What makes a story unique has not changed, regardless of where you find it –whether in a book or an app. A compelling narrative can inspire and set us in motion. So how does that feeling translate to today’s mobile experience considering the constraints of our attention?
Last week Storyly assembled a panel powered by MMA with moderation from Chris Babayode, MMA EMEA MD, and two insightful panelists: Ali Conker, Head of Tazedirekt & Macroonline, and Faheem Saiyad, Business Development Manager for Storyly. The panel was a part of MMA’s Creativity Unplugged Festival. Chris set the stage for the board to emphasize the impact of great storytelling on brands. At the same time, Ali unpacked the success case of two major online retail apps, Tazedirekt and Macroonline, followed by Faheem on the power of Storyly and what’s next in mobile tech for brand loyalty.
With emerging social platforms over the years, we can trace the evolution in the art of storytelling. This is especially true for brands and how they formulate their creative content. More and more, brands are more concerned about their ability to tell engaging stories daily in a matter of seconds. They also need to be intelligent and flexible in the way they work with storytellers, today’s influencers, and content creators.
Data says it better: user attention span is now down to 8 seconds! Since most interactions between the brand and the consumer are digital, brand loyalty is constantly tested.
Almost every product at Tazedirekt has a journey, a story about how they are produced and what they consist of. “The consumer is interested to hear the journey behind the products,” notes Ali.
Speaking of journey, as a response to frequent feedback about unripe bananas, Tazedirekt devoted a series of videos on app’s stories where their suppliers became the storyteller, informing users about how a banana is made and the struggles about the production and logistics to deliver that banana with minimum waste. The content reinforced their commitment to being transparent and waste-free – all along, a refreshing take on how to address user feedback.
It is evident to Tazedirekt that user engagement in their app largely depends on how they curate and showcase content. Ali is constantly looking for new ways to visually and effectively illustrate its brand essence. The Stories feature, powered by Storyly, has made it possible for them to bond with consumers through their suppliers’ stories.
Emerging from Instagram and the like, Stories have become a compelling form of content. For reference, 1 in 4 millennials looks for stories of the products and services they want to buy. Stories, as a medium, are not as interruptive as other digital mediums, yet they still make the content accessible. To this trend, Faheem adds, “anytime a client adds the Storyly function inside their app, they’ve seen almost a replication of the experience on Instagram with a similar rate of consumption, at 40% because of the social norm.”
Faheem led on to unpack the magic behind this game-changing technology by emphasizing the leap from user acquisition to retention: “When people know there’s more and more unique experiences of new content, their willingness to come back into the app and interact with it, is much higher. That’s where you see an overall increase in retention rate as well.” With Storyly, each story can have its own tailored CTA button. Similar to Instagram, you can let them add a swipe-up, heart, and like. These interactive components urge the user to take the second action inside the app. The average retention rate seen via Storyly is a 30% CTR. Faheem adds, “This is much higher than other formats such as carousels and banners, and hence brands are obliging more and more to use Storyly, and serve the audience this new social norm.”
“At Tazedirekt, we are willing to use seamlessly integrated new technologies to simplify the experience cost-effectively. The team at Storyly took the time to understand the complexities of our business; they were hands-on during integration, and they’re still a close strategic partner, working with us to leverage stories the best way possible.”
The second brand Ali unpacked for us was Macroonline, their premium retail brand tailored for a more affluent segment. Ali notes, “Here, our chic-designed stores and elite staff provide our customers a unique in-store experience. We apply the same to our mobile presence.” Therefore, the content and conversation are tailored to create a VIP experience for the user.
“We want to explore this further,” says Ali and talks about a compelling piece of content they are creating now via Storyly, with their grocers and butchers who play in the retail experience. “We will bring the same value and that human touch to our app. Soon we will be hosting a series of staff stories on the app. Each staff member, say, a butcher, will give fun facts or useful tips & tricks about the food they know and love. They will help us tailor the mobile shopping experience with exclusive content and an authentic feel.” That way, a significant in-store value will be seamlessly translated for the user journey on the app.
Another exciting way Macroonline benefits from Storyly is pre-determining their stock based on consumer insight – especially for exported premium goods. The app’s stories have interactive components so users can quickly react ❤️ / 👍 to a report of a product. Along with search inputs on the app, these interactive qualities let Macroonline track what is getting attention and favorability to inform product variety and stock decisions.
Finally, Chris wrapped up the conversation describing brands as “great stories well-told.” If you are also looking for new technologies to tell the stories essential to your brand, schedule a call with the Storyly and explore further.
Thanks to the live shopping feature, customers can see and buy products instantly.
Berkem is master of none, jack of all trades. Happens to be a Growth Strategist at Storyly. Knows/writes about growth frameworks and user behavior.
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