Storytelling is an important part of survival. Using stories, we can pass down vital information from generation to generation. And in the short term, they help us recall important information more easily. We feel good when listening to a good story, that’s why we should use it for advertisement.
Conversion storytelling is an end-to-end user experience that conveys the value of a product or service creatively and humanly. Think of a movie you like. It generally starts with a thrilling hook and carries you through rising action before a cathartic conclusion. The goal of conversion storytelling is to use that principle in an advertising context. Stories have power. We carry stories in our DNA. We use stories to create meaning from patterns and live through new perspectives and experiences. Stories help us imagine what might be. We use stories to educate, to inspire, to caution, to advise, to bond, and, yes, to advertise. So what does this mean in the context of Facebook advertising? Think of your Facebook ad as the “once upon a time” that pulls the audience into the story. But no good story ends after “once upon a time.” Once the audience is engaged with the narrative enough to click on your ad, you need to continue the story into the post-click stage. That means your landing page experience — the next part of the story — needs to match your ad narrative. Otherwise, you could lose your audience.
Consider these questions when planning the narratives for your Facebook ads.
1. What is the device that you’re advertising? Again, this is a good starting point to help you build out the rest of your ad narrative.
2. What is the brand voice? Your brand is more than a collection of aesthetic choices. Your brand is a character in the story, and how you personify that character can have a huge impact on your narrative.
3. Who is the targeted persona? Advertisers get to pick their audiences. Therefore, your ad group should be specific and targeted so that you can craft your narrative around the persona’s worldview and preferences.
4. What problem are you trying to solve for the persona? This is the point of tension in your story, the question that your product or service can answer for the audience.
5. How does your product/service solve the problem? Again, be creative and show how your solution is better than the competition.
6. What is the emotional response you’re trying to evoke? Again, this should be tied to your product and ad group. What emotions does your audience respond to? How does your product tie into that emotional response?
You may already consider these questions when developing your advertising copy, but remember that the story doesn’t end there. You need to apply these same principles after your audience has shown interest by continuing the narrative into the post-click stage.