Rick Braddy’s post about storytelling for product launches, “Psychology of Social Product Launches — Part 3, Storytelling” is a quick and interesting read about using stories as part of presenting a product, rather than the typical verbiage we develop. The article immediately made me think about the power of case studies for marketing, which seems to me to be a more acceptable formal term than a “story.” I made a post a few months ago about using product simulations to enable viewers to participate in their own success story. As Rick highlights, “Crafted properly, stories don’t sell – they simply tell and teach by example.” I would take this a step further with an interactive simulation woven into a story by saying that they can tell and guide by example.
Another key sentence in his post is as follows:
By allowing people to make up their own minds (instead of coercing them through slick offers and time-limited deals that everyone knows are lies concocted by marketers to get them to buy), people are much more willing to listen to what you have to say when conveyed as an interesting story.
What better way to help them make up their own minds than by evoking them to interact to solve their problem(s)?