Successful brands understand the importance of a compelling brand story because, at the end of the day, people fall in love with people (and a good story) not inanimate, lifeless products.
At this stage of the game, there are very few products or ideas that don't exist already or have yet to be tried, which is why brand storytelling is essential if you want your product or company to stand out from the crowd.
When you tell your brand story in an authentic way, you go from just a product to a brand personality. When you share engaging personal stories which resonate with your target audience, you're building trust and creating connection.
Storytelling in general is a powerful tool.
What's the difference between a good brand story and a great brand story?
A great brand story communicates your core values. It's authentic and personal and free from fluff.
People these days, well, we have a 6th sense for fakeness, and great brand stories are not contrived because we'd be able to sniff it out from a mile away.
While it's true that we want to see success stories, great brand stories share their fails, their struggles, their lessons learned. If it's a simple story, that's not a problem, if of course it's told in such a way that resonates with your core audience
Good is "this is how we got started." Great is "this is why we got started." Adding the element of "why" takes your company story to a whole new level.
It's not about using sly marketing techniques to make people fall in love with you. It's about understanding your customers and what's important in their lives, and finding common ground. Then using storytelling to paint a vivid, dynamic and authentic picture for them.
3 Reasons to create an authentic brand story:
Take control of your own brand narrative
If you're not leading the conversation, others will, and there's no guarantee that they will tell your story in a way that you want it to be told.
You decide how you want to be perceived, and if you don't make a choice, someone will make a choice for you. Apart from that, you and your team are the ones who know why the business was created, so make sure you tell the story you want the world to hear.
Connect with more people
This starts with you. Telling stories is great, but it's more than that. If you want to create meaningful connections with your target customer you first must understand who you are, why you exist, what you want to offer and why it all matters.
Your company must have a mission and articulate this mission with clarity and emotional connection. Think about brand story examples like Toms Shoes, a company which gained loyal customers and worldwide praise for providing a matching pair of shoes to a needy child for every purchase made on their site.
This goes beyond smart marketing. This is an example of the brand's values and beliefs. It's also a gives each Toms customer a great story to tell, and a boost of serotonin at making the world a tiny bit better with their purchase.
Storytelling makes an impact on the human brain
Telling a compelling story is one of the most effective ways to get (and keep) your customers' attention. When articulated correctly, simple stories bring your goals and values to life.
This is a science fact! Cortisol or Oxytocin are released in the brain as a chemical response to external factors.
Focus on the aspects of your business that resonate, inspire, ignite, or motivate your clients and audience. One can even take a simple backpacking trip and turn that into a tale of triumph, success and value.
People want to feel things. Studies show that people tend to donate more money to charities when the marketing is story-driven.
Another great example is Warby Parker, and their "buy a pair, give a pair" motto. They understood that massive amounts of underprivileged folks need glasses to improve their quality of life, and one way to solve that problem is to create a connection between those buying and those needing... Let me try to make that example a bit clearer.
It comes down to empathy. I want new glasses. I get excited about all the prospects, the fun designs and the affordable price. I understand that buying these glasses will help me, and I'm also given a chance to gift all those warm and fuzzy feels to someone else who is not in the same position as I am?! Win-win! They understand their customer's story.
How to create a brand story
Ask yourself these questions:
Who are you (at your core)?
What do you do?
Who do you do it for?
What's your 'why'?
How do you do it?
Keep your brand story simple, honest and clear. Dedicate an area on your website where people can get to know you, and show your personality while you're at it! Brands that show up authentically turn customers into fans, and clients into their tribe.
Create your brand persona and tell people why your brand exists.
Surfer, for example, is here to democratize SEO and make it accessible to everyone regardless of educational background, language or technical experience.
We develop tools that are intuitive and user friendly which help small and large businesses alike climb the SERPs.
Great products need great stories, so get to writing yours today!
See more content marketing related content:
- Overcome the Coronavirus Crisis in SEO Agency and Keep Your Team Busy
- SEO Competitive Analysis: The Ultimate Guide
- What is "Lean Marketing"?
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