Why ‘Storytelling Is Dead’ Is a Big Marketing Lie

Storytelling has been a powerful part of marketing and creator businesses in recent years. As always with famous and powerful things, there are regular claims that they are dead. But is it true that storytelling is dead?

A couple of weeks ago, one of my clients sent me an email: This guy has this new product, should I get it? And sent me a link to a sales video.

I did not know the guy, the product, or the offer. So I ended up watching a 1-hour boring story video just to conclude that I did not feel it was anything new and no, my client should not buy it.

I am not a huge fan of business videos. I have wasted endless time on storytelling videos when the facts could have been presented in a couple of short paragraphs.

So when you ask me “Is storytelling dead?” and refer to these endless time-wasting videos, I would answer “I hope so” or “ Were they ever alive?”

But I am aware that they worked in some cases.

Then, a couple of days ago, someone on Twitter/X said that “Storytelling is dead” and explained that he made an A/B test for the launch of a product. The storytelling email performed so much worse than the short: here is the product, price and buy link email.

I would not doubt that experience in any way. However, deriving the claim “Storytelling is dead” from this situation is dangerous and short-sighted.

Because there is a lot more to storytelling than lengthy sales messages, what’s actually dead is bad storytelling, or worse, fake storytelling with an ulterior motive.

Storytelling can be very short. I mainly use anecdotes and mini-stories from my life to make my content creation tips memorable and easy to understand.

The myth that people only want quick info

The above-mentioned case of “Storytelling is dead” because all people are looking for is “What, how much, and where?” is getting it totally wrong. 

Yes, the example of the sales email is probably true – I instantly believe the numbers.

BUT what they are not mentioning is what comes BEFORE that sales email.

If you grow your audience with storytelling, nurture them through genuine and relatable stories, and build trust with authentic content, then you don’t need that lengthy sales message.

You have already told the necessary stories!

Storytelling at the wrong time can feel bogus

When people don’t build a relationship first, they cram all the storytelling into a single sales video, and it feels forced. Gives me the creeps every time.

If storytelling does not matter, why do we follow people online? For the sales messages?

I certainly don’t. 

I follow people who tell stories, and then sometimes, I listen to or follow their advice when they are posting a quick sales message.

Why do we really follow people?

I live a double life on Instagram.

I have two accounts. One for fun and one for my marketing message.

There is a lot to learn from running a purely fun social media account as a marketer. Because we content creators need to step out of our bubble of marketing and creator people to understand why people follow accounts on social media.

There are mainly three reasons why I follow people on my personal account that has no second thoughts about selling:

1. Friends
2. People who post about my interests (Newfoundland Dogs, Trail running, traveling)
3. People who tell engaging and interesting stories

Many times, 2 and 3 go hand in hand, as I like to follow accounts that tell stories about my interests.

Keep this in mind when you want to grow an audience.

How influencers get big

Most influencers (if they did not start as already famous movie stars or sports stars) build their audience through sharing their life in story snippets.

It is also how many reality TV formats work. They “show” a story – even if part of it is sometimes staged, it is all about storytelling.

Influencers don’t start as influencers. They start posting something that some other people like, and from there it starts to spread. 

Most of the time, they tell stories about their life and adventures.

Brands can use this too

I am sure you have come across some brands that use storytelling in their online presence – you may even be following some of them:

1. Nike –“Just Do It” & Athlete Stories

Nike doesn’t just sell shoes; they sell motivation and perseverance. Their ads and social media highlight real stories of athletes overcoming challenges, making their brand synonymous with determination.

Example: The Colin Kaepernick campaign (“Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything”) told a powerful story that sparked conversation worldwide.

2. Apple –“Think Different” & Emotional Branding

Apple’s marketing isn’t about tech specs—it’s about how their products change lives. From the “Think Different” campaign to modern product launches, Apple’s storytelling focuses on creativity, innovation, and personal impact.

3. Airbnb –“Belong Anywhere” & User Stories

Airbnb’s website and social media are filled with real stories from hosts and travelers, making it about experiences, not just rentals. Their “Made Possible by Hosts” campaign showcases how travel transforms people’s lives.

4. Coca-Cola –“Happiness” & Nostalgia

Coca-Cola has mastered emotional storytelling. Their holiday campaigns (like the famous Christmas polar bears) create nostalgia and warmth, reinforcing their brand message of happiness and togetherness.

5. Dove –“Real Beauty” & Empowerment

Dove’s Real Beauty campaign changed the conversation around beauty standards by telling authentic stories of real women. Their online presence promotes self-love, body positivity, and confidence.

6. Patagonia –“Environmental Activism” & Purpose-Driven Storytelling

Patagonia doesn’t just sell outdoor gear; they advocate for the planet. Their blog, ads, and social media showcase real people fighting for environmental change, reinforcing their mission-driven branding.

Most of the successful brands don’t just share product or company information. They pack up the information in stories.

The power of storytelling in building an audience

Storytelling is a great tool to build a connection with your audience. But we are not talking about just any story. The most powerful stories are authentic glimpses of your personality and life. 

It is not enough to invent a story or tell a fairy tale.

The kind of stories that work in audience building and marketing are stories that show experience, understanding for the audience and humanity.

These stories make you a relatable person or business; they trigger emotions and build trust and loyalty.

The main places to share stories if you want to build an audience are social media posts, your email newsletter, and your blog posts.

The influence of storytelling on sales

If your audience does not know you, stories can change that. If you build and nurture your audience with storytelling, they already trust you. 

In that case, the storytelling fits naturally into the conversation with your audience and you don’t need so much lengthy storytelling to make them buy.

This form of storytelling feels more natural and is a good way for people who don’t feel comfortable in hard selling. 

(That does not mean you don’t need sales pitches or landing page content. It just means you don’t need to go so hard on selling.)

The places to use stories for selling are your product landing pages, email newsletters, and social media posts. But you need to make sure that your emails and social media content do not go overboard on selling or you will lose the audience you have built. How much you can sell on these channels strongly depends on how you pack your messages. Stories are a great way to make selling entertaining – if you don’t focus on boring sales storytelling.

Selling is an art. Done well, it does not have to feel like selling.

Storytelling is evolving, not dying

With all the content people can create with the help of AI, genuine and authentic stories stand out. Building an audience, creating a brand, and selling products all get easier if you 

• Give people a reason to follow you with entertaining stories
• Build trust and recognition with authentic stories
• Sell with messages that don’t feel like sales messages (aka stories)

In today’s online world, where every informative piece of content is competing with numerous other pieces with the same information, stories help you stand out, be memorable and be uniquely you.

Storytelling is not dead; it is more powerful than ever.