Inbound Strategies that Make an Impact
All stories are not created equal. Some leave us handing in anticipation, while others make us think about our next nap.
When it comes to brands, we tell stories to stand out. Your story is what differentiates you from all the other businesses out there. Brand storytelling is the sole building block of how people perceive you and engage with you.
Everything you do – your company identity – starts with why you do it. Tell the truth, be human, and focus your message. Your products and services make up the rest of the story.
Make Truth the Cornerstone
The truth is, every person seeking information about your product or service has a struggle.
When people understand how you alleviate their struggle and why you add value to their lives and the world, they are more likely to engage. A story clearly defines your company’s value.
Be sure to make it relatable and make it real. Show, don’t tell. If you’re doing publicity for publicity’s sake, your customers will know.
Be a Human, Not a Commodity
Focus your content and storytelling efforts on humans – the humans who make up your business and the humans whom you affect. Concentrate on real people, situations and emotions.
Be specific enough to be authentic and general enough to be relevant.
The five tenets of journalism are: who, what, where, when and why. In marketing, it’s essential to highlight the who and the why. When crafting your brand’s story, ask yourself, “Why is this important?” – and “Who is this for?”
Focus Your Message
Everybody has read poorly written business stories – the type that comes across as stale, making readers click onward to another website before they even finish reading.
Chances are, these brand stories are trying to sell something. They are marketer-centric and not customer-centric. What this means is the message is written without taking the customer’s best interests into account.
It doesn’t matter if your B2B or B2C – you need to make it personable and prioritize their interests above all else.
Final Note
People read stories to learn about something they didn’t know. Brand storytelling teaches them how your product or service can help to alleviate their struggle or solve their problem.
By telling the truth, explaining who will benefit and why your product/service is the best choice, and staying focused on your message, you’ll build brand loyalty and paint a clear picture of who you really are.