How to Sell with Story: The Art of Storytelling and Influencer Marketing
Who here loves to sell?
While I can’t see you through my monitor, I can guess that nearly everyone is shaking their heads, “Nope!”
Yet for those of us who work on influencer marketing campaigns, that’s essentially what we’re hired to do: Sell either the brand or a specific product that brand manufactures.
If you are someone who, like me, feels uncomfortable with the idea of “selling” or you don’t want to come off as “salesy” to your readers, I’m here to reassure you: You can be an effective campaign blogger, sell the brand, and appeal to your audience, all in one post!
How?
Tell a story!
Here’s how:
- Weave a narrative.
Instead of writing specifically about the product, write a story about how the product integrates into your own life or how it solved a problem for you. Instead of: ABC cat litter has this odor technology that works by XYZ. Try: When we hosted Thanksgiving for the first time last year, we didn’t realize that our guests could smell the litter box at the dining table… We were too used to it! Then, Aunt Gladys mentioned ABC litter to us in her “thanks for hosting/here’s a tip” email. This year, we’re not going to tell anyone about the switch and see if anyone notices the litter odor! - Infuse the selling points into your prose.
It’s tempting and easy to copy and paste from the content starter kit. But it’s a huge turn-off to readers because, frankly, it’s boring! Find a way to add the required points to your story without breaking the narrative ark. For example: We decided to swap out our old litter for the new gradually. We didn’t want Newt to revolt and choose another (shoes) spot to go. As we did the switch, it was clear right away that the XYZ technology was doing the trick, and my shoes remained poo-free. - Make the images uniquely your own. Yes, the brand probably requires a couple images, like their logo and maybe a product shot. Get creative and make them your own. Consider a collage or overlay, or take standout photography that will capture your readers’ attention far more than a single product shot.
Bottom line: Any guidelines provided by the brand or the content starter kit are just the facts. As the influencer, it’s your job to sell the product, but you can do it authentically and with heart by telling a story. It’s more fun to write and far more interesting for your readers to read!
Want to dig deeper? Need some more insight into storytelling? Check out this post! Want to learn more about taking stand-out in-store photos? Check out this post!
How do you turn product posts into stories? What non-salesy sales tactics do you use?
Maggie Marton serves as the BlogPaws senior editor. When not hiking with her two pit mixes, Emmett and Cooper, or playing with Newt the Cat, Maggie writes about them (and the pet industry) at ohmydogblog.com and maggiemarton.com.
Images: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com
