There is a certain art to telling a story that lulls the best of us into a state of insecurity and blissfulness. Perhaps it has to do with the bed-time stories that were told to us as kids, maybe it’s a deep-rooted psychological thing. But increasingly, the marketing crowd is beginning to understand the value of telling a story as opposed to making a hard sell of their products and/or services. And they are right, although some of them are very late to jump onto this bandwagon. Storytelling is perhaps the single most influential thing in the history of mankind when it comes to shaping thought and what are marketing messages but an attempt to shape the thoughts of mankind?

Storytelling as an art can be applied to a number of disciplines and it contains the power to put the world in the palm of the hand that unfurls it. This is correct, and there is a very simple reason to it. The best of stories will always have a message of some sort, and what remains in the mind long after the advertisement has been played is the message it wanted to convey. This is perhaps why Aesop’s fables always has a moral at the end of the story. He was on to something there and old Aesop knew a thing or two about telling a story.

But how do you know when a story is told well? How do we know it’s the real deal? You can go to a (well stocked) library and read everything from Aristotle to Keats to Hemingway to more contemporary writers and yet not learn much about telling a story. The key to telling a good story though is simple; you are not meant to inform. You are not meant to educate. You are meant to entertain. Nobody watches an advertisement in order to get informed about something. If they are keen to get informed about something, they will go out and find information that suits their needs. The moment something seems informative and dreary a user will skip past it by changing a channel, flipping a page or opening a new internet browser window.

This is perhaps why Steve Jobs is the greatest marketer of our time. He will walk on to a stage, disarming in that trademark Issey Miyake turtleneck and faded jeans and proceed to click through picture after picture. There is no information overload over there, just a story to be told. And the people love it. Apple sells some of the best tech products to be found anywhere in the world, but what Jobs really runs is a marketing and dream machine of the most sophisticated order. Apple knows how to tell a story, and they are better off for it. There is a sense of drama and theater to every launch of theirs, causing fevered anticipation among users. That’s something no brand can buy.

If you are a blogger, as I suspect that you are, your presence and your reach needs to step out beyond just the confines of the blog that you run. There’s a whole new world waiting for you out there, and it’s one you need to tap into. Your social media presence can boost the online advertising rates that you demand for your blog once you hit a certain point and in many ways, it must be seen as the ultimate opt-in. Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube; no matter how your readers and followers choose to connect with you, you have to give them the option of diversity. They have to be able to receive your message in a number of ways, not just because you can engage them in so many more ways, but because you can hike your online advertising rates by doing so.

Communication channels such as these are assets without a doubt. They can help you grow loyalty and a following. And from that comes influences and yes, now that you mention it, affluence as well. Your readers and your influence is important not just for you, but also for your advertisers. Perhaps you’ve never thought about it that way, but there is a very direct link between your following and the online advertising rates you can demand. At one time, advertisers were content to take a scattered approach to advertising. Anyone and everyone that remotely fitted the bill would be signed on and given advertising dollars. Now, it’s more than just that. It’s about social media reach. It’s about being heard, being seen and being an influence on as wide a number of people as is possible. It’s no longer about banner ads, even though that does happen. It’s now about brand exposure within the context of social networks.

For you, it’s about raking in more moolah (but not while making your readers feel like cash cows) whilw for advertisers it’s all about creating greater value and awareness, better bang for advertising bucks. Gone are the days when being spammy made advertisers happy. To get top dollar today, you need to cash in on reader trust without selling out your readers and building on that trust they have imposed in you. Sounds tricky? That’s because it is. I’ve seen so many blogs run ads that are intrusive with owners that don’t listen to their community. I understand and fully appreciate the need to monetize a blog, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of your audience. No one likes to feel used.

So just how can you do this without being cheesy? There’s a number of ways to do so, such as,

• announcing an advertising tie-up in a welcome post or a tweet
• publish featured articles every month that can also include advertiser interests.
• Publish special offers you’ve got from an advertiser either in a blog post, Facebook page or a tweet

At any rate, you must make it a point to clearly demarcate advertising and editorial functions at all times. Keep your social media statistics close at hand and make sure that your advertisers get full value for money while you get extra money for not much extra effort. At all times though, make sure this is not at the expense of the reader.

