Storytelling 101: A Guide for Effective Advertising and Copywriting (Part 2)

Hello, our leaders of the Lai Marketing Blog! We are thrilled to see your amazing feedback on our previous blog post on “Storytelling 101: A Guide for Effective Advertising and Copywriting.”. It was one of our most popular and commented-on posts ever, and many of you asked for more!

We listened to your requests, and we are excited to bring you the second part of this series. As a marketing agency, we have seen firsthand how the technique of storytelling, or storyselling, as it is called nowadays, has helped our esteemed clients make millions of dollars from the copywriting, infographics, or video ads we created for them.

But how do we create such captivating and persuasive content? For those who struggle, we have some guidance that will help you master the art of storyselling. In this post, we will share with you five secrets that will make your ads and copywriting stand out from the crowd. These are the secret weapons that we use in our own work, and we are giving them to you for free!

Are you ready to learn them? Let’s dive in!

1. Use Sensory Words
Sensory words are words that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. They help you create vivid and realistic images in your audience’s mind and make them feel like they are experiencing what you are describing.

For example, instead of saying “The cake was delicious,” you could say “The cake was moist and fluffy, with a rich chocolate frosting and a sweet cherry on top.”. This way, you make your audience imagine and crave the cake, rather than just telling them it was good.

Sensory words are especially powerful when you use them to describe the benefits of your product or service. For example, if you are selling a perfume, you could say, “This perfume will make you feel fresh and elegant, with a subtle scent of jasmine and rose that will linger on your skin all day.”. This way, you make your audience imagine and desire the benefits of your perfume, rather than just listing its features.

2. Appeal to Emotions Right Away
Emotions are the driving force behind human behaviour. People make decisions based on how they feel, not on how they think. Therefore, if you want to persuade your audience to take action, you need to appeal to their emotions right away.

One way to do this is to use emotional triggers, such as fear, anger, joy, sadness, surprise, or curiosity. These are emotions that capture your audience’s attention and make them want to know more. For example, if you are selling a security system, you could start your ad with, “Did you know that a burglary happens every 15 seconds in this country?”. This way, you trigger fear and curiosity in your audience and make them want to learn how to protect themselves.

Another way to appeal to emotions is to use stories. Stories are the most effective way to connect with your audience on an emotional level because they make them feel like they are part of the story. Stories also help you demonstrate the value of your product or service by showing how it can solve a problem, fulfil a need, or achieve a goal for your audience. For example, if you are selling a weight loss programme, you could tell the story of how one of your customers lost 50 pounds in 6 months and how that changed their life for the better. This way, you appeal to the emotions of your audience, such as empathy, admiration, or aspiration, and make them want to achieve the same results.

3. Highlight the Benefits
Benefits are the positive outcomes that your product or service can provide for your audience. They are the answer to the question, “What’s in it for me?”. Benefits are what your audience really cares about and what motivates them to buy from you.

Therefore, you need to highlight the benefits of your product or service in your ads and copywriting and make them clear and specific. For example, instead of saying “Our shampoo is made with natural ingredients,” you could say “Our shampoo is made with natural ingredients that nourish your hair and scalp and make your hair shiny and smooth.”. This way, you show your audience how your product can improve their situation and make them want to try it.

However, benefits are not enough. You also need to show your audience why your product or service is better than the alternatives and why they should choose you over your competitors. This is where you need to use your unique selling proposition (USP).

Your USP is what sets you apart from the rest and makes you the best option for your audience. Your USP should be based on your strengths, your values, and your audience’s needs. For example, if you are selling a travel agency, your USP could be “We are the only travel agency that offers personalised and flexible travel plans tailored to your budget, preferences, and schedule.”. This way, you show your audience how you can meet their specific needs and make them want to book with you.

4. Use Social Proof
Social proof is the evidence that other people have used and liked your product or service and that they trust and recommend you. Social proof is one of the most powerful persuasion techniques because it leverages the influence of others on your audience’s behaviour.

People tend to follow the crowd and do what others do. They also tend to trust the opinions of others, especially those who are similar to them or who have authority or expertise in the field. Therefore, if you want to increase your credibility and trustworthiness and convince your audience to buy from you, you need to use social proof in your ads and copywriting.

There are many ways to use social proof, such as testimonials, reviews, ratings, endorsements, case studies, awards, certifications, or statistics. For example, if you are selling software, you could use social proof like “Over 10,000 satisfied customers use our software every day” or “Our software has been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and Wired.”. This way, you show your audience that your product or service is popular, reliable, and high-quality, and you make them want to join the club.

5. Don’t Forget Our Main Pillar: Use Storytelling
Storytelling is the art of using stories to communicate your message, engage your audience, and persuade them to take action. Storytelling is the main pillar of storyselling because stories are the most effective way to appeal to emotions, highlight benefits, and use social proof.

Stories are also the most memorable and shareable way to convey your message because they create an emotional connection with your audience and make them remember and relate to you. Stories also help you stand out from the crowd and show your personality and values.

Therefore, you should use storytelling in your ads and copywriting, and make sure that your stories are relevant, authentic, and compelling. For example, if you are selling a coaching service, you could use a story like “I was once in your shoes, struggling with low self-esteem and a lack of direction. I felt lost and unhappy until I discovered the power of coaching. Coaching helped me transform my life and achieve my goals and dreams. Now, I want to help you do the same and show you how coaching can change your life too.”. This way, you show your audience that you understand their problem, that you have a solution, and that you have a personal and emotional reason to help them.

So, these are the five secrets that will help you create killer ads and copywriting using storyselling and storytelling techniques. If you follow these tips, you will be able to capture your audience’s attention, interest, and desire and make them take action.

We hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new and valuable. If you did, please leave us a comment below and share this post with your friends and colleagues. And don’t forget to subscribe to our blog, to get more tips and tricks on how to master the art of storyselling and storytelling.

Thank you for reading, and see you in the next post!