We are always looking for new ways to market our organizations or businesses. We try to keep up with the latest technology and newest social media platform in order to stay relevant to our members. This is important, but not as important as going back to the basics of marketing: storytelling. Senior Association Manager, Kristen Metcalf, attended DreamBank Madison’s event with Story First Media where they dove in to the topic telling an effective story.
Storytelling allows you to stay relevant on all current and future platforms. It is the most basic way that people retain information and should be used in all marketing efforts. If you are trying to recruit new members to your organization, create video testimonials of members talking about the different experiences they have had since joining. This is also a great way to attract young professionals. Younger generations are very much experience driven and will be more impacted by hearing these stories.
Although storytelling is effective, we hear story after story each day whether it is in conversation, on a television show, or our favorite podcast. Because of that, less than 1% of stories have an impact on someone. That means you need to go the extra mile with your story and ensure that you are marketing to the correct audience. If you understand your audience, you will be able to evoke more emotion out of them through your story, allowing you to be in the 1% for them that day.
Once you have your audience down, it is important to add some structure to your storytelling method. There should always be some sort of obstacle and solution. Many times, it is easier to work backwards from the solution. If you want people to attend your next conference, tell a story of someone who was looking to build their connections within the industry. Have that person start by explaining why they needed those connections and how it was impacting them. After that, come to the solution of them attending last year’s conference. Have them elaborate on how the conference helped them make connections which in turn helped them in their career.
With the switch to a more storytelling centric marketing plan, keep in mind that your services or benefits cannot define you. Your audience can see on your website that you value your membership, but every competitor is also going to say that they value their members’ membership. What sets you apart is showing and acting rather than simply telling.