Storytelling, as much as it is everywhere and is a basic human instinct, it has its fundamentals when applied to all storytelling methods like movies, design, pictures, and other communication pieces. Storytelling consists of eight items, defined back then by Aristotle, which apply today for all types of communication. They are the plot, character, theme, dialogue, melody, décor, spectacle, and conclusion. Each of these elements play a different role for digital marketers when communicating with the goal to inform, remind, persuade, and connect. Some of these fundamentals are focused or developed more depending on the goal of the communication.
Inform
When it comes to informing the audience, there should be balance between all storytelling elements, except for the spectacle. The spectacle should be emphasized, which is the feature of the product or service that stands out. Digital marketers should focus on that when informing about their product/services.
Remind
For reminding, digital marketers should focus on the plot, which is what the story or communication piece is all about. Also, there should be some emphasis on the character, or in this case, the audience the digital marketer is targeting to and on the décor, which would be the visual design of the communication piece.
Persuade
For storytelling with the purpose of persuading, digital marketers should focus on the plot, the theme, which in this case, would be the differentiator from the product in compared to others. This is what is going to persuade the audience to choose one over the other. Another element that needs to be focused is the audience. The target audience is important because if the message gets delivered to the wrong audience, it will not have any convincing effect. The conclusion also needs to be strong in order to leave the audience with a feeling of a call to action.
Connect
The main element for connecting the audience to the storytelling is the dialogue. This is the part that focus on how the communication piece connect with the audience, how the product or service speaks to its intended consumer. This is what digital marketers need to emphasize when storytelling with the intention to connect. Another element that should be focused on is the melody, which is consist of the elements of the brand and what it stands for.