Digital storytelling can be a powerful tool for marketing success, allowing you to communicate clearly and meaningfully with your audience.
By understanding the techniques and features that underpin the best digital stories, you can learn to create authentic content and produce brand storytelling materials that help your business thrive. And keep your conversion numbers going up!
So, where should you begin? Any effective storytelling process begins with an understanding of what makes a great story. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of examples designed to fuel your creativity.
What is digital storytelling?
Digital storytelling is a fundamental component of the way you communicate online and the methods you rely on for audience engagement and interaction.
Digital stories can offer an immersive experience for audiences, delivering compelling information and even offering interactive features to optimize engagement and keep users online.
Through effective digital storytelling, you can develop interesting ways to share key ideas that represent your organisation and influence the consumer journey. This can help you take greater control of your brand and how it represents itself online.
Digital storytelling is made to align with your audience’s attention span and deliver a narrative experience that makes people care about what you have to say. With the right approaches, you can create powerful stories that set your brand apart.
Digital storytelling techniques you should try
There are many ways to approach the digital storytelling process, relying on a variety of techniques, styles, and content formats.
A brilliant digital story is one that invites your audience to ask more. Any digital story you create should be set up in such a way that encourages ongoing interest and interactivity.
When getting started with digital storytelling, there are a few basic techniques you should aim to keep in mind.
Staying on brand
First, your digital story needs to relate closely to your brand and its mission. Good brand storytelling centers who you are and what you can offer. The more closely you adhere to your brand values, the more effectively your digital storytelling can help you build brand awareness and improve marketing power. This can also help to ensure you’re attracting the right audience for your business.
Trying various formats
Second, you may need to experiment with a variety of content formats. There are many different styles of digital storytelling, each with their own unique advantages. Use video clips alongside written content, alongside interactive materials. Consider fresh and innovative ways to communicate your ideas and share a narrative that generates interest in your brand offer.
Creating a timeline
A digital storytelling timeline can be a great tool in helping you take audiences on a journey. Don’t stop telling stories after producing one piece of digital storytelling media. Instead, think about the next steps in the consumer experience you want to provide. Lead audiences through a timeline of your brand and its message, making the most of every opportunity to promote your value.
Assessing your impact
Digital stories need your review. When you begin digital storytelling, it’s important that you stay up to date with assessing your impact and identifying opportunities for improvement. By regularly reviewing your narrative content, you can find new ideas for additional content while understanding how audiences respond to the content you have already created.
7+ digital storytelling examples
Looking for clear guidance on how to approach digital storytelling effectively? Here are 7 great digital storytelling examples to get you started.
1. Snowfall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek
Produced by the New York Times, this Pulitzer prize-winning project is one of the best examples of digital storytelling on the web. It’s no secret why it quickly generated interest from millions of users worldwide.
This project combines a range of formats and features to create a truly immersive experience. The written content delivers a compelling story, while images and videos catch the eye and interactive map tools give users a chance to be part of the narrative.
2. Gucci with Savoir Flair
This digital storytelling example is a great example of how a website alone can be used to create a fascinating story. This one takes users on a journey through a well-loved Gucci collection.
Integrating sleek design with interactive elements and a simple narrative, this project explains the process of creating the Savoir Flair collection, all while guiding audiences towards a final destination where they can purchase products from the line.
3. Bear 71
The Bear 71 project is another famous digital storytelling example, documenting the challenging life of a female grizzly bear who was consistently surveyed for 8 years by the Wildlife Conservation offices.
In this project, mixed media elements are used to interactively recreate the trauma experienced by the bear subject. The story is designed to invoke empathy in the audience by making the bear a sympathetic character in a call for greater wildlife protection efforts.
4. Spotify Harry Styles
Produced by one of the world’s leading music streaming services, the Spotify Harry Styles digital story shows that effective storytelling doesn’t have to be longwinded. This one is complete with fewer than 50 words in less than 30 seconds!
This digital story portrays the passion of Harry Styles fans, all in a few words and a musical hook. The video-based project tells a powerful story about a dedicated listenership in the timeframe of a single commercial.
5. Roxham Road
The Roxham Road project uses an interactive map to deliver 32 immersive digital stories about the border crossings stationed on the road linked Canada to the United States of America. Users can navigate the story at their own pace!
With these digital stories, audiences maintain control over their experience of the narrative provided. The map is designed to allow users to navigate independently as they discover insights about some of the most irregular border crossings.
6. Patagonia
The Patagonia website is a great digital storytelling example, directly including digital story elements as part of a broader marketing strategy. The site directs users to learn more about traveller journeys they can be inspired by.
This project illustrates the ways in which different media tools can be used to create interactive experiences that invoke empathy and generate interest. All of the stories included link to Patagonia’s products and how they can help.
7. Dove Reverse Selfie
The Dove reverse selfie campaign demonstrates the power of effective video production in delivering fast-paced, engaging digital stories that boost brand awareness and drive sales in the long term.
This campaign created a digital story that made an important statement about beauty ideals and photo editing. This kind of storytelling invites audiences to share their opinions and join the conversation, contributing to a larger storytelling initiative.
Looking for a shortcut to powerful digital storytelling?
For many, digital storytelling can feel like a challenge, especially if you’re not familiar with the conventions and techniques required to succeed.
Luckily, you don’t have to navigate digital storytelling on your own. You can rely on support from the experts to help you produce great narratives on behalf of your brand!
Need help producing your next digital story? Find out more about the Prozely process, or get started by contacting us today.
