Essential Elements in Brand Storytelling
Given our fast-paced, digitally-driven, almost-automated society, humanity is possibly the new premium. The generation is mostly on the internet, which consistently rewards us with instant gratification and convenience. The human touch is increasingly getting scarcer and coveted.
In this climate, businesses can’t be faceless entities. To survive, companies (read brands) need to relate with audiences, touch their heartstrings, and engage with them on a much more profound level. This is where brand storytelling comes in.
Brand storytelling is a cohesive narrative that constructs the facts with the emotions that the name evokes. Apart from giving your customers grounds why they should buy a product or service, enterprises need to start sharing the tale behind their brand – why it matters and why it exists, consistently across all communication.
Brand storytelling is not just ‘nice' to have. It is required. And, when done aptly, it can maximize your business's profit, visibility, and impact. It can almost become the yardstick for your marketing strategy, that can furthermore create a captivating campaign for your company.
The fact is, brand storytelling existed much before social PR has risen to power. Even in the most initial days of marketing, branding was all about creating a connection with your audience, and nothing does this better when you tell a story.
With the rise of social media, SEO, and other facets of digital marketing, brand storytelling has changed. Today, it is more about being real and accessible and not about bragging. Brands should tactfully utilize the new media opportunities at their disposal to show, rather than tell.
Simply said, crafting an engaging narrative around your company is necessary for drawing in new audiences online and helping to turn them into faithful users. So, how do you get started?
Be True
People do not like a fibber. So, to make your brand stand out, do not tell stories that aren't the truth. While the use of examples or analogies adds to the authenticity, do not get in too much puffery or tall tales. It is better to engage your audience with quality content facts and factoids.
Keep the Human Touch
Social media channels have been a grace for marketers through which they can give your brand an incredible chance to talk to users on their level. You can tell your brand story to one person at a time, making it more relatable and personable. While doing it, make sure to weed out jargons, or the marketing-speak and legalese; instead, relate at the human level and take them by your confidence.
Emotional Connect
Your brand story must be in itself an engaging call to action. Craft a tale such that it moves your audience to act. Narrate the story such that they see things in a new way. Connect with laughter and cry, hope and despair. Overall, just make them feel about the story and by extension, your brand.
Create Experiences
Once you've successfully retained your audience's feelings of hope or wonder, you have to keep on telling stories where they can keep coming back to those emotions. This is all the more required when you have created an expectation for your audience. The primary idea is to invite people into experiencing your brand over time. The social media and a quality website content can build and nurture rewarding and long term relationships with your clients.
Understand Your Brand
Your brand story will, in the end, tell a message. Understand carefully if it evokes the right tone of your company. Does it accurately and effectively express who you are? Take time to understand your own company thoroughly, and then your audience and the market's needs. It is vital to get to the right tone or medium for your brand story, which will lay the foundation of your marketing campaign. Research helps to reflect on your goals and make sure that your social listening is on point to find out more about your audience.
There's No Need to Overthink
If you look at the history of some the famous works – literary to cinematic creation, you will be startled to notice the number of times these masters revamped and redesigned their work. The point? There cannot be a perfect story, so there's no point in hoping to create one. Do not lose authenticity when you cherry-pick details for your brand story. The entire purpose is to be human and humble. Remember, perfection is not needed, but the story should be real.
Bring Others Into Your Story
This is very important because your brand needs to be associated with real people whom your audience can connect. Be it the employees or their families, your customers or executives, a unique cast of characters, will surely add an edge to your story.
While on that note, you should also let others tell your story. This calls for connections in the industry where you can have essential figures sharing and spreading your content. Also, one of the other ways can be engaging new audiences with user-generated content. This should highlight what your users are saying about your brand through tweets, testimonials or reviews.
Be More Creative
As a digital marketer in 2020, there are plenty of tools at your disposal than ever before. And, it would be wrong not to use them properly. Rather than just holding onto the same format of text or pictures, make sure to apply a variety of media to tell your brand story. Test with diverse social networks, including Pinterest and LinkedIn, to get to the untapped audience there. Use video, podcasts and infographics because you never know who would like what! Know what your audience through the analytics of these channels and get innovative ways to reach them.
Bring the Offline Audience Online
If you keep aside the millennial generation, there is still a lot of them who wishes to understand how the online system works. Don't you think you mid-aged aunt who has a knack in cooking would love to look for more recipes online? Give your audience an inside look and create an authentic experience.
You might have the best website with the most elegant design, but what is the point having it if you users do not know about it? So, start with some exciting brainstorming or training sessions that can invite your users to follow. Depending on your niche, you can use social media platforms such as Snapchat or Instagram.
Share It All
It's more important to be genuine and human than to be perfect. To really build confidence and leave an enduring impression, don't be hesitant to share the good, the bad, and the ugly reviews and comments. Not only does this make you appear trustworthy, but it also positions you as knowledgeable and experienced in your field. Turn your claims into learning practices. How can your falls become an influence? Understand how you can make a negative experience into a chance that can add to the betterment of the community.
We Are Here for You
Are you looking for advice crafting a perfect brand story? We at Anblik Website Development Company are ready to start a strategic and relevant content marketing strategy that can make your work easier. Get in touch with our team to get all your social and content creation needs addressing.