The oldest story ever recorded was written in 2700 BC. And since we’re still writing and sharing stories today, we’re pretty sure it’s a trend that will be sticking around for a few more years yet.

Storytelling is our preferred method of communication as humans. Gossip swapped over cups of tea, quick texts sent for an update, books written and consumed, TV shows binged. Stories help us express our emotions, feel connected to one another and make sense of the world and the lives around us.

And since they’re so effective in our day to day lives, you should most definitely be using them in your small business content.

Here’s how stories can impact the brain, and why weaving narratives into your written content can be particularly advantageous for your brand.

 

The Power of Narrative in Small Business Content

 

Storytelling and the Brain

Human brains love stories. In fact, they’re wired to love them, with hundreds of studies in neuroscience showing that narratives activate multiple areas of the brain, including regions responsible for sensory experiences, emotions and memory.

This increased neural activity across a significant portion of the brain means that stories are more effective in capturing, holding and staying in the mind of the reader, as opposed to information that doesn’t incorporate narrative elements. Stories evoke emotions and transport readers into the heart of the story – a process known as neural transportation. This process is what makes stories inherently engaging and easier to connect with on a deeper level.

This brain response to storytelling is what makes weaving narratives into your small business content so effective. It allows you to draw your readers or your audience into your sphere of influence, piquing specific emotions and utilising them to help your business build a loyal and engaged customer base.

Let’s further explore how storytelling can be so effective in your small business content…

 

Immersion and Empathy

The beauty of a story is that it can pick a reader up and transport them straight into the middle of your narrative. This gives you the opportunity to stir certain emotions, create memories and impact the decisions of your audience. When we read a narrative, our brains replicate the experiences being described, immersing us deeply into the world we’re reading about, and it’s this total immersion that evokes empathy – a neural process where readers begin to share the emotions of the characters as they’re described in the story.

Now, that’s not to say your small business content needs to make your audience laugh out loud or cry to be effective. Instead, you should craft stories that highlight relatable experiences that can work to build trust and loyalty.

Take this, for example. We’re a Virtual Assistant company for small businesses. We know that most of our clients turn to us when workload is heavy, and they’re worried about managing it without the right support in place. Therefore, we might tell a story about one of our current or past clients who had the same issue. Already, this is relatable, and the experience is shared by our potential customers. We’ll then continue the story to tell of how that client reached out to us for our support, got the help they needed, which allowed their small business to continue to thrive and grow.

By telling a true story that our potential clients can see themselves reflected in, we successfully pique their interest, engage them and subtly encourage them to follow the same narrative for themselves.

Immersing your audience in a narrative that’s appropriate and relatable for your small business can help evoke the empathy needed to form lasting customer relationships.

 

Storytelling: the power of narrative in small business content

Making Information Memorable

Stories allow our brains to make connections between pieces of information. The more connections we can make, either through emotion or the senses, the easier the information is to remember. Weaving narratives into your small business content isn’t just for entertainment purposes. It’s scientifically proven that stories help your audience to recall the information you’ve presented to them, helping to build lasting customer relationships.

Stories weave information into a coherent structure. For example, instead of telling your audience that your product works (a fact they’re likely to forget if they’re comparing you to competitors), show them through storytelling. You’re a wedding dress seamstress, for example. Tell the story of how a ride had a last minute zipper incident with her dress and you were able to step in and fix it ahead of the big day, saving the bride time, money, and stress. The positive outcome of this story will stick in the mind of the reader. Instead of being just a seamstress, you’re the seamstress who saved the day!

While storytelling is great for engaging and entertaining your audience, the impact narrative has on the brain when it comes to memory is equally beneficial for your small business.

 

Creating Shared Experiences

In order to build lasting relationships with your customers, they need to feel connected to your business in some way. Stories are a great way to foster a sense of community and shared experience – your audience will often see themselves reflected in the narrative you’ve provided for them, creating a bond between the storyteller and the reader.

This bond creates a shared experience, allowing your audience to see how your small business could impact their lives in a positive way. For example, a dog re-homing centre may share a story on how a particular dog changed the lives of their new owner. Your audience can relate to this story, placing themselves in the narrative and understanding how this dog re-homing centre could impact their lives in a similar way.

Creating this sense of shared experience through storytelling in your small business content makes your brand relatable and personal, encouraging customer loyalty and advocacy.

 

Storytelling in Your Small Business Content

The important thing to remember when it comes to storytelling in your small business content is that the stories don’t have to be huge, earth-shattering tales. We aren’t suggesting you write a novel on your About Me page (unless you really want to!).

Storytelling for small businesses is about weaving a subtle narrative into the information that already exists for your business. A customer success story, a nod to how your business came about – simple but effective narratives that serve to immerse your audience, create empathy, make information memorable and create a shared experience.

For support in integrating storytelling into your small business content, please do not hesitate to get in touch.