Every person has a story, the small business owner, the entrepreneur with a disruptive design, or the woman walking her dog past you on the sidewalk. In social media we talk about storytelling as a form of engagement, conversation, and authenticity. But the word we often forget to mention is “inclusion”. This is what defines the storytelling aspect of social media marketing.
Inclusion is why social storytelling is not about advertising, because it doesn’t need to be. It’s not about selling. Not even remotely.
And here’s a way to think about it:
A writer publishes a book. Readers love it. They flock to the writer’s appearance at a local bookstore. They listen intently as she reads excerpts. And then the question and answer portion begins. Several hands pop up. The author points to someone in the audience. And an earnest voice asks “What inspired the idea for this book?”
It’s always the question, at every book signing and interview. Always. Do you want to know why this is the most important question the author will answer? Because the people in the audience want to share her passion. They want to connect with her on a human level.
This is storytelling’s magic moment. Her fans crane forward ever so slightly in their seats, listening hard. You can hear a pin drop. The author begins describing the journey of discovering and writing the story, pulling the audience into the pursuit of her dream. Including them in her adventure. The book suddenly acquires a dual meaning. It tells the author’s unseen story within the written one. Now the book has a history that only its readers know. And they’ll remember this each time they pick it up to read it again or share it with a friend.
Zing. There’s a ripple through the audience. People turn to one another, nodding and smiling. It’s amazing. They’re connecting to the book on an entirely different level than the day they finished reading it.
And the best part of the story is the one bright, bold fact the audience now understands. The author wrote the story for them. She wrote it for them to love, to learn from, to think about, and to be inspired by. As the story is a part of her life, so too are the readers. Her customers aren’t simply casual fans who happen to love reading books late into the night. They’re the reason that she is driven to write and publish. They’re the reason she is in business. Period.
Including customers in the pursuit of your business dream lets them experience the energy and intent driving you out of bed at oh-dark-thirty every morning to offer them something they might not even know they want. Because that’s ultimately why you do what you do, right?
If you let customers in, your story will resonate with them on a level that no coupon code ever will. (Don’t get us wrong, coupons are great, but they aren’t the reason you went into business.) Inclusion is intentional connection. It’s the human link that creates long-term engagement in social media.
Social storytelling that includes the customer is honest. It’s exciting. It’s meaningful. So the next time customers ask, “Where did you get the idea for this business?” you’ll know they aren’t making idle conversation.
Give customers that magic moment. Include them in the story of your dream.
