Why do some posts seem to seize our attention and give us goosebumps, whereas others go scrolling on by without a second thought?
The difference is story.
And when it comes to creating a marketing strategy for your interior design or home brand, storytelling is one of the most underrated and underutilized tools for getting your message out into the world.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a brilliant author to tell a good story. In this post, we’ll cover why stories slice through on social media, along with six ways you can start writing compelling stories today.
Why stories are so powerful for marketing
Stories create an emotional response, and that’s good news for messaging and positioning. According to research published in the scientific journal Frontiers In Psychology, emotional content embeds more deeply into the brain. This is why memories of very emotional experiences tend to stick with us longer.
You can use this same stickiness for your brand marketing strategy. Storytelling can create a more lush and engaging experience for your followers, and when your messaging and positioning are dialed in, the stories you share will turn followers into fans on a regular basis.
But what stories should you even tell? And how should you tell them? Here are six types of social storytelling posts to keep in mind as you plan out your marketing calendar for the weeks and months ahead.
Six ways to tell your brand story (#socialStorytelling)
If you’re feeling stuck on what different types of stories you can be telling in your social feeds on a regular basis, here are six formats I personally like that can help get you started on your way. I call these “Content Pillars”, and encourage you to mine your own brand playbook to determine which six (or so) pillars resonate most with your brand.
Content Pillar #1: Connection
What do you and your followers have in common? Do you have certain guilty pleasure styles? Could you nerd out all day about perfectly-staged bookshelves or brise-soleil? Share this information as a way for followers and fans to connect with you more deeply.
When you share common interests, it allows followers to take you off a pedestal and connect with you on even footing. Sometimes these posts are the first ones in which followers feel comfortable enough to comment, engage, and relate. Their experience of agreeing with you and feeling connected to you can inspire them to continue engaging for many posts to come.
Content Pillar #2: Teaching and educational posts
You have a well-trained eye for, well, just about anything related to home interiors. Why not share some tips or industry knowledge. Is a certain marble better for countertops if you have young children because of its durability? Are certain upholsteries on fabrics the way to go if you have pets? Why or why not?
This information is old news to you. But to your clients and your followers, it’s informative, builds trust, and establishes credibility and authority. Think about what tips you can teach your followers with just a few sentences or a few images, and you’ll begin to train your followers to stop their scroll and read whenever you like!
Content Pillar #3: Testimonials and results
Do you have incredible before-and-after images of past projects? Did your client absolutely gush about their experience with you? Happy clients are always something to celebrate, and as a bonus these compliments are also fantastic marketing material.
When curating a testimonial, you always want to have permission from your client to use their photos or what they have said as marketing material. The best time to harvest a testimonial is immediately after services are completed. Make it very easy for the client to say yes. If they said something in passing verbally, consider putting that sentence in writing on their behalf, then asking for their approval for you to use it. This makes it easy for your client because all they have to say is yes or no, rather than having to write something up themselves.
Content Pillar #4: Inspirational posts
Do you have an inspirational story about design? Perhaps you have a story about your particular firm or team that is funny, engaging, or a moment worth reliving? Share stories that help your clients feel inspired and you might be surprised at what happens as a result.
What’s important to remember is that followers and subscribers are pulled in my emotion. It’s simply the human condition. By telling stories, you tap in to the humanness that we all have, and a warmer, more relatable connection is made. Not all of your followers or subscribers will sign up to work with you, but if they have a connection with you they’re more likely to refer you or share your stories in the future.
Content Pillar #5: Origin stories
Everyone loves to hear how a certain brand, business, or professional got started. Was this what you always wanted to do? Is it something you’d discovered very recently? What has been surprising or unexpected along the way? Your origin story is one of the first stories you want to master and tell over and over again, because it helps people relate to who you are and where you’ve come from.
It’s definitely possible to have more than one origin story. Perhaps one story is the story of how you ended up in design, and another is how you ended up in the current city you are in. Experiment and see what resonates with your followers!
Content Pillar #6: Promotional
If you’re regularly sharing stories from any or all of the categories above, your followers will be more than willing to tune in when you have a special offer or promotion happening. Remember, we want to remind people that you have a service and they can hire you – this can only happen if you tell people about it!
Aim to promote your offers at least twice a month, and make sure your profiles are optimized to where it’s easy for followers to take the next step if they’re ready to learn more about working with you. Accounts that only ever sell can feel sleazy or annoying, but when you’re sharing content on a regular basis, your audience will tune in rather than tune out.
Social storytelling can feel daunting at first. But when you have ideas to work with and a system for taking action, you soon discover that all the stories you’ll ever need are already in your brain.
Tap into what you already know and you’ll soon be winning the hearts and minds of your followers as well.
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Want to learn how we create beautiful brand stories on Instagram? Get the exact template we use with our clients to build Instagram posts and Stories months in advance.