The growing importance of digital advertising has caused a tectonic shift in how brands tell stories and their customers consume them. It is no longer enough to explain the benefits of a product or service or bank on the legacy of a brand to drive sales. At every stage of wooing customers and nudging them to start their purchase journey, brands go beyond and create experiences that hit home. 

Storytelling is an essential process that facilitates organic brand-consumer connection with the consumers feeling the nudge to interact more with the brand. On their part, marketers have to ensure that they keep up with the technological innovations in the field. They have to follow the dimensions and technical specifications of the medium they are communicating on and spin their narratives accordingly at every touchpoint. Brands can even indulge in media partnerships, leveraging their unique reach, creative potential and editorial talent.

Here are three ways businesses can elevate their brand storytelling with a result-oriented approach to drive sales and better their RoI.

• Make content the hero

Decades ago, there used to be a winemaker. He toiled hard all day each day, getting better at his craft. Eventually, he got himself a loyal client base. His daughter, who had grown up learning the essential skills and hearing these customers’ stories, was quick to take on the reigns after her father’s death. She took on his legacy and tweaked the branding on all their wine bottles. They now displayed a picture of the father-daughter duo. These bottles were well-loved. They sold out almost instantly, with old and new clients lining up to be a part of their story.

People love stories. Since the dawn of time, stories have propelled communication, bringing people together. The same applies to the brand-consumer connection. For any piece of marketing communication, storytelling-driven content needs to be the hero. While short, meaningful, content-led brand experiences facilitate engagement and conversions, editorial magic makes all the difference.

• Go vertical all the way

As years passed, the charm of the labels wore off. The generation who loved the brand had died, and the one that came after didn’t feel the same connection. The daughter knew she had to up their marketing and create new waves to become popular again. Her son, who was now old enough to help with the business, came up with a digital video-led plan to build their brand. They created several vertical videos showcasing their setup, team and legacy spanning three generations.

Web Stories are the future of branding. They are easy to consume without much effort on the part of the consumer — they don’t even have to tilt the phone! This simple insight is causing major shifts in the video consumption landscape, facilitating higher engagement for stories that are crafted this way. Consumers engaging with Stories spend up to 1.4 minutes with the experience. They engage with it wholeheartedly. On average, 86% of consumers go through the Story content completely, watching, reading, listening and engaging with interactive elements. They love the immersive experience.

• Make meaningful conversations

While Web Stories helped the wine brand build connections, the mother-son duo realised they needed to go beyond telling stories to create experiences that would drive sales. They came across the idea of automated conversations that could help consumers decide on the right wine for them. The brand would ‘talk’ to the customers about the fragrance, taste and ingredients of the wine, recommending what food items to pair it with. Since the process was online with a high degree of ease of use, they saw profit trickle in pretty quickly. Their products were always amazing, they just needed better ways to spread the word.

Conversation Ads help brands talk to their customers in an engaging way, reeling them into knowing more about the products, exploring new ranges and ultimately making a purchase — right from their inbox. They help brands get the critical insights to better their products and build stronger relationships with their customers.

Want to create your own story and build yourself a successful brand like the wine sellers above? Contact Huella Experiences today to learn more about the various ways in which you can walk the path.