The Importance of Social Media to Tell Your Story

In today’s society, we are bombarded with information every single day, and that can make the world a difficult place for your company, your product, or your service to stand out. The age of reaching your consumers through “traditional” advertising strategies is over. Today, social media is a critical component to establishing brand identity. Customers’ expectations are rapidly changing and how we deliver our brand experiences must follow suit.

Our brains are wired to relate to and remember stories, not data. A compelling story that can be empathized with is likely to grab our attention despite everything else going on around us. The most successful companies are often the best storytellers and storytelling is an essential tool for developing brand awareness and consumer satisfaction. With over 2 billion people actively using social media, what better place to have your story heard?

In order to entice your audience, your brand story must be compelling. A compelling story should educate, inform and/or entertain your audience. Young companies are fortunate enough to build their entire brand empire in a digital world however, more established brands with previously reputable identities can still use social media to tell the stories of their values, goals or important advances within the structure of the company. Brand stories have a huge influence on the overall experience that your customers partake in.

Humans develop connections to the brands they are loyal to, so it is important to reach your audience on an emotional level. Consumers trust companies they can identify with and therefore, some of the most effective stories are broad and applicable to large numbers of people. A best practice for customer retention is to place your product in the center of a generally relatable scenario that includes a life improving outcome. When you develop a personal connection with your customer, they become 55% more likely to recommend your product to a loved one and are likely to spend 10 times more with your business.

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” This phrase could not ring any truer when discussing the art of leveraging social media platforms for storytelling. You can use social media to take your audience on a visual journey of your product or service by incorporating appealing imagery and lifestyle photos of your product in use to attract engagement from your consumers. We recommend using original photos as opposed to stock photos as storytelling can be more effective when it is personalized.

Another great practice for audience engagement is ensuring that your customers feel like they’ve contributed to your brand structure. Encourage your audience to share their own stories of how your product or service touched their lives personally. Let them know their business is valued and appreciated on a personal level by reaching out to them one-on-one and asking them for constructive input on how you can better serve them.

For additional information, you can register for our PR & Social Media Master Class for expert advice on how to use social media to amplify your story’s reach.

What are some of your tried and true methods of reaching your audience? Reach out to us on Twitter at @CasterComm or on Facebook and let us know!