How to create a brand story that resonates in any industry
Your customers have so much choice. When it comes to customer choice (AKA competition) you need to make sure your marketing strategy is working for you so you stand out and stay top of mind when it comes time for them to purchase. One of the ways to do this, regardless of the industry you’re in, is to tell a compelling brand story. Your brand story captures the essence of your brand – who you really are. A great brand story should include elements like the company values, mission, and the unique aspects that make it different. The idea is to connect with your audience on a deeper, more emotional level.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a brand story that connects with your audience, no matter what industry you’re in.
Step 1: Understand your audience
Who are you telling your story to? Your brand story should resonate with your target audience so you need to understand their values, pain points, and aspirations. Are you targeting millennials who value sustainability, or are you speaking to business professionals seeking efficiency? Get to know the nitty gritty about your audience so you can craft a highly impactful brand story.
Step 2: Define your brand’s core values
Every strong brand story is rooted in a set of core values. They show your audience what you stand for and help make your brand story more authentic and relatable.
Step 3: Know who you are as a company
There are three aspects to knowing who you are:
Identify what problem you solve/gap you fill: Your product or service should solve a specific problem for your customers. Make sure you can clearly and concisely articulate what you can do for them. It’s not what you do, it’s why it’s important for your customers.
Craft a concise history: You may not have an overly dramatic “origin story” but being able to talk about why you started in business can be relatable to your audience. What inspired you to get started? What inspires you to keep going? Challenges you faced?
Figure out your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): What makes you different than your competitors and why is it important? It could be how you deliver your service, the way your product is made, etc. Be able to identify and clearly state what your USP is.
Step 4: Tap into emotions
Emotions are powerful. Whether it’s a sense of nostalgia, hope, excitement, or belonging, tapping into emotions will help your brand story resonate with your target audience. If your customers feel connected to you on an emotional level, they are more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand.
Step 5: Be consistent across all platforms
Your audience should be able to recognize you across all platforms – from your website, to your social media profiles, email newsletter, and more. You need to present a consistent brand story and so you can build trust and credibility. Here is where you really focus on who you are as a brand and company (see step 3!).
Step 6: Get visual
We live in a visual world. Your audience is so bombarded with things that will pull their attention that text alone often doesn’t really have an impact. They also say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Use imagery, videos, and design elements that complement and reinforce your narrative. Think about how your logo reflects your brand’s mission and/or values. Or how you can use video or a photo based timeline to help showcase your history. Visuals can be more memorable and impactful when telling your brand story.
Step 7: Get your audience involved
We always remember things that we do more than things that we see. Find ways to involve your audience. Encourage them to share their experiences with your brand on various platforms. We often talk about User-Generated Content and the power it holds, but you can also highlight testimonials and customer success stories.
Step 8: Adapt
We live in a world of constant change. It’s virtually impossible to stay the same, so your brand story should also evolve and adapt as time goes on. Whether you are adapting to industry changes, new audience preferences, or company milestones and changes in direction, keep your momentum moving forward.
Your brand story is an important aspect of who you are, and it’s one of the most important elements when it comes to connecting with your audience. Take the time to craft a compelling brand story that will resonate with your audience and that you can be proud of.