In 2018, Marketers Must Align Their Linear Marketing Strategies to Accommodate Conversational Storytelling Initiatives

The art of storytelling is an ancient art. However, for B2B marketers, the whole context of storytelling has changed with powerful audience data and insight-based technologies driving the modern marketing campaigns. The purpose of any content presentation is to deliver a relevant message to the audience– easily understood, retained for long, and easy to reproduce in the future.

To understand how martech community can benefit from a better understanding of spatial relationships in storytelling initiatives, we spoke to Nadjya Ghausi, VP of Marketing at Prezi in Part Nine of our Predictions Series 2018.

Conversational Storytelling Will Dominate

The essence of stories is the human element, and in 2018, we need to build experiences that include people, rather than replace them. Conversational storytelling is a non-linear approach to storytelling, which requires sharing content in a two-way fashion.

Instead of reciting a rehearsed speech or a memorized narrative, marketers simply need to ask prospects what they’re most interested in (or some variation of this question). This helps determine the starting point, and the dialogue can take off from there.

Conversations like this do a great job of sticking with us because when we exchange words with someone, our brain activity literally begins to mirror theirs.

Science calls this process neural coupling. However, in business, you can simply think of it as being on the same page.

Read More: 3 Reasons Why Data Storytelling Will Be A Top Marketing Trend of 2018

Immersive Technology Will Gain Momentum

Today’s audiences bore easily and require a more interactive experience. In the coming year, technologies such as augmented reality will gain traction as people begin to see the benefits in audience participation.

Particularly in sales and marketing presentations, visually interactive and immersive experiences that engage prospects and customers will be more important than ever before.

Recommended Read: Marketo Accelerate Community and their Idea of Martech Disruptions

Augmented reality has a strong place in the future of work and learning—and at Prezi, we see it as becoming a must-have for B2B marketers who want an immersive experience for remote activities, including webinars and meetings. This is the kind of technology that can support that shift by empowering immersive storytelling in a way that truly moves people.

Communication Through Data Storytelling Will Be Key

Nowhere is the adage, “seeing is believing” more evident than in the use of data in marketing. For a presentation to be effective, the data must not only tell the story, it must also impact the bottom line.

The way we process information has evolved to favor more dynamic content, compelling visuals, as well as effective storytelling over static, text-heavy messages. Communicating data visually will be a critical aspect of delivering the most effective, memorable and persuasive arguments for a truly impactful audience experience.

Recommended Read: Marketing Navigation 101 to Delight The C.U.S.T.O.M.E.R. in 2018