Table of Contents

Why Interactive Storytelling?
What is Storytelling Marketing?
Successful Messenger Marketers Write Stories That Flow
Interactive Chat: An Example By Nina Nesbitt

Why Interactive Storytelling?

We want you to do well engaging your audience in meaningful conversation and crafting narratives that support your brand.

Because there is a massive difference between talking at someone and talking with someone.

You know those people who just can’t take a hint… 🤦

And never stop blabbering away. Even though you’re clearly not interested in what it is they have to say?

Obviously, you don’t want to be one of those. Especially in a private, 1:1 channel like a direct message inbox.

Time and time again, we’ve seen people make the same mistakes when using direct messages to connect to their audience.

So how can you avoid this style of messaging and become more successful at talking with your fans using storytelling marketing?

What is Storytelling Marketing?

Let’s face it... An interactive conversation is WAY better than a lengthy monologue.

There’s a massive difference between talking at someone and talking with someone.

Here’s why:

1) People like talking - especially about themselves - more than they like listening to others.

2) In business, relationships are everything. And every relationship starts with a conversation.

3) Interactive means engaging - the opposite of... boring. 💤

Because sending out a single, plain message is… fine. Just... fine.

Sometimes, it’s all you need. 🤷

Sending out 16 of those in a row is… pretty boring. Not to mention self-involved. And a recipe for people unsubscribing to your channel, for sure.

Involve subscribers in the conversation, don’t just blast them with your messages.

Since Messenger allows the use of buttons, why not use them to keep your audience engaged with interactive storytelling?

Here's a great idea for your storytelling marketing campaigns:

Add a Quick Reply button every one or two messages! This creates a natural pause in your broadcasts, and gives your listener the opportunity to respond.

Ask people how they’re doing, and pre-write your replies based on their answers! Make them feel like their input is appreciated - that you care.

Remember, people like talking about themselves...

With I AM POP’s Chat-editor, this is all pretty easy. Instead of plain messaging - which is also possible - you are able to tell interactive stories instead.

Successful Messenger Marketers Write Stories That Flow

Stories that are immersive, inspiring and contagious, yet bite-sized, so they don't bore the reader.

Take a look at an example of how to craft an interactive experience in I AM POP's Chat-editor below 🔽

Ashley Taylor Anderson, the Director of Content at Ceros, an interactive content marketing software startup sheds some light on why interactive storytelling works.

She lists the following things as being essential to unlocking engagement using interactive storytelling and experiential content. Your content should be:

Visual - Visuals are processed more quickly and drive more page views and shares

Emotional - Both stories and visuals can evoke a powerful emotional response

Tactile - You should write keeping mobile/tablet touchscreens in mind

Personalized - You can personalize both the user’s journey and the content they see along the way.

Similarly, over at KNCT lab, they provide the following tips:

1. Add media elements:
   Interactive storytelling might not fit every marketing strategy and even when it does, the degree to which mixed media elements are added will depend on the product as well as budget.
   
   Nevertheless it is a given that video clips, infographics and other visual elements can go a long way in improving the readability of the content.
   
2. Think out of the box:
   Interactivity is all about making the audience a part of your story. And if this has to happen, the marketer has to ensure that he is capturing the audience's attention with content that speaks to them.
   
   Videos and animations alone will not ensure that; the quality of the story also has to be top-notch.
   
3. Keep your audience and business goals in sight:
   Sophisticated storytelling requires specialist writers and designers. Hence it is important to know your budget beforehand.
   
   It is important not to forget your business goals amidst the glamour and jazz of storytelling; equally important is to know the needs and desires of your audience.
   
   Always tell the stories your audience wants to hear or are likely to care about. If you don't do that, no matter how fantastic your storytelling is, it will not have the desired effect.

Interactive Chat: An Example By Nina Nesbitt

The important thing is to try to build a relationship by building an experience, instead of an impersonal, complicated chatbot. Other marketers are doing the same!

Check out this fun example of interactive chat Nina Nesbitt sent out to her fans, for instance:

See how balancing answers, questions and responses makes this conversation WAY more engaging and fun than simply blasting your subscribers with a wall of chat messages?

We want you to be just as successful with Messenger marketing.

By the way, we've collected and uploaded our most popular resources. You can download these resources for free!

Or why don't you connect to I AM POP directly through Messenger at https://m.me/bypophq