Content marketing is a powerful method of driving sales because it directly influences people to take action.
Think of a time you heard a story that created excitement, suspense and surprise. Such a story can influence your emotions, leaving you in anticipation as to what’s going to happen next.
Storytelling is a powerful way of making a point because people are more likely to finish reading to the end, as you know a good story makes you want to know the ending.
A good story is also memorable, meaning even weeks after reading it people will remember the point of the story even if they don’t remember the specific detail.
This is much better than telling facts which firstly are usually very boring and do not engage, and secondly very difficult to remember.
Emotional engagement
The most powerful element of selling through stories is the ability to bypass someone’s conscious mind, dive, straight into the Amigdila and influence their subconscious.
Most people don’t even know what’s hit them when they see a great story, have you watched any well-made adverts which told a compelling story and the next thing you have a desire to go out and buy it?
People are emotional, and make emotional decisions, which they then back up with logic. If you want to sell, you have to get into peoples emotions.
Central message
When writing your content, it’s important to have a central message before you begin, what are you aiming to achieve from your content?
The structure of your story will be based on this central message.
The central message should help to solve your customer’s problems. Business is about sales, and your customers have problems holding them back from achieving their goals, give them information that will help them move forward.
Build Conflict
A great story will engage all of the emotions, and conflict is a great method of supporting this.
Conflict builds emotion and suspense in the reader, firing up emotions and engagement which will help drive them to take action.
The conflict in the story also allows you to create a hero, how will the conflict be resolved?
Outcome
Your story should finish with an outcome because you want to give the reader everything they need to take the next step.
Your story can either drive them to buy your product, support your charity or schedule a call.
