Earlier this year during the Super Bowl, IBM and H&R Block teamed up to tell the story of how filing for taxes will change with the integration of new artificial intelligence like Watson. With successful use cases already across retail, food, healthcare, and science, the viewer learns that with Watson and H&R Block, families will see more money in their wallets, enabling them to live the American dream.
For the average viewer who doesn’t know about artificial intelligence (AI), the promise of an optimized tax return is very promising. Many may even interpret the arrival of AI as the real life incarnation of science fiction movies, but what’s more important is the vision that the story tells.
Human beings have been telling stories for years, first around community campfires and today through omnichannel experiences like social media, blogs, and videos. The purpose of storytelling is to share an experience or idea that others can draw inspiration, motivation, and knowledge. It’s often times the hope that that these stories go viral to further shift society.
Telling impactful and engaging stories takes a combination of skill, luck, and hard work. In this blog post, we explore the characteristics and features of engaging stories that will drive customers towards portal communities.
- Be Customer Obsessed: Though obvious, many organizations use marketing opportunities to talk about themselves. The right way to tell a story however, is to talk about the customer through a grander world vision and mission. For example, a non-profit organization may talk about the greater themes of what they want to accomplish as opposed to diving straight into their community services.
- Address Real Needs: Businesses exist to solve real world challenges that customers face. A good story begins by addressing a real challenge and positioning the organization as the solution to these challenges.
- Create Engagement Points: The best modern organizations allow their customers to engage with the stories they tell. We know generally that customers buy from organizations that they know, like, and trust. When customers are invited to be a part of the story, it creates a sense of community and interest.
- Connect Across Channels: There are numerous digital channels today where organizations connect with their consumers, including email, social media, and video. Using multiple channels to connect with an audience drives traffic towards other digital assets, furthering how the story is told and increasing overall engagement.
What do you think about these tips? Do you connect with your customers in similar ways? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Transform Your Stories
Are you an organization looking to transform your organization’s storytelling? Reach out to us at sales@perficient.com for a conversation with our digital team and download our portals guide below for best practices around building customer programs.
Learn more about our IBM practice.
Today’s organizations must be more connected to their customer than ever. As the buyer’s journey evolves, leaders must also adopt the right technologies to influence positive business outcomes. This post is a part of a series focused on helping enterprises develop the necessary strategies and best practices to better connect with their customers. Check out the other blogs in this series.
