As you’re well aware, there are a lot of brands out there who are all trying to tell their own unique story in an effort to bring in new customers. So, how do you separate yourself from the rest of the pack and stand out amongst all of the noise? You must not only tell your brand’s story, but tell it right.
Storytelling is important for your brand because::
- Storytelling is a powerful way to build relationships. It brings people together and keeps them engaged.
- Your customer will feel connected to your brand.
- Success stories will be associated with your brand.
- You can give your company major kudos without being annoying
- Storytelling evokes emotion.
In a nutshell, we are programmed to love storytelling. Stories tug at our emotional strings and make us do things (i.e. purchase products and services) that simple fact and figures can’t. Put B2B and B2C aside for a second and just focus on H2H (human to human). Storytelling shouldn’t be a snooze, it should be engaging for your audience to read.
The key to great storytelling starts with you understanding who your brands really is, as well as the people you want to attract to it. To create great content and build a story, you need to be able to speak to your customer’s needs in order to capture their interest.
Storytelling is a conversation builder. Once you know who you’re talking to and the goals you’re trying to accomplish, you can start your conversation with the right people. You need to start thinking about the types of content that your audience would want to consume and to get your audience’s attention, you need to provide a mix of different types of content. Below are a few types of content to consider as well as why they are relevant in telling your brand’s story:
Blogs
If you want to effortlessly tell your story, you should start a company blog. Not only will people share it if the content is engaging, but if you focus on the SEO of the post and do your keyword research, people will start to find you in search results and could eventually find you organically.
Podcasts/Vodcasts
If you want to give a literal face and voice to your brand’s story, podcasts and vodcasts are the way to go. If you don’t want to take the time to create original content for these mediums, re-purpose old blog posts or guides and turn them into a podcast or vodcast. There’s no need to completely reinvent the wheel if you don’t need to.
Engaging Videos
Did you know that 64% of consumers are more likely to buy a product or service after watching a video? Be sure to make your videos educational, entertaining, and even emotional. Don’t use it as an opportunity to talk about your brand. Only a handful of business are creating video content for their audiences, which will make it easier for you to stand out from the crowd in this space and tell your story for all to hear.
Eye-Catching Photographs on Your Website and Social Media
Don’t be afraid to show your brand’s personality. Consider showing behind-the-scenes images of you and your co-workers. It will help people feel like they know you and your brand. Plus over 90% of people say images are a deciding factor when purchasing products and services.
Inspiring Quote Cards
Creating inspiring quote cards is a quick and easy way to create and show your brands personality. Quote cards are easy to share across social media platforms. As much as you want to tell your story, let your audience do it for you! Make it easy for them to share your content in order to spread the word. Keep in mind, the quotes should reflect your brand’s personality. Be true to who you are.
How Tos
As mentioned earlier, you have to be credible to capture your audience’s attention. How Tos imply that you know what you’re talking about because you’re passing your wisdom on to other people. If you want to appear as a thought leader through your storytelling, How Tos are a great way to do this, whether they be in video or written form.
Infographics
If you want your story told, create an infographic. Infographics are easy to consume and a great way to pass on a lot of information without writing a novel.
White papers/E-books
Writing white papers, guides, and e-books is a great way to establish authority within your industry and help further your story. Great storytellers engage their audience. Be sure to write what your personas want/need, not what you want to personally write for them.
Data Visualizations
I mentioned earlier that simple facts and figures don’t typically resonate when it comes to storytelling…unless, of course, you do something fun with these facts and figures that show your brand’s personality. Design your data to reflect your brand. Like infographics, this is a unique and engaging way to share your information quickly.
Let your content do the storytelling for you. The most important thing to remember when telling your brand’s story is to keep your audience in mind. The content you create should be written for them, not what you want them to read.
Stories get told through interactions with others. Make your content engaging enough that people will want to share it through social media, word of mouth, or other means. If you create the right content, your customers and followers will tell your story for you.
What types of content do you use to tell your brand’s story?