Could story-first marketing work for your next launch?

“Once they hear the concept, they’re sold.” That’s what we heard from our clients at Zacks Investment Management, who were looking for a way to introduce a new service into an industry saturated with product pitches.

What they were offering simply wasn’t the same as everything else out there, but if they started off on the wrong foot with RIAs, it would be dismissed as such. That’s why we took a story-first approach, presenting the needs and opportunities surrounding the service before promoting it directly.

We built up a content library and corresponding email campaign focused on the challenges their target market was facing and the strategies that would help them. Instead of a familiar pitch for another product, leads were being offered exclusive, relevant content from a trusted name in independent research.

Once users opted in and viewed the content, they would see how the ZacksOne platform fit into the story. They had already identified with the problem and conceptualized the solution, without having the experience of being sold a product, and this made them more likely to be receptive to the message. It also helped filter leads down to those who would be a good fit for ZacksOne.

Because we set up a database to capture user information, we were able to carry out follow-up campaigns for interested leads and track overall progress.

We paired this story-first marketing strategy with dedicated ZacksOne branding, so that, once primed on the concept and advantages of the platform, users had a place to go to learn more about how it worked. This included a unique LeadLink brochure, a website and overview collateral. We incorporated calls to action throughout, so that Zacks reps could be connected with warm leads.

If you find you need to sit down with a lead and explain the significance of your service before they begin to see its unique value, it may be time to consider a story-first approach.