Joining a content marketing course will help those looking to launch careers in digital marketing develop the skills to create compelling stories that resonate deeply with an audience.
Rather than all-out promotion, content marketers focus on building a narrative where a product or solution is only part of a wider piece of engaging content. If this is authentic, relatable and can foster an emotional connection with a reader, then this is an effective way of establishing a company, solution or service.
Our Content Creation and Online Marketing content marketing course equips students with the skills to create these kinds of stories and campaigns – and across a range of formats from written copy to image and video-led assets.
If you’re looking to find out more about our degree, then contact our team – and read our blog to learn more about the most effective ways to craft marketing stories that sell.
What is an effective marketing story
Those studying a content marketing course will need to understand how to craft a compelling story.
The stories that work best often feature a narrative arc to demonstrate how a product or business can solve a problem or challenge. However, this goes deeper than just listing the features or benefits. Instead, content marketers will include a relatable character, a clear conflict and demonstrate how the solution can help resolve this and transform the user’s situation for the better.
How to create a story that sells
As part of a content marketing course, students will get to grips with the core elements of creating stories that make an impact with a consumer or user.
Some essentials include:
Understand your audience
Do some research into who you want to target with your content. Make sure you have an understanding of what they are looking for, their values and aspirations – this will help you refine your narrative and edit accordingly.
Define your message
What is the core message you are trying to achieve with this piece of content marketing? Once you have this answered, then other ideas and stories can be developed around your central aim.
Establish a clear structure narrative arc
It’s often repeated but many stories need a clear beginning, middle and end and it’s no different with content marketing. Viewers, readers or consumers need to understand the challenge, follow the journey and enjoy the positive resolution.
Create likeable characters
If your character is unrelatable, then it’s likely your campaign will be less successful. You need to focus on creating a protagonist that an audience can identify with.
Use emotion to connect with your audience
Anyone wanting to deepen their bond with their audience will need to think about ensuring their content is emotive – whether this be creating a buzz, joy or even fear. It’s this that will make it more memorable and strengthen the relationship between customer and brand.
Prioritise authenticity
Many of us are bombarded with huge amounts of content every day and will likely swipe on to the next post if a visual or ad feels artificial. Instead, being authentic will allow a business or provider to build a greater sense of trust.
Connect to a larger purpose
Many marketers aim to align their content marketing stories to a wider purpose, a tactic that can often enhance the impact of a campaign. Some annual days/causes marketers can work with include World Book Day and Earth Day – but there are hundreds that take place over a calendar year.
Include a call to action
Whatever form the content and story takes, always remember to include a call to action and make it clear how you want your audience to respond.
How brands and businesses use storytelling in their content marketing
Anyone studying a content marketing course will likely explore some examples of innovative and inspiring narratives from brands. Some include:
Apple | Shot on an iPhone
Many brands look to engage their customers in helping spread the word of how great a product is – and testimonials or recommendations from others are hard to ignore.
Apple’s Shot on an iPhone campaign does this by encouraging users to share photos taken on their iPhones. Not only does this demonstrate the great quality of the camera but also establishes a strong, creative community around Apple as a brand. The photos are tangible results of the product at work.
Patagonia | Sustainability story
The origin story behind clothing brand Patagonia is a gripping one with founder Yvon Chouinard initially setting up the business to sell mountaineering and climbing gear.
Since the beginning of the company in the seventies, a focus has been on sustainability and something the brand is loved and well-known for. This commitment continues to be embodied by Patagonia and the way in which Chouinard gave the company away to a charitable trust with any profit not reinvested in the business donated to fighting climate change.
Spotify Wrapped
User-generated content is an effective way for a company to demonstrate its success and how its customers can enjoy a product. Music streaming service Spotify’s annual Spotify Wrapped campaign has been a fantastic example with individual subscribers given their own listening stats at the end of each year as shareable graphics which flood social media during December.
Despite its success, the campaign has also backfired at times with artists adopting their own version of the graphic to poke fun at the brand and deride what they see as small income amounts compared to the number of streams they’ve seen on the platform.
Other important considerations behind crafting impactful stories
Visual storytelling
Marketeers are no longer limited to utilising copy to convey their message. Instead, they have an array of assets they can use, from images to video, infographics, polls, surveys and more. All of this can be created to develop a narrative and enhance engagement.
Be consistent
Audiences demand consistency from the brands they love. Therefore, it is those content marketers who adhere to a regular publishing calendar that often keep interest and engagement high.
Distribution channels
Where does your audience live? Whether it be TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, choose the right platforms to share your stories based on who you are trying to target.
Study Content Creation and Online Marketing at SAE
Developing content that connects with audiences can be essential in today’s digital age for businesses and leading professionals.
With our expert team, leading facilities and creative community, studying our course in content creation and digital marketing can offer you a fantastic opportunity to take your career in digital marketing to the next level.
