The Importance of Telling a Story with your Ads

When coming up with a story for your brand it’s important to think outside the box to create something memorable. Avoid taking the literal approach of just showing what your product or service is, you want to show the consumer how they can integrate your product into their daily lives. Think about who your target audience is and the type of content they would like to see. For example, if your product is geared towards vegans, there’s no point showing them pictures of meat as this isn’t something they’re interested in and creates a negative connotation. 

Being authentic means that more people will relate to your business and are more likely to take action after seeing your advert. Use imagery that is engaging or create a mascot for your business that can be used across different platforms like the monkey on a box of Cocoa Pops. 

Your story should have a beginning, middle, and end by having a problem that needs to be solved. Again, this should be relatable for your target market so that they decide to use your business as opposed to your competitors. Once you have your story you can share it across different platforms including traditional media (billboards) and social media but always ensuring that there is continuity so people can recognise your brand regardless of where they see your ad.

Here are 7 steps to help you build your own story:  

• Do your research beforehand: Who are your target audience and where are they most likely to see your advertising- will it be through online or offline touchpoints? Researching these factors will enable you to create engaging content that your target market are interested in.
• Come up with an engaging story idea: People are bombarded with advertisement and have much shorter attentions spans so you need to tell an engaging story that will hook the customers attention within the first few seconds of seeing it.
• Don’t over promote your business: Over promoting your business can damage your businesses brand identity. Consider when the best times are to promote your business, this will be dependent on your target market and where they are in their stage – are they at work or in full time education?
• Make sure to stay authentic: People are more favourable with brands that are transparent and stay true to their values. Create a narrative that tells the truth and doesn’t overpromise.
• Visualise your brand with key concepts and clear imagery: Create a storyboard to map out your story. This will help you to come up with the key concepts and clear imagery that you need for a successful story.
• Be relatable: Get personal with your customers – your product or service should help to fix your customers problem. Relatable stories are more meaningful and will result in a customer more likely to take further action with your brand, whether this through looking at your social media or website or actually making a purchase from you.
• Close with a Call to Action (CTA) so customers know what to do next: Provide your website, email address and contact number when applicable.

For more information about brand storytelling check out: https://filestage.io/blog/storytelling-techniques-for-brands-ad-campaigns/