A Decade of Toast: Celebrating 10 Years of Impact
April 16, 2025
Let’s be honest, everyone’s scrolling fast in an endless world of reels, tweets, carousels and tiktoks. To gain people’s attention online is so difficult. You’re not just competing against your industry, you’re up against memes, music videos, and trending gist. Everybody is doing almost the same content and throwing out the same ideas, so, how do you stand out?
The answer isn’t shouting louder. It’s mastering the art of digital storytelling. Stories that don’t just demand attention. Stories that make people feel, remember, and share. And yes, this is still possible, even in 2025, 2026 and years to come.
Let’s break it down.
Written by Ife Ademola
You’ve probably heard that humans now have shorter attention spans than puppies. Whether that’s fully accurate or not, the truth is simple, attention is currency.
In today’s digital world, attention isn’t just a nice thing to have. It’s everything. Every second someone gives your brand is earned, not owed. And that attention can directly translate to loyalty, influence, and yeah, sales too.
This is the essence of the attention economy. Brands that thrive are the ones that understand this economy and learn how to earn trust by creating content that connects quickly and deeply.
A good story, whether in a tweet, an Instagram reel, or a product video follows one rule: it makes people feel something. But how?
Let’s break it down:
Digital storytelling is not just about creativity, It’s about empathy. When you understand your audience’s emotions, needs and context, your stories resonate more. Toast shares 5 practical ways businesses can show empathy that can help you shape a more human centered story.
Whether it’s laughter, nostalgia, or inspiration, people connect to feelings, not features. That’s why Indomie’s campaigns often lean on warmth and nostalgia, reminding us of childhood meals or good times long forgotten.
Simplicity wins. If your audience needs to work hard to understand your message, you’ve already lost them. Make your message as easy to grasp as possible.
Speak your audience’s language. Think of how PiggyVest talks to young Nigerians about savings using pop culture, street slang, and scenarios they live in every day.
Consistency in your brand’s voice, visuals and values, strengthens your story across all platforms. For a more comprehensive approach to maintaining this consistency, Toast offers a detailed step by step guide to building your first brand guideline.
When these four ingredients align, even 15 seconds can be enough to tell a story that resonates.
Ready to turn attention into action? Here are practical ways to tighten your digital storytelling game:
Whether it’s a tweet, headline, caption, or first 5 seconds of your reel, your opening line should spark curiosity. Ask a question. Drop a bold statement or say something unexpected. For example: “Saving money is easy, until Shawarma shows up.”
From memes to heartfelt customer testimonials, PiggyVest nails storytelling across platforms. They lean into shared experiences like Sapa, detty december, salary delay and turn them into teachable financial moments.
Indomie is more than just noodles. They are intentional about making you feel childlike nostalgia and warmness. Their adverts often focus on home, family, and identity. That emotional connection makes them timeless.
Zikoko doesn’t just write articles; they tell stories that mirror the everyday Nigerian experience. They are funny, dramatic, and deeply relatable. Their ‘Love Life’ series, for instance, makes you care about strangers’ love stories within seconds.
Even the best brands fumble when storytelling becomes an afterthought. Here’s what to avoid:
What works on X might flop on Threads. Customize your format and tone.
Focus on one clear message per piece of content. Don’t try to squeeze your brand’s full mission into a single reel.
People won’t care about your brand until you show them why it should matter to them. Lead with value, not vanity.
A trending sound or meme can work if it fits your story. Otherwise, it’s just noise.
Your audience’s attention isn’t shrinking. It’s becoming more selective. They’ll stop scrolling for stories that make them feel seen, understood, or inspired and that, dear friend is an opportunity.
If you can master the art of short, sharp, and emotional storytelling, you won’t just grab attention, you’ll earn trust, loyalty, and community. So next time you’re creating content, instead of asking yourself “Will they watch this?” instead ask, “Will they feel this?”
At Toast Creative Studios, we create content that doesn’t just look good, it resonates. Let’s craft stories that cut through the noise and speak directly to your audience.
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