B2B brands are often criticised for their lack of humanity, and even 87% of the marketers representing them say they struggle with creating content that is human, helpful and handy. Recently the role of B2B content has been sharply brought into focus with Forrester Research’s VP and Principal Analyst, Laura Ramos, stating that the content produced by business-to-business brands as part of their marketing campaigns simply does not engage audiences or deliver value. However, we say times are changing, and with video storytelling becoming an integral part of strategy, B2B brands are leading the way with video experiences that really do spark interest and attract the customers they are looking to interact with.

Why video stories matter

From a very early age, we humans have enjoyed a story or two, with the process making us hardwired to respond to and even think in stories as we grow older. Video storytelling in particular is a powerful way to tap into people’s emotions, with the visual element of the experience so immediately impactful and then readily memorable in the mind’s eye of viewers.

2018 is the year of visual content marketing, and a large proportion of marketers – 37% to be exact – consider visual marketing the most important form of content for businesses, second only to blogging, according to the Social Media Marketing Industry Report compiled by Social Media Examiner. Images aside however, the role of video is becoming more and more focused, and it is expected that video content will represent 80% of all global internet traffic this year. It is a well-known fact that four times as many consumers prefer to watch a video about a product than read about it, and business audiences rate videos too making them a highly effective B2B marketing tactic for raising your profile both on site and off. Even more traditional, tried and tested methods like email marketing are being influenced by video, with the mere mention of the word in an email subject line proven to boost open rates by 19% and click-through rates by 65%.

Humanising content for your audience

So people love stories, and their ability to identify themselves in a story is one thing that both B2C and B2B brands are getting rather good at. The human element is integral to B2B storytelling, and where images and words can take time to digest, video has a way of representing the essence of a story in a shorter period of time. Whilst many B2B brands are hitting the nail on the head when it comes to humanising their content for maximum engagement with their audiences, creating a video that makes your story come alive and connect isn’t an easy job.

During her recent appearance at Vidyard’s Viewtopia conference, Laura Ramos highlighted four principles that no B2B video experience should be without. Empathy, emotion, trust and engagement of the senses are the keys to success of a video story, with Ramos comparing the trust that viewers have in friends, family and peers to the impact of a great B2B video.

B2B brands who have perfected the art of video

Looking for inspiration for your B2B video storytelling campaign? The following are prime examples of B2B video storytelling at its best and how the four key principles mentioned previously can be incorporated successfully…

Schneider Electric’s Llama Superstar – A joyous mixture of humour and empowerment, Schneider Electric’s Llama Superstar is an excellent example of the funny side of emotional storytelling.

Adobe’s Click, Baby, Click – Another video funny, this time to raise awareness for the marketing capabilities of Adobe’s cloud product. Their Click, Baby, Click is another story that cements the importance of humour in B2B video storytelling, and the senses are well and truly engaged in this short but sweet narrative.

Salesforce’s Barclays’ Success Story – Putting the human into video storytelling is more than just portraying a case study to highlight the value that a product or service can have on a business. Here Salesforce puts the story and its human challenges first and their product second to instil trust and empathy.

Whilst there’s no doubt everyone has a story or two to tell, finding your brand story and developing a powerful strategy to share it with your target audience isn’t always easy. In today’s fast paced world, word of mouth matters and storytelling has become an excellent way to cultivate curiosity and get the people who matter talking about the brands and associated products or services that they love or admire.

Just like with any marketing approach however there are several storytelling no-nos that every business and fellow marketer should avoid, and in this article we’ll delve deeper into these storytelling mistakes and give you the advice you need to correct them so your story can continue and more importantly result in a happy ending for your business.

Bending the truth

There is a big difference between telling a story and merely listing a string of events. We spend lots of time researching brand stories to make sure that we are using authentic material in marketing communications. In some cases clients tell us that their true stories may not be as exciting as creating a story. This is never the case, and we never advocate bending the truth.   Fabrication, or telling lies, even little white ones, is definitely a storytelling mistake that should be avoided. Building trust with your target audience is just one advantage of authentic storytelling, and by telling half truths or untruths in your campaign you will certainly break that trust.

