As with most marketing methods, brand storytelling is one of the most talked-about issues in the industry, but like other marketing tactics, it’s being damaged by marketers. It has grown confusing and difficult to understand. At its core, brand storytelling is the process of communicating your company’s identity to the rest of the world. Your brand’s storey tells why it does what it does. Your storey isn’t just a page on your website; it’s a living thing. Every interaction you have with clients counts toward this goal. It is your company’s values that propel it forward. And more importantly, sharing that story is an act of art.
What does it mean to “Brand storytelling”?
As a marketer, you include story aspects into your content when storytelling.
Think back to the triangular diagrams your English teacher used to make. Just for fun, I’ll do it again.
Your exposition begins at the very bottom of the page. A sudden change in circumstances sparks the rising action. When things reach their culmination, the action slows down, and finally, the storey ends with a climax and a resolution.
Various factors must be considered when crafting a brand storey, and I have outlined my top 10 below.
The finest piece of advice I ever received on brand storytelling was to be clear about what you were attempting to accomplish. When delivering your story, stay focused on your vision and ask yourself whether the storey you are telling is assisting you in attaining your vision.
Recognize who your target audience is.
The most effective storytellers are aware of their audience and understand what is important to them and their personal preferences. This makes telling stories much more enjoyable. The storyteller can then employ a storytelling style that is compatible with, and in some circumstances exceeds, the expectations of their target audience.
Address A Real-World Issue
There are far too many brand stories that are nothing more than glorified brand PR exercises. This is unacceptable, especially in an age when we have all become publishers on the internet. A brand storey must be centred on the consumer and demonstrate how the brand can solve real-world customer problems. Your customer should be the main character in your story.
Take your audience on a journey with you.
Life is a journey, and a brand’s storey is no different. As the brand journey becomes more exciting and engaging, the storey becomes more intriguing and exciting.
Keep It Simple & Straightforward
Before appreciating a storey, the audience must first comprehend what is told. Maintaining the primary and easy-to-understand structure; frequently, a straightforward storey telling format is the most successful. As a result, many storytellers use the traditional beginning, middle, and end structure. Use appropriate language for your audience and avoid using jargon or words that are not regularly used in everyday conversation. When it comes to engaging your audience, the only issue you should be posing is deciding what to do next.
Make It a Personal Experience
I cannot emphasize enough how critical it is to humanize your brand storey. Nobody wants to participate with some form of corporate public relations spin. They want a story about humans for real people, and they want it conveyed by humans. Communicate your brand’s narrative in a way that your target audience can readily relate to and engage with.
Make Use of Emotion
Engagement is primarily driven by emotion, so make sure your audience is invested in your storey. When we hear a narrative, it is the emotion that causes us to sit up and realize, “Wow, this is a storey that means something to me.” When you capture your audience’s attention, you have the opportunity to inspire them to take action.
Keep Your Audience’s Attention.
All brands are now involved in the publishing industry, and they must differentiate their stories from those of their competitors. One method of accomplishing this is to deliver exciting stories while still conveying your message. In each successful Ted Talk, you will observe that the speaker initially engages the audience by entertaining them before returning their takeaway point. As a brand, you must cultivate a narrative style that is both instructional and engaging at the same time.
Use a light touch of fun.
Humour can be a “double-edged blade” in that it can either captivate or disengage an audience depending on how it is delivered. Unfortunately, a beautiful line between appropriate comedy and humour might damage a company’s reputation. Make sure to test any comedy you want to employ on a critical audience before you use it. Because you do not want your message to be trivialized, you should only utilize a modest degree of humour when communicating significant themes in your story.
The aim to persuade your target audience to take the next step in the marketing process is at the heart of the brand vision for a narrative. You had a skillfully conveyed story that will encourage its audience to take the next step.
Discover the vision of your company.
You don’t want your storey to be difficult to follow and unpredictable. It must be crystal clear and consistent from the beginning of the process. A failure to do so may diminish the story’s impact.
As a result, before putting any content into the wild, you must ensure that you have a clear vision for your company.
Consider your brand’s vision as a kind of legacy.
Who or what will be left behind when your company or brand is no longer around? What will be the lasting impression on people?
It makes no difference what kind of business you have. Whether you’re painting fences or building software, the purpose of your brand extends beyond the products and services you provide to customers. It is not always about you or your company when it comes to brand storytelling. Your story is far more than just you and your brand; it is universal. Brand storytelling involves your target audience, both those already familiar with you and those unfamiliar with you.
You must, in this manner, recognize and respect the context in which your audience is receiving your story. If you’re posting on Twitter, keep it short and sweet. If you’re posting on Facebook, utilize graphics rather than the exact text you used on Twitter to avoid confusion.
Keep in mind that someone interested enough to follow you on one channel is likely to be interested enough to follow you on other media as well.
The most effective technique to engage your audience is to tell a compelling story. Prepare an engaging storey that will draw your audience’s attention away from the plethora of other items competing for their consideration. When you tell your story, keep your audience in mind, and convey it in a way that will appeal to them on an individual level. Your narrative instils hope in them and demonstrates that there is another way. You should package the storey in a way that readers will love reading and will be able to relate to right away.
