Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways through which you can bring your brand to life. By telling interesting stories through your products and services you can take your target audience on an interactive journey.
To create that connection with your consumers your brand story must be authentic, creative and inspirational.
Stories celebrate our culture and are a testament to the lives we have led. Stories also make messages easier to tell. From childhood through adulthood stories have captivated us by teaching us various life lessons, taking us on exciting journeys, helping us gain knowledge and unleashing our imaginations.
How to tell your brand’s story?
When you craft your brand’s story, it is crucial that you illustrate the voice of your brand along with what it stands for and why it matters. In order to sell your brand’s story, it must be creative, yet subtle and often indirect.
When you tell your brand’s story you don’t need to invent one because your company is filled with stories, from your products and services to your mission, vision and values. Even the way you develop solutions and a value proposition is all about stories. It is also possible to turn your achievements into stories that people can relate to or other companies can learn from.
Good storytelling isn’t always about your brand or its products and services. It more than that. It is about emotions, experiences and needs that in relation with what your brand evokes. Furthermore, brand storytelling isn’t a one-off exercise, instead it is a matter of consistency and adaptation to your customers needs.
In order to be a good storyteller, it is vital that you listen to your audience so that you can understand their desires and concerns, along with their beliefs and attitudes. You must continue listening as your story unfolds so that you can gauge the reactions of your audience. This will certainly determine the way your brand’s story evolves.
The four keys to a good brand story
Just like any story, a captivating brand story must have these acts: setting up the situation, chronicling the conflict and offering a resolution. However, business stories must have a fourth act which is often unique – a call to action.
The desired outcome of your company drives your brand story. Whether it motivates change, encourages the buying of a product or draws people in your store.
Identifying stories to tell
The easiest way to identify your brand story is by thinking about how your brand was born, what inspired you to create the company and what is your mission. But in doing all of this, don’t forget the needs of your audience.
While it is important that you tell your own story, it is also advised that you should include your client narratives as these create the largest impact. The customer should be your main character, whereas your company should serve as the supporting character that offers tools that help them create successful solutions.
Your next powerful weapon should be testimonials which prove to be a great way to build customer loyalty. Putting across a customer problem that was solved by your employee will illustrate a positive outcome that will stick with your readers for a long time.
Effective medium for Brand Storytelling
Any medium can be used to tell your brand’s story from blogs to film to print and social channels. But it is important that your story is tailored to fit the medium you choose, as each medium elicits a different reaction from your target audience. However, the key to success is knowing which story best fits which medium. Usually short and snappy stories work best on television and social media platforms, whereas lengthy stories are ideal for blogs.
The rules of storytelling pretty much remain the same when it comes to brand storytelling as well. But remember it all starts with listening and isn’t just about sharing.
