What’s the point of building a brand story? A remarkable brand story that resonates with your customers is what sets you apart from your competitors despite similar products, prices, and services. Learn what a brand story is and why you need one.
People don’t merely like to buy a product or service; they buy an experience. They always associate your products with your brand’s values and motives. But how can you convey your company’s values in a way that your audience will love?
An impactful brand story can be a powerful tool to get people flocking towards your business. A brand story tells your customers what led to the inception of your company and how that mission still drives your business. Your brand story should be simple, relatable, and authentic.
Now it does sound easy to write down what got you here. But even minor potholes in your story will drive business to your competitors. That’s why we curated this thorough guide to building a brand story that will help you get started.
Why is Building a Brand Story Important?
Think of your favorite TV show or movie and then your favorite characters. Watching a good movie does not provide you with anything tangible. But you love the characters simply because you can relate to their problems and develop empathy.
Storytelling is known to evoke powerful emotions in people’s minds. Building a brand story can work the same magic for your company. Your audience will remember your brand and be more willing to try your products.
That’s why top guns like Coca-Cola and Apple actively leverage storytelling to connect with their customers. It’s time you also discover the power of a compelling makes-you-say-yes brand story. Given below are the basic steps to building a brand story that forms trustworthy relationships.
Highlight the Pain Points
Earning profits is the main motive behind the inception of most businesses. But your customers won’t be sold on the idea that a company cashes-in on their problems. That’s why your brand story should empathize with the major problems your customers face. It should answer some critical questions like-
- ‘What problem did you observe around which motivated you to start the company?’
- ‘How are those problems still relevant?’
- ‘How are you contributing to your customers’ lives?
Make it Relevant to Your Product
A relatable problem and a strong ‘why’ is not all it takes for building a brand story. It is very crucial to determine where your product/service fits into your story. If your product can not justify your mission, your brand story will only attract readers and not customers.
There are three key points to remember while incorporating your product into your story. Your product should:
- Solve ALL the problems which led to the inception of your brand.
- Offer an advantage over your competitor’s products (price, quality, USP)
- Second your mission statement and your ‘Why’.
Let us look at the brand story of Toms Shoes. Blake Mycoskie founded the company on seeing the hardships faced by poor kids in Argentina growing up without shoes. So, the company donates a pair of shoes to needy children for every pair purchased.
Thus, their product offering actively supports and even amplifies its mission statement. Such brand stories lure customers in like moths are drawn to flames.
Create a Customer Persona
You can go on and on about your mission, your product, and the problem it solves. But when your audience doesn’t resonate with your core values, it’ll be fruitless. Thus, you should understand what kind of customers you’re trying to appeal to.
Creating a buyer persona will help you analyze your potential audience. Conduct market research or hire an expert to predict some typical values of your customers.
For example, let’s assume your target customer is a single working female in her 20s. Then values like independence, empathy, and gender diversity in the workplace will resonate well with your audience.
Make it More Real and Less Reel
The worst mistake you can commit while building a brand story is being unrealistic. Many companies create make-believe brand stories to gain empathy from their audience. It’s foolish to assume that people can’t differentiate a fake story from a genuine one.
A poorly crafted brand story can do more harm than good to your business. It will forever blacklist you in your customer’s mind. That’s why it is important to be as transparent and authentic as you can be.
Are you unable to describe your ‘why’ or don’t have any in the first place? It’s better to do some introspection or seek help from a brand strategist. Do not resort to writing unreal salesy fluff in place of a brand story.
Make Your Story Visible
Branding experts advise that one should follow the 80/20 principle for marketing content. It means you should spend 20% of your time crafting your story and 80% on promoting it.
Your brand story should be visible on all your digital platforms.
Include it everywhere- from your social media pages to the ‘About’ section on your website. You must also train your employees and other stakeholders to represent your brand story. This will avoid any misinterpretation of your story and the information it conveys.
The Bottom Line
Any organization needs a medium to convey its core values, organizational culture, and mission. An intriguing brand story will appeal to your audience better than banal pieces of information. When customers are connected to your story and not just your product, they’ll stay loyal to your brand. So, take the first step and build a powerful presence for your brand.
