11 April How To Strengthen Engagement on Social Media Through Storytelling April 11, 2023 By sma Marketing, Social Media digital marketing, Facebook, LinkedIn 0 HOW TO STRENGTHEN ENGAGEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGH STORYTELLING April 11, 2023 | Marketing, Social Media | digital marketing, Facebook, LinkedIn By Michael Trimble, NPI, Inc.'s Content Marketing Coordinator Developing a strong social media strategy can sometimes feel like an uphill battle for small business owners. Especially if you don’t have a dedicated employee running your social media, balancing a consistent posting schedule with unique, quality posts can be overwhelming. A strong social media presence takes a lot of effort, and it can be disheartening if all that effort doesn’t result in the online traction that you’re wanting. While every industry and audience will have different needs, one key way that small business owners can take their social media marketing to the next level is through storytelling. Stories are a powerful way to market your business when applied successfully. Let’s take a minute to learn more about the best techniques (and check out a few fabulous examples)! Why Use Storytelling on Social Media? Social media has wildly changed the overall marketing strategy of small businesses. Today, the best way for businesses to get the attention of their target audience is often through interacting with them online. However, online users are inundated with sales pitches online, and they’re less likely to engage with content that they classify as an advertisement. To maximize engagement on your business’s social media page, your content should be relatable and built on trust. Storytelling on social media is a strategy that translates to conveying a specific event or series of connected events in order to relay a specific message. These targeted messages should be pointed towards aspects of the business such as trustworthiness, community-driven outreach, or customer-minded service. For a story to be effective, it has to be rooted in authenticity. According to this study conducted by the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), stories have an impressive staying power in people’s memories. For example, when we think about the power of statistics, hard numbers have a stronger immediate impact on belief, but the effect of stories on people’s beliefs last much longer. With these findings in mind, businesses should look to tell stories in their marketing so their services will have staying power in the minds of their consumers. How To Use Storytelling on Social Media Now that we’ve established the power of stories, you may be wondering how “story-centered” social media posts differ from regular posts. A good place to start with a post based on storytelling is through a long-form post. Facebook posts don’t have a limit on word count, so business owners aren’t limited on this channel like with other platforms. Our franchisees in Fort Wayne, Indiana, did a great job with this recent charitable giving campaign in honor of Memorial Day. In this post, one of their core traits as a veteran-owned business who gives back to their community is reinforced. In addition, the powerful story they share is sure to have substantial staying-power with their audience. Another NPI franchisee that has a talent for a different type of storytelling is from NPI Sioux Empire. In this video, owner Brian Shabino captures his audience’s attention and tells a hilarious story that’s happening in real time. With humorous anecdotes like these, business owners can humanize themselves and show their relatability. We also already know that videos are great for social media marketing, so this piece of short-form content can pull a lot of weight in Brian’s online marketing strategy. To learn more about social media marketing, stick right here for more insights and marketing strategies. Every NPI franchise has full access to our dedicated team of marketing and social media professionals. Learn more about the benefits of becoming a franchisee with NPI today! About the Author Michael Trimble, Content Marketing Coordinator A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Michael has a B.A. in International Studies and English. With a background in research and writing, Michael contributes to NPI’s corporate marketing team as a copywriter and content strategist. Comments are closed.