1. Approach it with Empathy

Think about some of the most memorable advertisements that you’ve seen. We all have at least one commercial that has stuck with us since we were kids. You may not be using TV advertising, but it’s a helpful outlet to think about in this context. You may have seen the ASPCA commercials that pop up around the holidays. Rather, they pop up more around the holidays. That’s not without reason!

People are generally more empathetic around the holiday season because they’re already in the mindset of giving. This is the perfect time for an organization like the ASPCA to gather new donations (which is their form of lead generation) because people are already actively seeking ways to donate. Plus, cute animals and sad music trigger other emotions, making them even more willing to pick up the phone or visit their website.

As a service professional, you wouldn’t necessarily go to these drastic lengths to empathetically reach your audience. However, you do need to think about what makes you stand out as relatable and sincere. What stories can you tell that would make your audience feel like they know you?

2. A Hero’s Journey

Literature has various methods that they’ve used to tell stories for generations. The more prominent ones are often taught in school. But, it doesn’t end when the books are closed. Advertising uses these tools as well, albeit with a slightly different approach. When you’re mapping out your content, think about the roadblocks that you’ve faced. If your audience sees your story as a hero’s arc, it is equal parts motivating and entertaining. Your own origin story is a great place to start. Going back to your roots and being candid about the obstacles you faced in the beginning makes you more approachable. Some of the most successful influencers have gotten to their positions of power because of their relatability.

3. You’re the Expert

When we talk about content creation, we often discuss how good content can help you establish yourself as an expert in your field. Blogs, YouTube videos, and other formats are amazing ways to do this. These places offer short and long-form platforms for you to share your knowledge and present yourself as a credible resource to your leads.

Let’s say that you have a lead who is an avid reader of your blog. They’re subscribed to your mailing list, never miss a post, and always leave you comments that just make your day. One day, you mention a service that you offer within the blog post. A little self-promo doesn’t hurt anybody! The lead in question then goes to research your service a bit more. Then, they finally take the plunge and decide to work with you. It was an easy decision because they already trusted you based on the actionable information that you provide them every week.

4. Learn About the Platforms

There are so many social media platforms these days. It can get very overwhelming trying to balance them all. But, each one can provide different things in terms of lead generation. For example, a solid base of Instagram followers can help you generate sales directly through links in your Stories. As far as storytelling through content goes, you can create your online persona or voice as someone that is consistent and reliable through anecdotes and relatable feelings or situations. Boosting engagement also works with content storytelling. The audience will feel like they’re involved in the story as they’re interacting with you in your comments section.

Social platforms like Twitter are another great source for short anecdotal content. This could be a place where you can tell stories about your struggles when you first started in business. Naturally, this comes with compliance laws, but you can leave out certain details and still make the stories entertaining and relatable.

Try and map out different ideas that you have. Think about the format that you’d need to tell these stories. Which social channel would help you tell this story in its truest form?

5. What Makes it Shareable?

Certain things will also be more eye-catching online. Memes are incredibly popular. They’re funny, often anecdotal (notice a theme here?) and shareable in nature. It’s so easy to share memes, whether that be in the form of a retweet on Twitter or sharing them to your story on Instagram. Most platforms make posts shareable by simply pressing a button. This is such an easy way to generate leads through content storytelling because when someone reposts it this way, new leads are automatically linked back to your profile. It all comes full circle!

To summarize, the biggest goal in content storytelling is relatability and reliability. Establishing yourself as a standout expert in your niche online can truly be as simple as allowing your audience the opportunity to get to know you. With all that being said… what stories do you have to tell? Let me know your ideas in the comments!