This rather risqué Super Bowl advertisement for Skechers Shape-ups featuring Kim Kardashian is just one instance where bending the truth hasn’t worked in the company’s favour. As a result of claiming that their product burned calories and toned thighs, Skechers was fined $40 million by the Federal Trade Commission and suffered a blow to their customer base in regards to loyalty.

Using clichés as brand stories

Clichés, like boy meets girl, the pair fall in love, break up then boy wins girl back, are played out time and time again on the silver screen. Often these films become high grossing blockbusters, but when it comes to brand storytelling, the same tired plot lines can have the opposite effect. To avoid this storytelling mistake ensure that the subject of your story is unique and meaningful.

Despite being six years old now, TOMS’ One for One campaign is certainly one that resonates in the mind as a unique and meaningful story. As well as offering an insight into how TOMS Shoes began – Founder Blake Mycoskie started TOMS after travelling in South America and witnessing the hardships of children growing up without shoes – the company’s pledge to deliver a good product from a brand that has good values is more important than ever to consumers. At last count, thanks to their ethos for helping people in need, TOMS has been responsible for giving over 50 million pairs of shoes to impoverished children, restoring the eyesight of some 360,000 individuals and securing more than 250,000 weeks of safe water across six countries. Find your authentic stories and tell them, and they will never get tired.

Being controversial for no good reason

While some companies, and individuals for that matter, make a living out of being controversial, as a rule of thumb if the story you want to tell is overly controversial, unnecessary or unpopular for no good reason then is there really a market for it? Political and social topics that aren’t linked to your industry sector or don’t correlate to your wider brand story, or the products or services at its core, should in the most part be avoided, instead focus on the art of telling a story that shows your business’ true character.

As we’ve mentioned in many of our other blogs, storytelling isn’t just an influential marketing strategy for the B2C market, there are a number of great B2B examples out there. B2B businesses are in fact at the cutting edge of the brand storytelling movement, and have been for some time. B2B businesses in particular have long been mastering the art of being controversial whilst maximising their marketing assets.

Internet security and antivirus specialist Norton’s The Most Dangerous Town on the Internet is an excellent example of how exploring cutting edge subjects, like the very thing they are protecting their customers against, can be used to highlight the importance of bulletproof hosting for businesses across all industry sectors. The documentary takes viewers to Ramnicu Valcea, a picturesque town in the centre of Romania, to uncover a dark secret. Known as ‘Hackerville’, the town is the haunt of some of the highest profile cyber terrorists on the planet. Offering an insight into a truly frightening reality, the film certainly portrays several reasons why you should beef up your cybersecurity, particularly for the larger corporations and governments that make themselves prime targets for these prolific hackers.

Ultimately, creating authentic stories around the things that really matter to your customers is where businesses benefit from the power of storytelling.

A great brand story is a beautiful thing. As well as letting your customers into the heart of your business, a brand story has the power to forge long lasting connections and, as a result, promote even better engagement. Brand stories are what consumers want. According to recent research eight out of 10 people want brands to tell stories. Great news, right? What’s not so great is that the same study found that 85% couldn’t recall a great brand story, which in our eyes is a real problem…

Brand storytelling is a marketing method called upon by B2B and B2C brands alike, and for good reason. Brand stories unlock numerous advantages, far beyond the ones we’ve touched on above. Keeping the standard of each story you so lovingly create and share high however is important. Here we reveal 10 top tips for better storytelling so you can tell brand stories that people will truly love and engage with.

1. Get to know your audience

Have a great idea for a brand story? Telling and sharing it shouldn’t be where your storytelling journey begins. Like any marketing activity, your strategy should start with market research. After all, how can you tell your story effectively without considering what your audience really wants. In-depth market research counts for a lot. In fact, the more detailed you get, the better your story is likely to be received and shared even further afield.

