The Problem with “Loud Marketing” in the Attention Deficit Age.

In today’s business environment everyone is competing for the attention of their target market. The most prevalent tactic being used to get the attention of the consumer is to outspend the competitor and to “talk louder” than the everyone else.

There comes a point, however, where everyone is “talking so loud” that no one can hear anything and the consumer starts to become numb to any sort of advertisement. That aside, how in the world can smaller businesses compete with the juggernauts that seem to have never ending ad budgets?

The solution lies in the best marketing and sales tactic of all time:
Telling Stories.

As human beings we are hard wired to pay attention when someone is telling a story. Merely saying the words, “Let me tell you a story” is enough to get everyone’s ears to perk up.

From that point… you just have to keep their attention.

So… How do you craft and communicate a story for you business?

How to Craft a Story For Your Business that can help Your Sales.

The key to crafting an intriguing and effective story about your product lies in 3 major steps. Finding the uniqueness of your product, creating “insider jokes’ around that unique thing, and then embracing a level of mystery around the entire thing. Let me break down exactly what I mean with each step.

Step 1: Find an opportunity to be unique.

Your product doesn’t have to be unique. The story that you create behind it, however does. Look at your current offering and find a way to add one small thing that makes it different from anything else out there.

A great example of this is a Doctor that calls his patients the night after their first visit just to check in. It’s unique, unexpected, and it sends a message.

Another great example is burger joint that includes a single grape with each order. Why a single grape you ask? Just because it’s unique and it allows you to create a story behind the uniqueness.

Step 2: Create Inside Jokes that relate to your product’s uniqueness.

The Disney corporation is amazing at this. You may have visited Disney World or Disney Land in the Past, or seen one of the companies many movies. Did you know, however, that Disney World has entire websites dedicated to the “little touches’ that it ads to its products and services?

This kind of special attention to the inside jokes brings people even closer to the brand because there are several layers to every product or service that they offer.

Step 3: Embrace a Sense of Mystery

Is it an accident that you may still be wondering why the burger joint in my example above puts a grape in with every meal? Of Course Not. The grape seems out of place and thus we crave to discover the story behind such an odd pairing. A smart business owner would build a story behind the grape and then all of their marketing would support it.

The Story of Jack Daniel and the #7

There are a ton of great brands that use the above 3 steps to take something unique about their product, create “insider jokes”, and then embrace a sense of mystery about that thing in order to sell more. It’s the legend and lore behind a product that drives people to try it once (and also come back for more).

A great example of this can be seen with the video below. The Jack Daniel’s company uses a part of its label to create an entire story (completely fictional) around its product. Watch it below and you’ll be amazed at how simple it can be to get interested in a product when there is a story attached.

Does Your Brand or Product have a unique story behind it? Tell us about it in the comments below.