The internet has changed the way business is conducted in a lot of ways but the most profound change I think is in just how personal it’s become. The key to getting customers and clients today is in letting people know why you do what you do. Consumers now look for a personal connection to businesses.
The message, the story, the big idea are all vital components of marketing campaigns and a brand’s voice is a key part of the effectiveness of advertising and marketing.
Modern communicators can become modern storytellers by doing 3 things:
- Structure their communications as a story – create communications that have recognizable elements and phases
- Put the story in context for the listener – this means understanding the listener and his or her world. Speak to the things they know (and possibly include the things that frighten them)
- Make the listener the hero – tell stories that enable the listener to imagine themselves as the protagonist, and more importantly to imagine themselves being successful
The great joy about working and communicating in a digital age is that we have the tools to do all of these things well. Digital tools enable us to create stories based on insight from our data. They allow us to reach out into communities to develop that sense of shared experience that is such an important element of traditional story telling. And they allow us to personalize our tales to pull the listener into the heart of the subject.
It is about understanding who the audience is and finding the common connection between what a brand wants to say and what resonates with the listener.
Best of all, a business owner can express their honest views and feelings on a subject and be sure to connect with like minded people the world over. The way business is being conducted thanks to the internet and social media platforms we’re now embarking on an era where honest business will prevail and soon be the norm after decades of corruption and a lack of empathy.
David J. Bembry
Understanding Online Business Technology & Solutions 