Storytelling that Sells, Part 2: Amazon

I recently shared some of the amazing ways that Airbnb uses storytelling to sell.

I find examples such an effective way to learn and be inspired, so I want to give you more!

In this post, I am going to dive into another big brand that not only uses storytelling to sell but also provides a way for its sellers to tell their stories with ease.

Let’s explore story selling with Amazon…

Amazon was founded on the principles of customer focus and simplicity. Even after years of being in business, these principles continue to be the primary drivers behind business marketing and operations.

When promoting their brand, which they don’t need to do much of these days, Amazon combines storytelling and the age-old brand values of simplicity and customer focus to sell. This is important to note because the way they incorporate the customer focus approach, this is adaptable to every brand, including your own.

Here are a few examples of how Amazon uses storytelling in their video marketing:

You will find two video links below that will take you to two ads (Joy is Made and Amazon Accessibility Anthem), that Amazon uses in the promotional materials. Whether you choose to use ads or not in your own marketing efforts, each of these are perfect examples of their continued and fluid use of storytelling.

“Joy is Made,” tells the story of a father who is inspired to create a Christmas experience for his daughter. He collects all the materials he needs, and orders some from Amazon, ultimately creating a heartfelt experience that his daughter adores. The focus of this story is not on Amazon products, but rather on the heartfelt experience being created, in which Amazon acts as a quick and silent partner.

“Amazon Accessibility Anthem,” uses storytelling to show how Amazon products and the ordering process simplify the life of customers with disabilities. This again enforces the focus on doing everything possible to serve all customers.

In the simplest terms; Amazon is the supporting character in all their advertising and services. They make the customer, seller or employee the hero of every story.

Additionally, Amazon doesn’t just sell their brand, they take it one step further by also offering simple ways (and tools) for all brand-registered amazon sellers to tell their story.

They do this by offering two features:

Brand Story – sellers answer a few simple questions to tell the story of their brand (e.g., how did you get started, what makes your brand unique, etc.) and upload a slogan, photo, and logo which are used to create a landscape image that is shared with your products. This is a simple way for buyers to learn more about who the seller is and what their brand values are and is a great way to build customer loyalty.

Brand Carousel – a customizable template with up to four slides to share other products or more about the seller’s brand story. This provides an opportunity to get creative visually and lets customers learn about the seller’s brand in a fun and interactive way.

Amazon has done a great job of story selling on both a large and small scale, and guess what… even if you’re not an Amazon seller, you can use these ideas to tell your story and make your brand stand out!

A short graphic or carousel is a quick and easy way to start sharing your story with your customers. Need some inspiration, check out the stories being shared on Amazon!

The bottom line is that your audience wants to know you and hear your unique story – so what are you waiting for?