Stories have always been a part of B2B marketing and selling. Sales letters, case studies, staff bios, etc. all rely on storytelling.
Marketers and communicators have been gung-ho about storytelling in the last few years. It can feel like everyone’s simply jumping on the trend (and many are), but it’s actually nice to get back to the basics.
Storytelling may be a buzzword, but it’s not a gimmick. And after the buzz inevitably dies down, we’ll still be telling stories.
The danger is in forcing it. Effective content marketing is about providing your audience with the information they need, when they need it, and in the right format.
For each content piece you create, ask yourself:
What does my audience need to know right now?
What do they have time for?
Am I telling a story for my sake, or theirs?
Maybe it’s a social post that tells a micro-story. Maybe it’s a series of pieces that tell a long story over time. Maybe it’s a bulleted list of features because a story isn’t all that necessary at the moment.
Let your audience drive your strategy.