Brand Storytelling is a popular marketing strategy that taps into the human need to connect with others by telling stories. This puts your customer at center of the story and not your product or brand. Sharing relatable stories from real-life experiences that are meaningful can help you build emotional connections with your ideal client.
These connections increase brand recognition, keep your marketing channels focused and build trust. Although not everyone agrees about the best way to tell a brand's story, most people understand that it is important. Let's take a look at some best practices and talk about why brand storytelling is so important. Let's start by defining brand storytelling.
What is Brand Storytelling?
Brand storytelling is the use of stories to create an emotional, value-driven relationship between your customers, your brand and your customers. It is powerful to tell stories that are authentic and tie back to the brand's core values.
Brand storytellers who can paint pictures of people, places, and events that relate to brand values connect well with their audiences. Some of the best (e.g. This is an excellent example: Nike. If you're an athlete or professional sports team member, you can tell stories about the thrill of scoring the winning goal. Or, the disappointment at missing a free throw in overtime.
People love to read stories about real-life triumphs and struggles. They also enjoy insider perspectives into the lives of others. Your job as a storyteller is to tell a larger story that will be meaningful to your customers. You cannot only talk about your products or brand. Share your dreams for the future. Share your shared memories.
Every channel can tell your brand's story, from your website to social media to product packaging and retail space. You can create a brand experience that increases customer loyalty by weaving all of your stories together
What is the Importance of Brand Storytelling?
As with many things in life, people are more likely to feel emotionally connected to an item than others. Sometimes they don't even know why. They could be reminded of something they have done in the past. It could be a positive solution for a problem they are facing. This could lead to an emotional connection. A consistent brand identity, design, content and messaging should be inspirational. This is the responsibility of the marketing team.
Marketers must understand their audience. What they want. What they want. What keeps them up at night? This will enable marketers to tell brand stories that are meaningful and resonate with their audience. A marketing strategy that is based on compelling stories will build and sustain brand loyalty for the long-term.
Examples of Brand Storytelling
Some brands include a story in their DNA and products. ToMS shoes. Other companies must tell a story to make their product stand out (e.g. Most enterprise SaaS companies. These are just a few examples.
Warby Parker revolutionized eyewear by making designer glasses more affordable, sustainable, and easy to use at home. Their brand's story is equally remarkable. Their founder was unable to see his first semester of grad school because he lost his glasses on a backpacking trip. It was too expensive to replace. The problem was solved by his team who created a frame out of plants that is more durable for the environment.
Most people who require glasses cannot afford them. Anyone can purchase a pair of Warby Parker sunglasses. Your purchase will make a difference in someone's lives by giving them the opportunity to work or learn. Warby Parker's brand was built around a story. To share their knowledge and to create stories about people wearing their glasses, they use YouTube or Instagram.
Nike's great storytelling skills in the 1990s made it a household name. In 1999, they released a powerful advertisement to celebrate Michael Jordan's career. At a time when everyone wanted to push hard sales (TV was expensive), Nike allowed Michael Jordan’s story speak for itself. The conclusion was "Just Do It" and the swoosh. This was all the brand took up. This story helped to create an emotional connection between athletes and fans -- Nike was just a small part.
Nike now uses Instagram to share photos, video ads, and videos. This is something that we all could benefit from. Can you imagine the "Best Day Ever" in global sports? This video advertisement by Nike shows amateur runners, female athletes, and shoes made of seeds.
Nike's blog has "stories That Move". You can read all about a college student's struggle to overcome starting line panic and get advice on how to help your child fall in love movement. These stories don't push products directly. These stories inform, inspire and motivate. This kind of storytelling creates brand loyalty and connects athletes.
7 Steps To Tell A Brand Story
The Hero's Journey is the foundation of great storytelling. This is the template for storytelling Joseph Campbell made famous with his book A Hero With a Thousand Faces.
The Hero's Journey is a guideline but not a rule. You can always adjust and be creative. Your stories are not science fiction novels. These seven steps really do matter.
Step 1 - How Do You Tell A Story?
To create great stories for your brand, the first step is to decide what story format you can use. Which story format works best? These ideas can help you brainstorm an idea.
Are there any particular challenges or situations that customers may face that could be a compelling story?
Customer stories and case studies can be transformed into stories using the most simple content formats. This is something that you should think about.
It is possible to gain valuable insights from customers through surveys, feedback or customer service.
Step 2 - Select Your Hero
Every story begins with the hero. Your customer is your hero. You must make your customer feel like a person. To develop your hero, you should use the buyer personas. This will help you to establish who and what the person is. This will allow customers to see themselves in the story. This will help customers identify with the characters.
Step 3 - Create the Hero's Journey or Goal
Every hero should have a goal or a path. The first thing to do is ask yourself what you want. The answer can be simple or complex. It all depends on the situation. Your mission as a hero in a big data analysis company is to learn their data and then be able do something with it. Although this may not sound exciting, it can be if the right energy is used and tone is used.
It will be the foundation of the story and guide it through. It is the foundation of the story and its beginning. What can the hero do for them?
Step 4 - Create Conflict
Stories are exciting because they contain conflict. The hero must overcome many obstacles in order to achieve his goals as shown in the example above.
Too much data.
I don't have much money.
Leadership does not buy into my ideas.
Other solutions are possible that are more difficult.
These are all real-life conflicts you can use to illustrate your hero's journey, their encounters with so many obstacles and finally reaching their goals.
Step 5 - Add Drama
The conflict is the beginning of drama. This is where you can add excitement and entertainment to your story. To add tension and intrigue, you can interact with other characters. You can take this more seriously, or make it funny with humor.
Step 6 - Allow Your Hero to Experience Change
Any great book's hero experiences life that leads to evolution. Your hero should be able to do the same. They may feel trapped by the problem. They might feel angry or frustrated. The hero should make adjustments in the story as they get closer to their goal. The story's protagonists should make changes to show that they have gained new knowledge along the way, which will help them achieve their goal.
Step 7 - Add a Conclusion
Your hero has made it through the journey. They faced conflict, drama, as well as challenges. They got what they wanted. They were helped by your brand. It's not the right time to turn the story into a commercial. This is your chance to share your "why?" It's a chance to show how your "why?" aligns with their success. It all comes down to how your brand can help the hero reach his goals.
Final Tips for Brand Storytelling
These steps will allow you to be a great brand storyteller. These are just a few of the tips.
Be true to the voice of your brand
It is important to keep things simple. Too many details can make it difficult to recall.
You must keep the story moving at a steady pace. Don't drift off in other directions.
Feelings should be used wherever possible
Be true and authentic to yourself
How to Use Brand Storytelling
Brand storytelling is a skill that takes time and practice. To help your brand, you can have guidelines that will ensure consistency in how you tell your story. These are just a few of the important things you should remember when using brand storytelling as part of your marketing strategy.
Be helpful, but not full
Authentic stories are much more compelling than promotional messages. Look at the communications that you receive from your favorite brands. Are they making false promises? Do they make unrealistic or impossible promises? This is unlikely because it sounds too good for true. Find stories that communicate your message and show how you can help. Marketing interactions should be relatable.
Incorporate Customers
Customers should share their stories. Boast reported that 92% of customers have read reviews online before buying. Before making an investment, buyers want to see if current users are satisfied. This is true for both B2C as well as B2B brands. B2B companies might need to spend more time and money. If you include customer reviews, case studies, and quotes in your marketing strategy, you will make new customers feel more confident about buying from you.
Tell Your Story Consistently
While brand guidelines can help ensure consistency in your message, they must be followed consistently. Inconsistent visuals, obsolete content and inconsistent logos can lead to consumer mistrust. You can use tools like a Digital Assets Management solution to ensure consistency in the content of marketing campaigns. This will allow you to tell consistent stories and make it more easy for your audience.
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brand storytelling, brand awareness, maintain focus
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