Write a brand story? Of course, the power of a brand is undeniable. Every successful business knows that having a strong brand matters. In many cases, branding is the one of the only things that sets two products
apart. If you operate in a saturated market, developing a strong brand becomes even more vital. Essentially, your company’s brand is its point of differentiation. It’s the thing that ensures it stands out over and above its competitors.
While everyone knows that branding matters, less people understand how to create one. So much goes into building a success brand. But where should you even begin? Well, at the heart of every household brand is a compelling story. Here, we’ll explain what is a brand story, and help you to uncover the power of your company’s narrative.
What is a Brand Story?
So, first, it’s essential to establish what a brand story actually is. Well, a brand story acts as a vehicle to convey the essence of your brand. It’s a combination of your narrative, your company’s history, its values, and all of those carefully crafted visual elements of your brand. Everything from your mission statement to your customer service style to the color of your custom logo all contribute to your brand story.
But you may be wondering why you need a brand story. Creating a strong brand identity is vital. However, on its own, the creation of a brand just isn’t enough. Your brand’s story is what brings it to life. Brand storytelling is your way to make your brand relatable to your customers. Your storytelling develops an emotional attachment that connects your brand to your target audience. This is what makes brand storytelling so powerful.
Consumers are increasingly cynical about traditional marketing methods. Simply stating the perceived benefits of your products is no longer enough. Audiences are looking for so much more than this. Now, consumers have the opportunity to connect with brands in a whole new way. The power of social media puts brands front and center in people’s minds. This allows companies to engage with customers in ways that were never possible before. The opportunity to tell stories is an excellent example.
Stories have been around since the beginning of time. Telling stories is a tradition that transcends cultures and generations. This demonstrates the power of storytelling and its potential for brands.
Crafting a Compelling Brand Story
So, having a brand story is essential. But how do you create one? Well, you need to start by digging a little deeper into your brand.
Spending some time reflecting on your company and how it came to be is essential. Think of the ‘why.’ The reason why your brand exists is the beginning of your story. Why you took the leap and started your own business is the most compelling part of your story.
Consider what need you were trying to solve when you launched your company. Think about where that spark of an idea to start a business came from. Explore your business through the eyes of an outsider. Think about what they’d want to know about your company. You’ll then have the foundation of a strong brand story. Here are some prompt questions to help you get started:
- When did your company first launch?
- Who founded the business?
- What inspired you to start the business?
- What values does your business live by?
- What sets your company apart from its competitors?
- What are your company’s biggest achievements?
- What challenges has your business faced?
- How has your business overcome these challenges?
- What is your business most proud of?
To write your brand story, you need to look beyond your ‘why.’ You also need to understand the essential elements that make brand storytelling successful. It’s essential to know how to create a well-crafted story. After all, it’s this that captivates the attention of your audience. Keep reading to find out how to incorporate these areas into your brand story.
Essential Elements of Brand Storytelling
Giving your brand story structure will always make it more powerful. As with all good stories, a range of elements form the backbone of the tale. Understanding these is crucial. Basing your storytelling on them is vital. Do this, and your brand storytelling is far more likely to be successful. Following a traditional storytelling narrative structure is the best way to communicate your story effectively.
Here are the essential elements your brand story needs:
Beginning – setting the scene
The beginning of your story should set out why you started your business. What was the motivation behind launching a company? What problem were you trying to solve with your products or services?
Middle – taking action
The middle of your story explains the action that you took to solve the problem. How did you take your motivation to create change and develop a resolution to the issue?
When working on the middle of your story, take care not to get too technical. Making your story too detailed and overly jargon-filled could harm its effectiveness. Your story should be engaging and relatable. If you make it too complex and confusing, you risk losing your audience.
End – successful resolution
Running through your company’s story to the present day seems logical. But when you’re doing this, make sure the ending isn’t too definitive. You want your audience to perceive your company as thriving and relevant. Making your story sound like the end of your company’s journey will kill this feeling. Instead, you need to reflect on your company’s history while building excitement about its future.
Captivating Your Audience With an Authentic Brand Story
Authenticity is at the heart of your brand story. Your storytelling needs to be genuine if it’s to build a lasting connection with your audience. Being disingenuous could have a huge impact on your company’s reputation.
Customers are so used to the well-polished corporate approach to marketing that it’s rapidly losing its effectiveness. In a digital world, connection and authenticity are increasingly important. When consumers crave a personalized approach, your brand story should deliver this.
Being authentic helps to feed positively into your brand identity. It builds trust between you and your customers. If they like what they see and hear and believe in your brand, they’re far more likely to stick with your company.
The Impact of a Well-Crafted Brand Story
There’s a huge host of benefits that can be earned from a well-crafted brand story. Here’s just some of the positive impacts that can be gained:
Builds trust in your brand
Brand storytelling reaches your customers in a totally different way to traditional content marketing. You have the chance to be authentic. To let customers into your world and to see the genuine reasons your business was created. Personal branding is worth looking into to get tips.
Enhances your brand personality
Having a strong brand personality and definite values is essential. Communicating these through your brand story helps your audience to understand why they should buy from your business. A story makes your brand relatable. The more your customers relate to your brand, the more likely they are to buy your products.
Forms an emotional connection with your brand
Have you ever wondered why customers are willing to spend more on a brand than an unbranded alternative? When there’s an emotional connection with the brand itself, people are more likely to choose it, even if the product quality is the same. This emotional connection to brands can be fostered through brand storytelling.
Differentiates your brand from the competition
Standing out from the competition is tough in a crowded market. Brand storytelling really helps this. After all, your brand story is unique to your business. This makes it a really powerful way to differentiate your products from its many competitors.
Keys to Successful Brand Storytelling
There are three keys to successful brand storytelling. Incorporate these into your brand story to boost its success:
Authenticity
Ensure your brand story is authentic to build trust with your audience. This will encourage loyalty in the longer term.
Consistency
Make your storytelling consistent with your overall branding. Your story should reflect your company’s values and elements, such as your logo and corporate colors. This builds cohesiveness in your brand and promotes brand recognition.
Simplicity
Keeping your brand story simple is a must. Your brand story should build a connection with your audience rather than confuse them. So, ensuring that you keep your story simple is essential to ensure it’s relatable. This means keeping the technical jargon at bay and focusing on emotive storytelling.
Elevating Your Brand With an Engaging Story
There’s a huge amount of potential value in a brand story. Brand storytelling can be a massively powerful way to engage with your audience. But to enjoy the benefits of an engaged customer base that’s loyal to your brand, you need to do it right. Perfecting your storytelling so that it is relatable, authentic, and communicates your brand personality is vital. Get these elements right, and you can cut through your competitors’ noise and get your brand noticed.