Since the beginning of time, stories have been used to not only entertain but also to teach and even sell. Blogs are a great vehicle for telling stories. If you want to use your blog to sell products or your services, then it’s important to master the art of storytelling.
I got an email from a beginning blogging client the other day – asking if a post was too “silly” to use on the blog. I replied that there is no such thing as content which is “too silly” for a blog post.
There’s no such thing as “too silly for a blog post” advice comes from someone who wronte about condoms and social marketing in which I told how I mistook a brown paper bag filled with condoms for moist towelettes. The moral to the story was how my frame of mind affected my perception of what was inside.
“When people arrive at your blog, website or other advertising material, they already have a conversation going on inside their head. If the conversation on your blog – on your website or in your advertising materials isn’t clear – you might be surprised at how “distorted” you message can get.”
Telling stories is an incredibly effective way to sell more stuff – whatever “stuff” you’re selling because stories can entertain and educate at the same time,
Allstate is currently running a series of amusing commercials which entertain and educate – the story of what your “cut rate” insurance may not cover.
You don’t have Allstate’s media budget to air your amusing and educational stories nationally. There is another more affordable option available and that’s telling these stories on your blog.
Heck – even if you have that kind of advertising budget- your blog is a great place for entertaining and educational stories to live when they’re not burning up the airwaves.
Before you can decide what storiess you need to tell, you first need to decide what information consumers need. Allstate’s commercials are educating conumsers about what might not be covered by your “cut rate” insurance.
What information do you need to communicate to your audience? What do they need to know in order to buy from you?
If you’re competing solely upon price- then telling stories probably isn’t for you, However, if you’re making a Major Sale – consumers want and need as much information as possible before they make a decision. Your blog can tell a hundred variations of your educational and entertaining stories. Those stories may not garner a lot of consumer comments – but they may do something better like contacting you to learn more about how to become YOUR customer,
