We’ve all heard a great story that we undoubtedly haven’t forgotten. Classics like Mother Goose tales or Cinderella have intrigued and stuck in the minds of millions for decades now, all thanks to some great storytelling.  This is exactly how you want to employ your lead generation when it comes to content marketing.  The content that you produce should tell a story that is so engrossing, so intriguing that your blogs, videos, Ebooks and other marketing material become quality pieces of your lead generation strategy. 

The tactics that are used in fictional storytelling is important for three reasons:

  • It builds interest
  • It builds brand recognition
  • It builds trust

Below are some of our top tips that we give to our clients when it comes to storytelling and their content marketing strategy:

Turn your Visitor into a Reader

Your goal is to produce content on your site that will not only keep one-time visitors interested, but that will interest any visitor to the point that they will become a regular “reader” of your content.  That visitor that becomes a “reader” of your blog or website is then a “lead”.

You want to make the reader care, and the best way to do this is to give them content that’s liberating, heartwarming, or “sexy”.  You want to solve their problem.  When you’re reading the content you’re about to put on your blog, or site, ask yourself:  Why would a reader care?  What will make them read this content?  If you can’t come up with good reasons, then it’s back to the drawing board.

Make a Promise Upfront

When it comes to lead generation, you want to make a promise to the visitor and then make sure that you keep that promise.  If the title of your blog or article is about how to use natural products to de-clog a drain, then you better be providing them with the information needed to do so.

TIP:  Download our free Ebook “The Immediate Solution for Lead Generation” for more tips and advice on how you can start turning those visitors into leads NOW.

There are a few different ways that you can really hook your reader in to reading a basic, simple article about relatively straightforward content:

  • Give only a clue of what the reader will get from the material when they read it
  • Begin with the “end” as opposed to the beginning of a story
  • Incorporate characters into your story, and give “real life” scenarios that the reader can relate to

Make ‘em Work for It

Though you’re giving content away for free, you want to make people work for the material.  What I mean by this is:  you want them to do some of the problem solving themselves.  People are naturally inclined to want to solve problems on their own, and so providing them with a few hints or clues in your material to further engage and hook readers in to reading your material, rather than telling them outright what the solution is, will work in your favor.

Your goal is to give the reader just enough information required in order to figure out the solution, and then how they can apply that solution to their own life.  When you give your reader that satisfying “ooh!” or “ah-HA!” moment after reading material, they’ll feel happy, accomplished, and will be left with a positive lasting impression of you and your brand.

Make Sure it’s Share Worthy

Your lead generation techniques should always have somewhat of a focus on just how “share-worthy” your content is. After all, if your content is going to be shared amongst other readers, you’ll be reaching out to even more potential leads than you ever thought possible.

So how do you accomplish this?  Tap into your readers’ emotions.  Create characters or situations that they can relate to and which evoke happiness, sadness, anger, etc.  Then provide useful yet entertaining content that they feel is exciting and worth sharing with their friends and family.

These should all be guidelines that you keep in mind when creating content, but what it should all boil down to is your answer to this question:  Would you read your content in your free time?  Try to be as unbiased as possible when reading your content.  Would you want to share this article?  Does this blog entice you?  Are the videos entertaining enough to watch through from beginning to end?  If your answer is “no”, then your visitors will likely feel the same way.

Key Takeaways:

When it comes to lead generation, content truly is king.  Try incorporating these lessons from fictional storytelling and see how it impacts your marketing strategy:

  • Make your readers care
  • Make a promise of value to your reader, and follow through with it
  • Make your reader’s make use of their natural problem solving skills and hint at a solution rather than immediately providing it outright
  • Create content that is share-worthy

Need Help?

If you’re interested in generating more leads from your website, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis.