There are a hundred different ways to market to an audience, but a modern company is sticking with an older method.
Lyft, the ridesharing company, depends on storytelling to reach its audience.
Here’s how the on-demand, taxi-like service leverages storytelling in its content marketing plan to engage customers:
Stories that make drivers relatable
Lyft has created an image for its drivers. They’re perceived more as a friend, rather than a stranger providing a wordless drive from point A to point B.
To make the drivers more relatable, Lyft features the drivers who are part of their growing company. There are a number of stories that share a driver’s story and feature their passions, hobbies and daytime jobs.
For example, here’s a story about twin sisters who are Lyft drivers and restaurant owners. The one-minute video shares their background, their passion for food and how Lyft fits into their lives.
In addition to the drivers’ stories, there are several events held throughout the year that encourage drivers and passengers to mingle. This past Thanksgiving, for example, the company hosted “Lyftsgiving” where drivers and passengers volunteered at prearranged events all over the nation. The content and events reinforce the idea that the company, its drivers and its passengers are part of a friendly community.
Asking customers to share stories
The company builds on its friendly driver image by asking customers to contribute. Lyft asks riders to share 140-characters stories on Twitter with the hashtag, #ThankYourLyftDriver.
In one example, a rider commends the driver for giving a homeless man money. Another tweet shares a story of a driver changing a tire for someone, and another mini-story thanks a driver for helping the rider practice her French.
A lot of the stories reinforce the friendly-driver image, with an emphasis on words like “polite,” “reliable” and “safe.”
Entertaining with stories
Lyft has plenty of entertaining stories to tell about its drivers — from this blog post about a baby being delivered in the back seat to drivers’ favorite experiences over the years.
The company even has a few stories with A-list celebrities. Danica Patrick, the female NASCAR driver, gets behind the wheel and gives people a lift, or passengers hop in the car to find they’re sharing a ride with Justin Bieber.
The idea is to make Lyft the kind of company that everyone, regardless of their background, can use – from everyday people to pop stars.
Informing with relatable stories
Lyft makes an effort to use storytelling in every aspect of its marketing. Rather than explain what Lyft is through a wall of text, or a boring “About Us” page, the company tells a story.
To introduce the company’s concept, Lyft created an animated video to answer, “What is Lyft?”
It’s an example of how the company uses storytelling throughout its content marketing plan.
For some brands, the concept of storytelling is a lost art. For Lyft, it’s an integral part of its content marketing plan that generates brand awareness, reinforces brand image and generates revenue from customers.
