subject: The Leverage of A Story [print this page] The Leverage of A Story The Leverage of A Story
Hi guys! Hope life is treating you as it should.
I'm going to make an admission. I don't give a hoot's ass if you think me weird once I spill this secret. But I'm proud to say that this has helped loads in my advertising campaigns.
It is this: I freakin' love a cool story. Whether it be from a good book or in a conversation or in a movie, I want to hear about it. It doesn't matter what genre it is: Action, thriller, suspense, mystery, comedy- spill it and I'm your willing listener.
If you're worth your salt as an Internet marketer, you've got to start learning to love stories. Because once you learn to appreciate them, you're going to be one helluva good storyteller.
Why do I say this? And what does penchant for stories have to do with your life as an online marketer? A lot! In fact, it has everything to do with it.
It was a story told by John E. Kennedy that made Van Camps, a canned beans brand, highly successful. It was another story told by Claude Hopkins that propelled Schlitz beer from number 5 to number 1 in the market then. These advertising pioneers knew the value of a good story: It can attract customers. It can make them buy the product. Every canned bean maker then followed the same process as Van Camps, but it was they who told the story. Every beer maker made their beers as "pure" as everyone else in the industry, but it was Schlitz who told the story.
Those examples may come from long ago, but the concept of telling stories in your advertising still holds true. Out of the many shoemakers in the industry today, what makes your shoes different? Maybe you ought to start telling the story of what goes on in the making of one pair of boots- the intricate handwork involved, the careful hammering of the soles, the meticulous quality check. Most people simply wear shoes but don't know why some are more expensive than others. Maybe that is worth telling a story, and that's a story that only you can tell.
If you sell jewelry online, what makes your collection different? What's the story behind that octagonal-shaped pendant? Why is that particular ring weaved together like a rope? Why do dolphins hang from that bracelet? There's bound to be an interesting tale behind each one.
What's the story behind your product? Tell it. Stories can give you the leverage you need to sell your product.
