If you enter the phrase “storytelling as a marketing tool” into Google search, you will get 1,650,000 results. Obviously a lot of people are talking about the value of storytelling in building awareness and trust for your marketing message.
Well, the title is an excellent question. And the author has the right idea in the solution he offers. But then everything goes haywire.
Yes, a case study is one way to tell your brand story. And the author makes good points about why. Yet the key elements he identifies for a case study will most likey generate text that is dry as desert sand. You'll get a half-baked promo and not a story.
So what do you do? Check out this article: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/05/08/25-things-writers-should-know-about-creating-mystery/ I didn't curate this piece because the translation from this post for writers to the business world would have taken a long time.
However, pay attention to at least these points (the others are great too):
#3 -- the case study elements in this post will read more like a news piece. Avoid this at all costs.
#4 -- the audience wants to work. Effective storytelling is about connection and engagement. People want to work for the story. Follow the advice here.
#9 -- Sue Spence & the Mystery Squad. Create suspense & mystery (yes! even in your biz stories this is critical). It is not hard.
#14 -- have a plot and a character
OK -- there are more insights in the second article. Not all the points in this second article apply to business storytelling, but they sure will get you a lot further along than the original advice about how to build a case study. And you'll have a lot more fun in the process!
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