The beauty of copywriting is demonstrated here through the use of just three words.
“Smoking causes cancer”, we hear all the time, but most people don’t make efforts to quit smoking until the cancer is detected. So in a way, cancer cures smoking.
When it comes to securing a place in the minds of customers, the power of words are often overlooked by brands. But think about this. When was the last time you sat and read a 2000 word article going on and on about the scientific/health benefits of a product? In the fast paced world today, neither do we have the time nor attention span to read all of this. Brands are forced to capture our attention in a few words or lines that get stuck in our minds in an instant.
As this becomes a necessity, it is no more about simply writing content that appeals to bots or search engines. The focus is on how creatively you can convey an idea so that real people are motivated to read about and understand your product. This is where storytelling comes in.
Creative writing and storytelling set brands apart in three significant ways.
Communicating the brand’s human value
Once you create a brand it’s important to find its core value. What human value are you trying to capture? Is it nostalgia? Homeliness? Friendship? Talking about human values change the audience’s opinions or behavior. Research shows that people are wired to feel things for other people, not for abstractions. Creative writing can harness the right emotion and make people curious about your brand.
A story cannot have multiple endings. Similarly, a brand cannot have multiple core values. Everything your brand stands for must in fact be captured in one simple line. Core messages remind people of what’s important. Creative writing weeds out the least important ideas and exposes the single most powerful idea that defines a brand.
It’s hard to forget proverbs you learned or folk tales you heard when you were younger. It’s because they are made to convey a message or an idea in the most simple yet creative way possible. It is possible to channel this into building brand value as well.
Converting prospects into customers
Now that you have people’s attention, you need to get them to act, support and follow your brand. How do we do this? We tell stories. Don’t we all mentally rehearse a situation before encountering it in the physical environment? Stories act similarly. Hearing stories acts as a kind of mental flight simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively.
Stories inspire trust and relatability. We don't question how Superman can fly; we root for him to win. Brand values should therefore be converted into a story and communicated consistently on websites, social media and all outward facing material. Good copywriting makes this possible.
Reiterating the story and promoting brand loyalty
Once you catch the curious eye of the audience, retaining their loyalty is the next challenge. Brand values need to be reiterated but repeating the same story would make you the boring friend that no one listens to again! Writers could reinforce the brand values through different story vehicles like client success stories, use cases, and more ways to use the product or services. They have a canvas of possibilities upon which they can imagine multiple variations of the brand story.
Writers: Silent, lonely yet powerful
An emerging marketing trend centered on storytelling has opened the way for digital content that places emphasis on engaging writing. Creative writers are masters of the written word. They have a voracious desire for language (among other things). They understand how phrases and language elements may be used to propel a company and its brand forward.
Finally, creative storytelling is not just about telling any story. It’s about which story to tell where and at what time. Thus, writers are little prophets who can sense what would work with which audience at a given place and time. A storyteller can be an asset to have on board if you have a powerful idea to sell.
So if you’re looking to transform your brand, now you know who to look for.
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