When you hear the word “story”, the first thing that might pop into your mind is the phrase “once upon a time” and fairytales. Am I right? storytelling formula
Well, you’re not wrong, but stories are so much more powerful than that! Here’s why.
Your brain is programmed to recognize patterns in information (human faces, melodies, smells) and assign them certain meanings (your mother’s face, the song twinkle-twinkle little star, freshly baked bread, yum!).
Stories are also built upon a recognizable pattern. And this pattern is what makes stories so compelling to hear because as human beings, we can see ourselves in the story.
And the best part is, you can apply storytelling to your marketing. In fact, storytelling is one of the most effective ways to communicate your brand message or market your product.
So, in order to help you build a story for your brand that your audience actually wants to hear, you need to present it in the traditional story structure (so your brain can recognize the pattern and work its magic!).
Here’s a simple formula you can use to frame your story:
The Beginning
First, you need to set up your story by introducing the character and the problem they have (that your product/service can solve).
Harry (Character) is flunking his classes because he keeps getting headaches (Problem).
The Middle
The middle part of the story should include the character adopting the solution for their problems (this is where your product/services will be introduced)
Hermione suggested drinking Painomore (Solution/Product) and Harry followed her advice.
The End
The ending should show how the character is benefiting from the solution provided.
After drinking Painomore, Harry can concentrate on his lessons and aced all his exams (Resolution)!
This is just a simple example of how the storytelling formula can be used. You can adjust — adding more details, characters, plot — according to your needs and platform.
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Source: Hubspot
