozanu
