Why You Need Your Brand Story

First of all, what’s a brand story and why do you need one?

It’s exactly what it sounds like. A good brand will evoke emotions and feelings in your intended users. People buy from people and brands they trust. Your company’s brand is how you want to be perceived by the people in your market, so you have to have a brand story.

With the rise of social and digital media, more and more consumers are placing an emphasis on authenticity, and less value on advertising. More storytelling, less show-and-telling.

Your brand story should be a compilation of your mission, vision and purpose statements, a clear description of your values, and will be influenced by the experiences your users have with your products and services.

Why is storytelling important?

According to data compiled by SEMrush, stories are important to the growth of your brand.

• Neural activity increases 5x when listening to a story, activating the sensory cortex so the listener can feel and hear the story.
• Customers are 71% more likely to recommend brands that they have an emotional connection with and demand greater transparency and more humanity during brand interactions.
• People will remember a story up to 22x more than they will remember a list of facts and figures.
• Your competitors are using stories – 62% of B2B marketers rate storytelling as an effective content marketing tactic. (We may need to write a story to help you remember this!)
• Brand storytelling throughout a content marketing strategy can increase the value of a service or product by more than 20%.
• 92% of consumers want ads that seem like stories.

How to tell your brand story

You gotta have drama. Or at least, conflict. No company’s humble beginning was unicorns and rainbows. Every company has faced adversity, overcome obstacles or maybe has a few skeletons lurking in the closet. There’s an emotional odyssey in every origin story.

How did you get yourself out of that pickle? Show them how you were innovative and resourceful and now you are the expert in your field for having found resolutions and solutions.

Get real, not reel. In today’s age of social media, people (and companies) tend to showcase the highlight reel of their existence. Tell the unvarnished truth of your company’s journey to success. People resonate with hero stories. Tell yours honestly and authentically.

Show some grit. Reality isn’t always pretty. Sometimes, your story may be gritty and rough around the edges. People will be inspired by how you came to be the shining star you are today.

Standing out in a sea of normalcy

You know your company is special. But do your target users? Do you want to be considered just another commodity business? If the answers are no and no, you need a good brand story.

Get to know, really know, your customers. Ask them why they are your customers. Ask them what you could do better, and then listen to them. Speak with your employees – they will always be either your biggest advocate or your worst critic. Examine your user experience – how do your pricing, your sales process, your marketing, your website, your history and your reputation stand up to the wear and tear of daily business? What legacy are your building?

Be open to receiving feedback and then reflect on it. This will help you fill in the blanks in your brand story. Your products are changing people’s lives and it’s a great story. Give your customers a story to tell.