Establishing what your audience wants from not just your story but in their daily lives is an excellent conversation to have. Finding out how they consume media and what scenarios they relate to most will also ensure your story is shared with maximum engagement in mind.

2. Better yet, tell it from your customer’s point of view

Looking through the eyes of customers isn’t just a matter of identifying the write words, format and distribution channels to make the most of your brand story. Actually telling your brand story from the point of view of your customer is another route to better brand storytelling. Known as customer stories, the importance of transforming your story to their story is a tactic used by many modern day, big name brands. In addition to concentrating on what your customer will get out of your story, making them the star of the show can increase loyalty throughout the rest of your customer base.

Many brands are in fact utilising user-generated content to increase the truthfulness of their stories. According to Stackla, 60% of consumers see user-generated brand stories as the most authentic form of content. Putting your audience first, in more ways than one, means you can easily identify and demonstrate what an important role you play in their story.

3. Follow traditional storytelling conventions

Whilst the subject matter of your brand story will be far from traditional, and instead give a unique, interesting and inspiring insight into your brand, the structure of your story should follow certain conventions. Us humans are creatures of habit, which makes giving your story a beginning, middle and end predictable but important. An overcomplicated story structure will only cause confusion and make disengagement more of a reality.

4. Avoid using jargon

Great brand storytelling counts for nothing if your audience simply doesn’t get it. The language you use throughout your narrative is therefore key, and should not only be adapted to the needs of your specific audience but simplified for better understanding. Speaking their language and avoiding the use of jargon will ensure you find and use an appropriate voice, tone and style that meets your core demographics’ expectations.

5. Remember we’re all human

From speaking a language your audience can understand to keeping it real. Remember you’re telling a story, not pitching your products or services. Keep the human element dead centre of your brand story for a positive and powerful impact. Your brand stories should help you gain trust in your respective marketplace. Show that your brand is human, that’s what audiences love.

6. Embrace the emotional storyline

Emotion is something of a buzzword on the storytelling scene, but there’s a truth behind this hype. Emotion is a key part of the brand story structure. Harvard Business Review reported that connecting emotionally is the best strategy for attracting and retaining customers.

7. Don’t put yourself at the heart of it

As we’ve mentioned in point five of this article, your brand story shouldn’t be a glorified sales pitch. An authentic brand story shouldn’t be telling consumers what to buy, savvy customers will quickly see through this tactic. Instead use your brand story to offer value to your market, giving them an insight into your brand, not just the products or services at the heart of it.

8. Find your own brand hero

Whilst you’ll have your own aspirations to become your audience’s brand hero, there’s nothing wrong with looking to other brands for inspiration. There are lots of exciting and inspiring brand stories out there, tales that help to drive emotion and establish the connections that you want to make with your own audience.

9. Keep it simple

Simplicity is the key to using brand storytelling to gain trust throughout your target market. Don’t make your brand story too elaborate, instead keep its concept as straightforward and easy to understand as possible. The ‘problem, solution, success’ framework is more impactful than a more complex model.

10. Tell the truth warts and all

Gaining the trust and loyalty of your target audience is one of the primary perks of great brand storytelling. It may be tempting to pull a fast one to jazz up a rather lack lustre concept, but remember your audience won’t be fooled and will not appreciate any falsities. Keep it genuine and celebrate your brand’s uniqueness with transparency. Telling the truth, warts and all, will help you on your way to storytelling success.

Need help crafting your brand story? Call 01243 389884 or email hoot@hootmarketing.co.uk to get started.

Storytelling has become a steadfast part of consumer brand marketing, and as a result there are tons of B2C companies that offer prime examples of how to use this thought provoking, discussion evoking tactic to their advantage. Everyone is a natural storyteller and once you’ve found the right tale to tell, there’s simply no stopping your brand from capitalising on this content marketing must.

