Stories have been with us since our earliest years, evoking emotions, inspiring us, and leaving lasting memories. But what connection do they have with a language course?
In today’s marketing, efforts focus on creating engaging content that captures the audience’s attention. Storytelling, the art of narrating stories, is a tool that can transform the promotion of your language courses. Through authentic and inspiring stories, you can distinguish your school from the competition, showcasing its unique value in an accessible and emotional way.
What will you find in this article?
- What is storytelling?
- How to create an engaging story about a language course?
- The structure of storytelling – how fairy tales are crafted
- Why does storytelling work?
- How to use storytelling in a language school?
- Summary – storytelling: how to tell a story?
What is storytelling?
Storytelling is the art of telling stories that evoke emotions and stir the imagination of the audience. In the context of your language school, storytelling involves sharing engaging content about the brand, courses, and students’ experiences.
Unlike dry facts or numbers, a story is memorable because it triggers emotions and encourages the client to engage their imagination. Storytelling is also an effective content marketing strategy, allowing you to present your language school in an unconventional way easily.
By creating captivating stories, you build stronger relationships and capture attention, which helps to effectively acquire new clients to your language school.
How to create an engaging story about a language course?
For storytelling to work, your story must have a structure, a hero, and a message. Here are the 6 key elements of every good story:
Hero
Every story needs a hero or heroes. In the case of a language school, this can be your student who has transformed their life through learning.
Example: „Lucy, a mother of two, decided to learn Spanish.”
Problem or separation
Show what the hero is struggling with. It could be a lack of time, low motivation, or fear of speaking. Conflict is the heart of the story.
Example: „Jack felt stressed and embarrassed when he had to speak English in meetings at work.”
Enemy
The enemy is the obstacle that the hero must overcome. This could be a language barrier, lack of confidence, or a competitive offer.
Example: „For George, the biggest challenge (enemy) was the language barrier. Although he knew grammar quite well, he avoided speaking because he feared making mistakes and being judged by others.” His inner enemy said: „You will never speak fluently.”
Journey
Tell how the hero began their learning journey at your language school. What were their first steps, what challenges did they face, and how did their learning progress?
Example: „Maggie started with conversation classes with our instructor, overcame her fears, and felt more confident with each passing week.”
Confrontation and resolution
This is the moment of facing the problem and overcoming it.
Example: „After a few months of the course, Harry was comfortably conversing and presenting projects in Italian.”
Triumph
The conclusion must showcase the success and benefits your language course has brought.
Example: „Thanks to learning at our school, John passed his final exams with a 100% score and got into his dream college.”
The structure of storytelling – how fairy tales are crafted
The structure of storytelling is widely used by marketers, salespeople, public speakers, and even filmmakers! Pixar is one of the best examples. Their animated films like „Toy Story,” „Finding Nemo,” or „WALL-E” are based on exactly the same structure: hero, problem, journey, confrontation, and triumph.
Example: „Finding Nemo”
- Hero: Marlin, the father of a small fish.
- Problem or separation: Nemo is kidnapped, and Marlin must find him.
- Enemy: The dangers of the ocean and Marlin’s own fears.
- Journey: Marlin traverses the ocean, overcoming his weaknesses.
- Confrontation: He conquers his fear and finds his son.
- Triumph: Marlin not only saves Nemo but also learns to trust others and allows his son to be independent.
Just as Pixar engages the viewer through emotions and the transformation of the hero, your story about the language course should move the audience, showcase the challenges and successes of students, and at the same time highlight the value of your offer.
Why does storytelling work?
- It evokes emotions and is memorable
People do not remember statistics or facts, but a well-told story stays with them for a long time. - Builds relationships and trust
Customers want to know that there are real people and stories behind your school. Storytelling allows you to show who you are and why it’s worth trusting you. - Sells in an authentic way
Stories inspire action because audiences find their needs and dreams reflected in them. This is not an aggressive form of sales, but a subtle way of showing that your language school understands their challenges and offers real solutions.
How to use storytelling in a language school?
In all of this, you must not forget that your language school must play the main role. The story should be inextricably linked to the brand – it’s what builds the image of the language school.
See how and where you can use storytelling:
- Student stories – tell about the successes of your students. Show how learning a language has impacted their professional and personal lives.
- Behind the scenes of the school – showcase the instructors, their passion for teaching, and their commitment. „Our teachers are not only experts, but also guides who infect with a love for language.”
- Video and social media – create short films or posts telling the stories of students and teachers. Video has an enormous impact and engages audiences, especially on the language school’s social media.
- Blog – create articles in the form of stories that showcase real situations and problems your courses solve.
Summary – storytelling: how to tell a story?
Storytelling is a powerful tool that allows your language school to stand out in the market. A well-told story evokes emotions, inspires action, and remains memorable for a long time. Show your clients that your courses are more than just learning – they are a path to achieving dreams, successes, and changes in life.
Now you know what storytelling is and how to use it! Now, download a free language school marketing audit and create a cohesive strategy for your school.