Hi Reader,
There is a marketing term that I like that can sound ridiculous if it's not explained well. Sam and I were recently on a discovery call with a shop owner we've worked with many times over the years. These are the calls where we talk about a business owner's current goals and challenges so we can make a strategic plan.
I mentioned "storytelling," and while she didn't quite roll her eyes, I could see that it didn't seem like a priority, so we discussed it a bit further. No one is really googling "storytelling for my Shopify site," but it's a big part of what we do at Aeolidia.
The word "storytelling" can sound fanciful, but it can be quite practical (for example, explaining how your product works is a form of storytelling). This shop owner objected to storytelling because it doesn't have an obvious return on investment. However, the word, not the concept itself, got in the way.
Here are some things that fall under the category of storytelling for a retail brand:
- What separates you from your closest competitor? What would make a customer choose you?
- What is special about your product?
- Who is your shop for? How will they know if your brand is for them?
- How do you create an emotional connection with a customer that will encourage loyalty to your brand?
- How do you communicate your values and reasons for being in a business in a way that will engage people?
- How can you make your online shop feel like your in-store experience or trade show booth?
- How can you make your brand meaningful and irreplaceable to your customer base?
We talked about this, and of course, the shop owner wants to differentiate her brand in a compelling and understandable way. In fact, she mentioned that they have customers who are amazed at everything they get after they sign up for her membership. Her potential customers who haven't yet signed up might not feel that trust and connection or even understand what they are signing up for. That shows me that she has many opportunities to tell her brand's story and explain it better, which will lead to more sales.
Margo Tantau and I recently discussed storytelling for brands on her podcast, Windowsill Chats. You can listen to that episode here.
If you don't think your website answers my list of questions above, let's talk! We have some room left in our schedule this spring, and our website pricing has tiers of complexity meant to fit a range of budgets. Email me back and we can start making a plan.