Whilst storytelling is a proven approach for B2C, for the most part, the B2B community is falling behind, but there is much to learn from consumer brands and indeed the B2B brands that are using storytelling well.

The challenge with B2B marketing

B2B brands have a difficult image to shake off when it comes to their marketing campaigns. A recent study conducted on behalf of AdRoll found that as a whole B2B marketers struggled to engage and even reach early stage buyers. Traditionally, the marketing prowess associated with B2B brands is often seen to be less exciting than the stimulating paths taken by B2C brands, but times are indeed changing.

Whilst storytelling isn’t a route used widely as yet within B2B communications and marketing campaigns, from a digital marketing standpoint, the lines are blurring. The gap between B2B and B2C storytelling in marketing communications is beginning to close, and as a result there is a range of successful B2C and B2B strategy examples that both big and small brands can draw inspiration from.

Not just for consumer brands

Alongside the adoption of B2C specific marketing tactics like programmatic ad buying, PR stunts and data usage, storytelling gives B2B brands the chance to develop and share their personal voice through the telling of a story close to their hearts. The transparent nature of brand stories is what really entices potential customers to want to learn more, whilst a look into the everyday lives of the people behind your business is also a powerful tactic that can translate from B2C storytelling to B2B.

The science of storytelling looks at just how consumers evaluate and respond to brands, using emotion instead of information to drive the decision-making process, and whether they are B2C or B2B customers, it is personal feelings and experiences that win the day. From company history and product development to customer case studies, employee focuses and community involvement, there is plenty of scope to use the power of storytelling in your B2B marketing campaign.

B2B brand story heroes

The B2B brands that are adding storytelling to their content marketing strategies are finding success too, and there is a selection of examples that could offer inspiration for your own campaign. GE’s The Boy Who Beeps is a touching story about a boy who can communicate with machines, a tale that provides a poignant link with the company’s reputation for powering the technology behind businesses. Google Small Business’ The Story of Jacob and City Gym is another story that resonates with B2B buyers, and it’s Jacob’s own journey (we won’t give away any spoilers don’t worry) that inspires an emotional response that you were sure you wouldn’t have watching a video produced by our favourite search engine!

Intel’s IQ Project uses a different approach, focusing on not content production but content curation to engage with B2B buyers across the web. In March alone, the portal – which uses a human element to connect viewers with its technology – clocked up 2.2 million unique views making it a major contender for the coveted title of best B2B storyteller.

The ones to watch from the B2C world

Authentic, impactful and engaging storytelling campaigns are possible for B2B brands, and there are several campaigns that offer masterclasses, some from consumer brands and others from B2B companies. Campaigns like Innocent’s Big Knit, an initiative that gives 10% to charity Age UK, actually makes the audience the hero whilst merging the brand’s commercial aims with their truly authentic social mission, a key example of striking the right storytelling balance.

Another B2C company that is winning on the storytelling front is Dove with their long running Campaign for Real Beauty still producing the most talked about stories 12 years on. Its 2013 video Real Beauty Sketches, which shows women describing their own appearances to a forensic artist, became the most watched ad ever after just one month on YouTube.

Whatever our ages, we all want to be a big kid every now and again, but who would have thought that we’d be encouraged to unleash our inner child when devising a new brand marketing strategy. It is notoriously difficult to write a bestselling children’s book, after all the ‘no-filter’ attitude of our little ones always means we face brutally honest critics whatever the subject of their disapproval.

It’s no secret that storytelling is a leading strategy in the marketing world, but what could the tactics used by children’s book authors tell us about how we should communicate with our own target audiences?

Move quickly or face ruin

In both marketing and children’s book writing you literally have a few seconds to grab the attention of the audience member, because in both respects, everyone has the attention span of a three-year-old! In most cases there is simply no time to introduce a story and its characters, therefore, the narrative must move quickly enough to establish a reality and get the reader/viewer hooked in the process.

