“Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed, and then one day he was shooting at a squirrel, and up from the ground came a bubbling oil.”
I remember my family sitting around the TV in the 1960’s watching The Beverly Hillbillies. It was a time when the big three networks created shows that reached millions so that they could sell ads to reach many people. Marketing today is different. It is what I think of as communicating from one to few.
Broadcasting was indeed broad and wide and mass in its reach. You could get 20 million people to watch Jed, Granny, Jethro and Ellie May. But that world is long gone and brands have challenges that require a new set of tools and a shift of intention to raise awareness, gain interest and move products off the shelf.
Brands need to create content in the form of storytelling to help grow their business. The innovative cheese company who has a backstory that people want to share with their friends is a different way to market. One person telling a few people about a product or service means asking customers to be a partner in your marketing.
Let Me Tell You A Shocking Story
I had three electrical problems in my house and needed an electrician. Since this type of problem happens infrequently, I asked friends through Facebook for a suggestion. One company name came up several times – Michael and Sons. I was told the same story by two of my friends that they don’t charge by the hour but by the job. I learned, not from an ad but from my friends that they quote a price and will fix the problem whether it takes one hour or three.
In the 1980’s, I’d probably go to the yellow pages. But today, I go to Facebook or other social communities for a recommendation. I trust my friend’s experiences more than I trust an advertised message.
What Can Your Brand Do To Tell Your Story From One To Few?
SIMPLE: How succinct is your story so that it’s easy to share? If you make it complicated, it’s difficult to retell. They charge by the hour not the job. Easy to repeat. Easy to share.
DISTINCT: Is the story different and not typical of the category? Maybe other electricians charge by the job but most tradesmen don’t work that way. This electrical company had a different way to work than others in the category and their message resonated with my need.
ASK: The electrician asked me to share my story with my friends of my experience. Wow. The electrician encouraged me to market for their brand – what a novel idea. He didn’t cajole me or annoy me with this request, he asked me in a very human manner. “hey, would you tell your friends about us?”
Stories help us understand the world. fables, myths, folklore and oral histories all leverage this approach to communication. Marketers have to rethink how they can facilitate this sharing so that a satisfied customer will spread the word. Your product or service needs amplification that can come from raving fans telling a small group of friends, who in turn become raving fans too.
Thanks for reading this post. Y’all come back now, ya hear?
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