Brand stories aren’t just for the big guys you know.
They’re just as essential for the pet store down the road as they are for Apple, Nike and Patagonia.
Wanna know why? Because your brand story is your secret sauce for building human connections.
It’s the ace up your sleeve when it comes to differentiating yourself from your competitors and connecting with your customers on a deeper level. Without one, it’s very hard to get noticed and to ensure that your content is conveying a consistent message that actually lands with those who need to hear it.
No matter the size or shape of your business, here are five reasons why you need a brand story:
1. It helps you stand out from the competition
One of the main purposes of a brand story is to focus on what makes your business unique. Without it, it’s easy for your business to be lumped in with the host of other businesses who are offering something similar, and potential customers won’t have a reason to choose you over them. When you have a clear picture of everything that sets you apart from your competition and how you solve the customer’s pain point better than anyone else, it will make it very simple to ensure these strengths are communicated throughout your marketing content.
2. It connects you with your audience
Successful marketing nowadays tends to stray from the robotic, emotionless sales copy of decades past, and leans more towards a human touch. When copy feels too sales-y and lacking in personality, customers are not connecting with what you’re saying or interested in what you’re selling. A brand story will help you find the tone of voice that will properly reflect your brand and express your personality. Customers don’t want to read a sales pitch; they want to get the feeling that you’re a friendly face––someone just like them!
3. It builds trust in your services/products
Part of a brand story is locking down exactly what your beliefs and values as a business are. When you’re working on building up consumer trust in your products/services, you need to show them a friendly, trustworthy face. A big part of this is your tone of voice. Using the right tone of voice and communicating your business’ core values are going to build a huge amount of trust in your products/services with your audience before they spend one cent.
4. It keeps your content consistent
Without a brand story, you run the risk of your social media posts telling an audience one thing, while your website conveys a completely different picture. Also, if you have other people writing content for your business without a brand story, they’re going to reflect their own voice onto the copy. Think of your brand story as a compass for your entire marketing strategy. It will inform and guide all of your content so it stays consistent and creates an undeniable connection to your audience––they’ll feel like they know you because they know what to expect.
5. It shows your audience what you care about
When you started your business, there was likely a bigger reason behind it than just to make money. Your business has a purpose, and customers want to see what this is. They want to know that you care, past the point of just making a sale. By tapping into your purpose, mission, values and beliefs through a brand story, you’ll be able to easily integrate these throughout your content, giving your audience a peek into the soul of your brand. They’ll get to see the heart behind it all, which will build much more trust and connection than lifeless, sales-y copy ever could.
If you’re looking for some help with sorting out your own brand story, at The Splendid Word we offer three comprehensive brand story packages to get you started.
Check them out here.
By Emma Beckenham