Create a shared experience

As in marketing, a children’s book has to work on a great number of levels, and writing a children’s book isn’t just about satisfying the needs of the child but ensuring that the parent enjoys it enough to read it again (and again) and create a shared experience. Your marketing campaign story must be simple enough to understand, yet carry different messages to touch differing members of your customer base.

Leave convention at the door

Whilst traditional storytelling in children’s books still lives on, new authors entering this genre are encouraged to leave conventional styles of creating stories behind.

Convention is not as entertaining as it used to be, and audiences are becoming increasingly sophisticated and ultimately want more from their stories and marketing campaigns. In addition to crafting a great story that moves quickly and creates a shared experience for all who encounter it, just like a children’s book, a marketing or advertising campaign must be visually enthralling or risk falling on deaf ears.

Be a kid and, more importantly, be human

Emotion, honesty and simplicity are three basic factors that should be interwoven into every children’s book and the same principle applies to your marketing and, more specifically, your storytelling efforts. These three qualities are integral to communicating with kids, and by using them to create your own marketing campaign or brand story you can become a timeless classic just like a select number of children’s books are. Think The Cat in the Hat, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Where the Wild Things Are in the world of children’s books, and in marketing, Dove’s decade-long Campaign for Real Beauty and Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke.

Use the power of storytelling to satisfy your audience’s curiosity and stimulate emotions to take them on a journey that they will never forget. Be a big kid, and use every inch of your imagination to create a clear, emotive and compelling storyline that will entertain again and again.

Traditionally the main point of advertising was to promote the business and the products or services that they are looking to sell, but as times change and audiences get smarter and smarter, businesses big and small are having to use different tactics to impress. More and more brands are now opting for forms of advertising that don’t shout or scream their company name.

Known widely as ‘submissive’ or ‘unbranded’ advertising, these insanely clever marketing campaigns have, when well executed, created a cult following that leads potential customers right back to the brand’s door, but is this type of advertising just for the big boys? Here we explore just how successful unbranded advertising is and look at the examples that are putting this marketing trend on the map…

What exactly is submissive advertising?

Submissive or unbranded advertising essentially works on the principle that if you hide it, they will come. ‘It’ being your brand and its products or services, and ‘they’ being your target audience. Submissive advertising is no new thing, but with more of the bigger household names using it to inadvertently promote their wares, it is becoming recognised by smaller and start-up brands too.

Submissive advertising uses messages that do not link to the products or services of specific companies at all, and in the majority of cases, even the name of the brand responsible for creating said ad is omitted entirely. Generally unbranded adverts work by highlighting and solving problems or issues that are related to the brand’s industry or product, or take the goodwill approach to promote purely good advice.

Do campaigns that don’t mention brands really work?

Originally used by businesses in the pharmaceutical sector to raise awareness of certain health issues in an effort to raise sales of their related products, unbranded advertising is being used widely by companies interested in social enterprise. It is however a trend that’s growing in popularity across multiple industries, and whilst it can have untold rewards if executed correctly, an unbranded ad no doubt has its risks. In some circumstances, customers have felt deceived by the unbranded nature of such advertising, but criticism aside, the social media views related to these campaigns offers the ultimate payoff.

Fashion label Wren’s First Kiss campaign, which asked 20 strangers to kiss on camera for the first time, received its fair share of positive and negative reactions but just two months after its launch it garnered more than 100 million views and significant media coverage, including in fashion bible Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times and The Guardian. Good going for a campaign that cost just $1,500 to produce!

Who else is doing it right?

Whilst the point of unbranded content is to not know which brand created it, after some detective work, there are some standout examples that are certain to influence how you create yours. Resource wise, content hubs Fab-Beauty.com and BabyCenter.com have unlikely creators, the first being the brainchild of world leading cosmetics brand L’Oréal and the second being created by baby product manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. The Somers Town trailer also comes to you from Eurostar.

