Using Your Brand’s Story to Stand Out From the Crowd
Getting people to notice what you have to offer is becoming harder and harder with all the noise and worthless clutter online, but your business has something unique. Something different to every other business out there vying for attention …
Your brand’s story.
Your story is one of the best ways to get your point, and your marketing message, across and to ensure it’s well remembered by the people who matter.
We’re all wired for stories – think of the excitement on children’s faces at story time – and if you weave your marketing message into a compelling story you can be sure people will remember it, and even share it.
Captivating stories are unforgettable, and the really good ones often turn into legends, whether they’re true or not.
Your story doesn’t need to be that gripping – although it certainly can be – but it does need to be true, and it needs to hold the reader’s attention long enough for you to let them know what your brand is all about and to convey authenticity.
Finding your Brand’s Story
With more and more services becoming automated and impersonal, your brand’s story is a way to connect your company’s values to the same values your customers hold dear, and to reinforce what you stand for.
To find your brand’s story and give it a consistent voice, start with the founder of the company.
Everyone has a good reason why they started their business, and it usually has to do with their intrinsic values and the need to offer something different, better, or both.
Find those who’ve been with the company from the beginning and interview them to find those nuggets of information that, when combined, add up to a great story.
Find Common Ground for Connection
Once you have your information you should be able to see the link between why the company was first started and what your customers want and need the most.
They should be able to relate with their own hopes and desires and feel real resonance and affinity with your brand.
Your customers will know why you do what you do and that you’re doing it for them. That’s why they become your loyal customers.
Make your Brand’s Story Persuasive
Combine your company’s why with a great product or service, authenticity, and a willingness to listen to your target market and provide what they want, and there will be no reason to employ other persuasion tactics.
Your well-crafted brand’s story needs all the little details that make up a good narrative, the ones that people can connect with …
The ones that keep them reading and nodding along because they understand where you’re coming from.
Make your Brand’s Story Compelling
If you think of the original hero’s journey, the same one on which all good stories are loosely based, not everything goes the way the hero would have liked, but it all works out in the end.
Try not to edit the details too much to make your brand’s story sound too perfect.
Everyone loves to know how others overcame challenge and eventually succeeded and how they did it. We’ve all been there and it makes for a more interesting and compelling story.
A well told brand story should make your audience feel like they know you and you’re a part of their tribe. It’s not about showcasing your products or services, or even telling people about them …
It’s about making a connection with your audience and showing you’re just like them, with all the flaws and human frailties, which in turn gives your audience the control and lets them do business with you because they want to, not because they have to.
Keep the Faith