Do you know what you're talking about when you tell a brand story?

A popular word in English content marketing is called story telling, which is "storytelling." This translation is really out of place in the Chinese language because it can cause an improper association in one's mind, the most common one being:

Tell a story?

In our impression, the story is a child adults coax children the most commonly used weapons, including the little girl was the blame uncle tricked the tragedy. So storytelling, in the minds of our Chinese people, is a little bit younger and contains a certain amount of false ingredients.

I mean, you can't just translate story telling into "storytelling."

Content Marketing-Storytelling

So, how should story telling translate such a difficult thing, I can not do it for the time being. But I can break down the meaning of the so-called "storytelling", as follows (I still translate story telling into storytelling before I find a better translator for the time being):

The so-called story-telling is not a story-making, but rather a personal experience of things, and what they want to do, as well as their own ideas and visions, expressed in a way that everyone loved.

Why tell a story?

Frankly speaking, storytelling is a kind of self-expression.

Why do you want to express it? Imagine a person at a party without a word, do not communicate with others, indifferent to others, this person will certainly suffer from the cold, no one would like to speak to him. Because he had isolated himself, the outside world could not be connected to him.

On the contrary, those who are willing to express themselves can at least understand him, and a part of like-minded people will communicate with him further. Chat, continue to do business and even friends, anyway, the opportunity for development may be many.

So, a company or an individual, the meaning of the expression is to be found, understood, be established in contact, be built up trust, be cooperative and win mutual benefit.

After building contacts and trust, of course, it will start to develop. A group of people mixed together in the original intention is to exchange resources, including emotional and material resources. The company's "no profit to Die" institutions, of course, will be more hungry to find cooperation opportunities and ways of cooperation.

That's the meaning of the story, the meaning of storytelling: being discovered-being understood-building relationships-building trust-exchanging resources. No story, no chance of being found.

What are we talking about when we tell a story?

Storytelling is an expression, so what is to be said? The general story has the following categories:

1, the Big brand Story

It's the kind of story that comes along, usually a comprehensive brand story that records the history of the business from the start to the present. Chanel's brand story is well worth the reference, divided into 12 chapters, in the current official online video broadcast form. In this story, the founder's personality, events, these two things are the protagonist. For example, the founder is the beginning of what faith to start this enterprise, logo is how to design, product main color reason, where opened the nth shop, etc., the whole story is a milestone in tandem.

2, the dissemination of the story

Some companies do not have a long history of Chanel, there is no story to talk about it? Old enterprises have the FA, new enterprises and products can also have a very perfect story, it depends on how you cut. For example, the story of the Orange is a typical example. To Kingkian legendary life as a clue, plus ten years to wear a sword of perseverance, many people first was touched by this story, as to how the orange taste, of course, to buy a box to taste to know. As to how long such a story can be circulated, no one can be conclusive.

3, Style-shaping story

Some stories are to shape their own style, take the differentiated route. People think of the brand as soon as they think of a certain style. For example, Chinese liquor is divided into many kinds, different liquor brands will have different characteristics. Yanghe is the taste of cotton soft, ancient well is the taste of the year, the seeds are soft taste, the hole is the taste of the cellar, driving is the ecological flavor, the taste of sesame incense, you can think of the brand has a unique flavor, taste experience clearer brand its development is often the better.

4, Corners's little story

Some stories will start with small details, very fragmented, but can achieve corners effect. People can feel your corporate image when they see this detail. For example, Google's logo change story, not a big change, but the "Google" in the letter "G" moved up a pixel, the letter "L" moved down a pixel. The story began with the headline "99.9% of people have not found the change." I do not know which Goblin can see, this is the naked eye cannot identify, Google told the story, is to show a very meticulous, the image of excellence.

Why tell some personal stories?

Some industry celebrities such as Zhu Weikun, Lou, not only publish their authoritative articles, but also release some fragments of life. For example, what kind of dinner today, recently read what book, the child was born, with which Daniel Eat and so on. The article can set up an expert image, but to send some life chores in the end is why?

Some people will interpret this behavior as narcissistic, arrogant, self-styled, high-profile, loaded ... In fact, those who have these ideas must not be their real users. Real users not only want resources and knowledge from them, but they also care about their personal dynamics and daily life. Because in addition to study, they also value this relationship. This relationship, if transferred to the brand, is called loyalty.

Individuals can also form their own brand, as the micro-trust platform said, and then small individuals, also have their own brand. But the personal brand and the enterprise brand compared, more humane, interactive way more flexible. The individual walks is the social route, pays attention to the interaction, the enterprise walks is the media route, pays attention to expresses and spreads.

Those who share their life information in the circle of friends are the people who really understand the internet thinking, because they have successfully moved their normal life to the Internet, creating a brand image online. What businesses should learn is their "tell stories anytime and anywhere" model, nourish your circle with continuous stories, and allow your users to feel your presence all the time. Unconsciously, your image will be imperceptibly into the user's mind. When you suddenly stop releasing content, there's a question on their heads: What's going on?

Food can be eaten indiscriminately, the story can not be confused

To say the wrong thing can be big or small. It's hard for a man to be a good talker, but a celebrity may be disgraced by a bad word. When we tell a story, the way we express it is wrong or express something that we should not express, it may make the brand image fall into a mess. For example, there are two typos in the 10-word propaganda slogan of a cultural institution, which can be a big joke.

The story can not be disorderly to talk about the meaning, in addition to the control of their own initiative to release, but also to avoid leaving others to tell you the story of the handle. Each kind of enterprise behavior is an expression, both active expression and passive expression. Passive expression you can't completely control passive expression, but you have to have positive guidance.

For example, when the Wenchuan earthquake, the Grand Vanke Empire donated only 500,000, the behavior of the public outrage, of course, the national curse sound. This kind of scold sound is negative passive expression, can seriously damage the corporate image. Donations too little is a negative expression of the introduction, if the beginning of a more generous, is a positive guidance, even if there is no praise, at least will not attract scold.

Storytelling is the accumulation of brand equity

A viral video may go crazy across the planet, and someone or a brand might be able to take advantage of it. But if you can't maintain this red-hot state, it will soon cool down and be short-lived. Storytelling should be like advertising bombing, not seeking vigorous, but must continue, perseverance.

Brain Platinum, Gado advertising is also after years of continuous bombardment to hit our minds. The benefit of storytelling, by contrast, is that it comes with more value and is easier for users to accept. And the story is through the accumulation of the thickness of people have a subtle impact, advertising is a barbaric brainwashing. Through a long time, different forms of story accumulation, brand image will quietly in the user's mind formed. So the story is a brand asset. Telling a story is like sowing a seed for yourself.

The internet has broken the limit of time and space, many channels, rich form, long preservation time, for storytelling provides a great convenience. So, you do not hang yourself to the Internet, almost equal to suicide, this may be the big guys said "the Internet is accelerating the elimination of traditional enterprises" bar. In fact, traditional enterprises will not necessarily be eliminated, the elimination of those on the Internet can not find any traces of enterprises. The story has to continue to speak to have your survival position.