Thinking of using these brand examples to create your own unbranded campaign? Submissive advertising has a number of benefits, and ultimately builds trust between brand and audience, but remember it’s all about quality not quantity. Be as authentic as possible and brand loyalty will surely follow.

Disney is still one of the most profitable movie franchises ever, and whilst there are no doubt some forgotten relics, the majority of the films created by the Disney family not only transcend time but are loved by generation after generation. As a business, capturing just a snippet of the magic will make your brand and its products or services truly timeless and unlock increased revenue for years to come, but what do our favourite classics really teach us about how you should be marketing?

Here we explore the golden rules of storytelling Disney-style so you can not only tell your story but engage with people successfully.

Go back to basics

Think back to all your favourite Disney films, there are no complicated storylines to contend with, and that’s just one of the reasons why they are loved by so many regardless of their age. By stimulating the emotions of the viewer and telling a story that works to satisfy most of the senses, Disney films have captured audiences from across the globe aged from 0 to 100 years!

The language used is also emotive and each Disney film relies on an easy to understand dialogue. The lesson – encourage viewers to feel and see your story and to cry with and love the characters that sit at the heart of it. Keep the story behind your marketing campaign simple and embrace a wider, more enthused audience as a result.

Create a hero and a baddie

This storytelling principle may sound a little clichéd but the role of good versus evil is one that is played out time and time again on the silver screen as well as in the Disney films we know and love. It’s not just Disney that has used this premise to create epic blockbusters, apparently Steve Jobs also liked to picture each of his products in a Star Wars story to better communicate its purpose to his target audience, so if it’s good enough for Apple, why not use the same principle to market your business?

The hero role should also be portrayed, in fact, Pixar coined a saying that you should work to “admire a character for trying more than for their successes”, and that’s a rule that nearly all of their films live by. These hero and baddie roles don’t have to be traditionally played out but, just like Disney, your stories should work to inspire and motivate the people who are watching through their characters.

Live the story

Two things that your story should be are personal and fun, after all if viewers experience the passion you have for your business, then it’s very difficult not to respond with enthusiasm. As well as making your story memorable, the fun factor will separate you from your competitors, whilst adding a personal twist, even to a classic brand story, will show your audience that you are not only telling the story but living it…

Next time you watch your favourite Disney film, you may just realise the marketing potential that its principles bring to your own business, everyone wants a Cinderella story after all!

Telling your brand story is what we’re all about here at Hoot, but with so many new businesses entering the marketplace and so many old ones upping their game with regard to their marketing activities, it certainly pays to stand out by trying a different tack. Storytelling is one marketing route that will always remain strong, and docu-storytelling is transforming the digital landscape as we know it right now.

Here we explore the creative ‘to dos’ that make storytelling through documentaries worth your while and provide examples of the brands that are leading the way so far.

The skinny on docu-storytelling

The drama of real life isn’t wasted on most people, and storytelling through documentaries, or docu-storytelling as we like to refer to it, takes the process of amplifying what your brand is all about to a whole new level. As with traditional storytelling, documentary filmmakers must strive to tell a strong story, one that inspires interest and engagement throughout their target marketplace. Content creation is becoming more and more important alongside advertising, and whilst there are a few technical rules you should adhere to in order to ensure the quality is up there, using docu-storytelling is the perfect opportunity to let your imagination run wild!

Powerful and underused, into the New Year and beyond docu-storytelling will become one trend that just won’t falter when communicating with your target audience and getting your products or services out there to the people who matter the most to your brand. Documentaries as a whole have massive audience appeal and as well as offering a practical way to communicate they also inspire a brand loyalty that just can’t be underestimated.

Share a story worth telling

Whilst a story about the art of hand-painted ads may not necessarily come to mind when promoting an alcoholic beverage, Stella Artois’ Up There campaign is a 13-minute documentary that tells of a “dying craft of large-scale hand painted advertising and the untold story of the painters trying to keep it alive”, and it was a huge success. The campaign may indeed be a few years old but it is a prime example of thinking outside the box to create a documentary subject worth talking about.