Sometimes, solid marketing can be so hard to resist. Just yesterday, I stumbled upon this pair of shoes in my closet and I wondered how the hell it got there in the first place. Surely some ex-girlfriend hadn’t left it behind after a night of crazed debauchery? But a closer look revealed to me that it was not so. These were, in fact, men’s shoes. So I can only presume that I bought it previously for god alone knows what reason. It’s fancy, it’s too small for my feet and I’ve never really worn them. Well, maybe the once, but that’s it. What the hell came over me and why did I buy these stupid shoes? All I could think of was that some savvy marketer had made me part with my dollars. It made me feel like a fool, but in my foolishness lies a lesson on how to build your business.

Too often, I see compelling ads forcing me to take action now. Oh my god, my favorite product is now available at an 85% discount! This expert on the mating habits of the African Swallow will only discuss its relevance and value until Monday! This service promises to change my life for better or worse or they’ll give me my money back! Okay, so I made a few of those up. But the best way to build your business is to increase an element of urgency and risk to things. This makes customers take action right here, right now. And maybe you too will sucker someone in, just like I got suckered into buying those fancy pair of shoes. I was tempted by some seemingly irresistible offer, although I know not what it was, and it is something you too can do.

Sometimes, this marketing works a charm. You end up buying something you just don’t need at all. I have no idea why I pick up some of the items I do at the supermarket, but I do anyways. And I am not alone in acting so randomly and in such an unexplainable manner. Perhaps like me after I realized I was suckered into buying those shoes, your customers too might feel resentful and angry and not return to your business. So make sure what you are offering is a good fit for your customers and that they can be happy with them. That will make them repeat customers.

And that’s a surefire way to build your business, by drawing in your customers, but making sure they are happy with the buying experience. They might not say a word to you about their displeasure, but they just won’t buy from you. That’s a pitfall to be avoided. Sometimes, you just have to tell someone the shoe doesn’t fit. Or they’ll be really pissed off, like I am at this moment.

This is a story of two women. One of the women in question is my hairdresser and the other woman in question is my massage therapist. Yes, this is a tale of two women, but in it there is also a lesson to be learned. A lesson about how to deal with people, a lesson that will offer online marketing tips. But if you expect me to simply offer you that lesson without getting into details, you’re nuts. That’s not my style. I’d rather teach you to fish than you hand you a giant fish. So, without further ado, allow me to compensate.

Let’s talk about my massage therapist first. Now, I was involved in a reasonably bad car accident some years back, and my back has never been the same since. So yes, I do indulge in massage therapy every now and then and it is safe to say that I feel a strong connection with my massage therapist. Perhaps it’s the fact that a bond is created since you get naked that much around a person, but I’m not sure that’s it. I just see her very often and she’s close to my age. I think that’s it. If you’re thinking, “where the hell are my online marketing tips”, I’m going to tell you to be patient. Good things come to those that wait, didn’t you know?

A month, maybe more ago, my hairdresser simply asked if I’d recommend her for a “best of” compilation that a website was running. They rank a lot of things, restaurants, places to go, and yes, among other things hairdressers too. Mind you, her request wasn’t cheapened by bribing me or begging me. She didn’t say “I’ll give you a free haircut if you do this.” I’d have said no straight away if she had proposed that to me. She just made a request and I went home and gladly did so. It took me all of two minutes, and I felt it was deserved.

Imagine how sheepish I felt when, a few weeks later once the recommendations had shut (for now) my massage therapist told me that she was also looking for recommendations and I felt bad I didn’t give her one. But could you blame me? I never even knew about it! I’d have been more than happy to recommend her services. It’s not just about supporting her business, I’d just have liked to do something for her. Perhaps I should have checked the other categories. But that is all moot now. I only wish she had asked it of me.

And there, ladies and gents, is one of the biggest online marketing tips I can give you. Ask and ye shall receive. We don’t ask for guest posts or donations or advice or purchases to support the blog or business or service. Heck, we don’t even say “just click this link”. It seems very commercial, like you’ve sold your soul to the devil for a cookie, but that’s not true. It’s not even pushy! Some people do get pushy, but that’s not you, is it? Yeah, I thought not. Don’t be aggressive, and don’t be passive. Make a request, be nice and just trust that those loyal to you will help you. Stop giving and look to get something in return. If you don’t do that, you’re a very nice person. A very nice person that’s poor or broke. And you don’t want to be that, do you?