Storytelling has always been a great tool to bring people together and convey meaningful messages. It only makes sense that in 2021 we would utilize all of the advanced technology available, including our awesome video maker as well sleek design video ad templates, to tell even more compelling tales through digital storytelling.

We’ve always used storytelling to share different experiences and knowledge, but as our technology advanced, so did our storytelling. On social media, we share similar stories, and we’re able to convey our messages digitally with a swipe of the finger. Digital storytelling also allows us to tell shorter, faster and more easily accessible stories.

Because digital pages and profiles are so easy to access, lots of big brands are recognizing the importance of building a strong community of followers around their online brands. They had to learn how to weave digital stories to keep up!

Why Digital Storytelling Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy

Effective marketing puts a heavy emphasis on consumer-first strategies, and nearly 80% of consumers have made it clear that they want to hear stories. We’re actually neurobiologically engineered to crave stories that we can relate to.

It’s important to keep in mind that an emotionally compelling, yet relatable story will hook your audience to your call to action. It’s science!

Basically, a well-crafted digital story can increase your chances of creating deeper connections with your audience, which can directly lead to more sales!

5 Steps on How to Create Exceptional Digital Narratives

1. Start with an idea: You want your audience to remember your story, so make sure to use humor, empathy, excitement and drama in your story. These story components will really draw your audience to your brand.
2. Establish your Target Audience: People are more likely to remember ads that feature other people like them. Understanding your target audience and creating relatable content for them will have a real impact on your story telling strategy.
3. Choose a platform: Is your target audience on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or maybe on all of them? Make sure that your content is well-suited for all of the platforms you’re going to post on. In general, it’s hard to go wrong with a video story – people love videos and they can be uploaded to almost every social media platform.
4. Create a storyboard/script: Winging your story isn’t the best strategy here. Take the time to figure out your characters, messaging and ultimate resolution all in the limited time you have available.
5. Include a call-to-action: If you’ve told your story right, your audience should be ready to act on your message. Therefore, make sure that you’ve included specific CTA to channel them into the sale or engagement that your story encouraged.

The Digital Storytelling Toolkit

• Podcasts: You want your listeners to hear your story loud and clear. Invest in an XLR microphone so that your listeners can hear everything you have to say.
• Images: Your phone can definitely be enough to take high-quality photos for your Instagram account, but you can also always use different apps to edit add depth to these photos. Photo editing apps like Enlight Photofox make editing your photos like a professional easy!
• Video: For businesses, video is arguably the most worthwhile type of digital storytelling to engage in – video content is taking over the internet! Affordable tools like lavalier microphones, two- or three-point lighting, and a tripod can make your videos look more professional without compromising the authentic tone.

You can create strong brand association by adding branded components like your logo, specific fonts and templates that all link to your brand.

Meet Some Digital Storytelling Pros

Below is a great example of digital storytelling videos used for small business video marketing purposes:

Addict Aide Digital Story Example:

In 2016, the French non-profit Addict Aide used both Instagram and YouTube storytelling to launch a powerful campaign to raise awareness about addiction.

In its award-winning “Like My Addiction” campaign, Addict Aide used Instagram to create a digital profile of a fun-loving, stylish young woman. Then, in a following YouTube video, the campaign showed the same images, this time highlighting that there was an alcoholic beverage in every picture in the feed. Awareness about alcoholism: raised.

Get Started with Digital Storytelling in 2021 and Beyond:

Every brand can benefit from incorporating digital storytelling into their marketing mix in 2021.

With phones getting smarter and more powerful every day, even the smallest businesses can whip up digital stories that make a huge impact.