Aim to inspire

Thanks to their long running documentary series – its first instalment was unveiled back in 2001 – shoe brand Vans has inspired a generation through creative expression. Their #LIVINGOFFTHEWALL series inspires watchers to think differently and even invites viewers to inspire them with their own stories, creating an audience participation focus underused by many brands.

Don’t be afraid to use humour

Humorous marketing videos are usually a little hit or miss, but Gillette’s Are We Killing The Kiss? takes their brand to the street to offer a hilarious interview style to ultimately answer whether the growth of facial hair is getting in the way of those all-important kisses. This short documentary goes one step further to reveal the issues faced by the women kissing these ‘lazy look’ men.

In short, every brand has a story to tell and using docu-storytelling to share yours is a great way to offer an honest and interesting touch to your marketing strategy, I’m sure your audience can’t wait to hear it!

All too often when we ask a team or a new client ‘what makes you different?’ the answer that comes back is ‘our people’. ‘Our company has great people and we build great relationships with our clients.’

We’ve no doubt that your company has great people and that they build great relationships, but here’s the rub… every company has some great people who get along and look after their clients really well and those companies will tell you their people is what makes them different. So saying it doesn’t actually make you any different from your competitors.

It’s true, people buy from people they like, know and trust and it’s the relationships that we develop that help us build strong companies. But just saying it is not enough. If you want to differentiate your brand and your business that way, then it’s really important to offer some evidence.

That’s where brand stories come in. A good brand story will help you evidence the real life experiences that a client has had with your business. Using a client story that details a particular dilemma or an authentic story of how a client used your product or service in their own world will help you bring to life the real difference you made.

Your people are likely to be the most powerful asset you have so let them tell their stories and help others see the difference you’ve made for your clients.

It’s official we humans now have an attention span that is less than a goldfish!  To spark interest from us you need to grab our attention in 8 seconds or less.  So how can you engage with an audience that is so quick to judge.  Here are 3 marketing tips that might help.

Digital access and channels have changed the way we now research and buy products and services. Customers and prospects form their own opinions and openly share them with others, whether they know them or not. If we like, enjoy, feel inspired or annoyed then we share what we’ve found or experienced, through conversation and social media.

Tip 1: Listen.  Modern marketing is increasingly about listening more, and then creating a two way dialogue with your customers and wider audience.  In order to engage with a goldfish you need to listen to them first and find out what’s important in their world. What are they telling their own audiences and what are they saying about you behind your back?

Get curious about where and what they share and find out the trends; what gets shared a lot?  It could be tips on how to use a product or service or questions on how to.  They might want to find out how others have experienced said product or service and this is where your customers brand stories can be really helpful. Find out where they are participating on line and whether they listen to podcasts, watch videos or tweet. Use tools such as Mention and Hootsuite to help you use social media more effectively.  If you don’t know much about your customers then informally ask them with a survey or try some independent client insight research to get feedback on your behalf. It’s amazing what they’ll tell you if only you’d ask.

Tip 2: Use Visuals.  About 80% of us respond better visually than audibly.  We prefer pictures and watching things, so use images and videos in your marketing.  Infographics are an excellent way of getting slightly complicated information across quickly.  Here’s an example of a good one about beer versus wine, a subject we can all relate to I’m sure:

Tip 3: Use Stories.  None of us like being sold to and we don’t believe dry marketing messages any more.  Humans are hard wired to think in stories. We want to know how others have experienced a product or service and we are more likely to spend time listening to a story than to something we identify as a sales pitch.  Stories help us reach the heart and the emotional states of our audience and this in turn keeps them listening for longer.  We buy from people we like and we like those that tell us good stories.  Here are some great brand storytelling examples

The world is now about engagement marketing so think about what your audience wants and how a goldfish might respond to your message. Plup!