Stories are an integral part of the human experience. Our ability to relate to one another began in ancient realms when sitting around the campfire and telling stories was the pastime. The essence of a community was built around shared experiences and stories. Not much has changed. The only difference in this favorite pastime activity is that now stories are told digitally and aren’t bound by geographical clusters. Communities continue to sprout and grow around shared stories, and businesses that do not lean into this practice are missing out and not maximizing the output of their marketing.
A business that has a brand and a brand story enjoys:
A more loyal and engaged customer base.
More robust client relationships that lead to improved conversion cycles.
An easier time reaching new audiences.
(That also means less money spent per client acquisition.)
What is brand storytelling?
To understand this, you first need to define what a brand is. My favorite “cut the nonsense” definition is eloquently described in this decade-old Forbes article by Jerry McLaughlin (CEO of Branders.com):
"Your brand is what your prospect thinks of when he or she hears your business name."
In modern language, simply put: "What is your business vibe?" because that will determine the kind of people that will vibe with you, and you want those people to be the same ones as your ideal target audiences.
A business that mismatches its branding with its target clients will struggle with client resonance and subsequently, conversion – aka earning paying customers.
Brand storytelling is the foundation upon which your content marketing strategy is built. It is the narrative and stories that your brand tells its target audiences that help them build trust in your competency and establish meaningful connections, which are quintessential to fruitful business relationships.
Think of it like this: Your brand is the first impression, and the story it tells is the substance that reinforces that impression.
Your brand story helps you:
Cut through the noise.
Build social currency.
Give a more authentic experience to your customers – something research has consistently shown to be important.
Beat customer skepticism and marketing fatigue – important when you consider that the amount of ads and marketing content anyone is exposed to on any given day continues to accelerate.
So what’s next...
How to improve marketing through brand storytelling ?
Let’s work on building and refining your brand identity. Stay tuned for part 2 coming later this week.
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