We’re all looking for ways we can enhance our brands and better communicate our message to our fans and followers. By using certain storytelling principles we can truly unlock the power of our brand and connect with our customers on a whole new level.
Creating stories around the philosophy of your company, or emotional tales around your products and services are a great way to showcase your company in a whole new light.
Below we highlight a few basic storytelling principles, and a few different storytelling types you can use to further your own message.
Brands and Storytelling
We’re bombarded by stories 24/7. Whether it’s from books, movies, TV shows, and even advertisements. Stories define our lives, and they’re even what we tell ourselves on a daily basis.
Ever spent time following the dialogue in your own head? It’s simply a bunch of stories that we repeat over and over again about ourselves.
So, how can you use this to power your own business?
You’re much more likely to recall and remember a company who has an interesting story, or uses the stories of others to define their brand.
For example, do you remember the classic Apple advertisement where they featured the stories of iconic leaders of our time, from Ghandi, to John Lennon, to Martin Luther King? They curated the story of rebellion and thinking differently, then they aligned themselves with that same message.
Pretty genius stuff.
You don’t have to go to these storytelling lengths, but it gives you an idea of what’s possible.
The Basics of Storytelling
Your business will tell a wide variety of stories to accomplish its goals. Below we highlight three different instances where you’ll use the power of story to connect with your readers and customers.
1. The Relational Story of Your Products and Services
The product story is the story of your product or service. It takes your user on the journey of speaking to their pain point (or problem), taking them through life with their problem being solved, and then ending with the presentation of your product or service.
2. Your Company Origin Story
The company story has to do with the origins of your company and what you stand for. It uncovers the roots of your company, the seed of an idea that started the whole thing. It highlights the struggle, the realizations you uncovered, and then it ends with your company in the present day.
3. Emotional Stories
Emotional stories can be used for a variety of reasons. They can be used to show your human side, or to connect deeper with your readers and customers. For example, you could tell the story of a recent customer who you helped grow the business. Or, you could highlight life lessons learned from a member of your team. These stories can be thought of more like fragments and act as puzzle pieces of the larger story of your company.
Which Medium Will You Use?
You’ll have several different avenues to share your story across the online space. For example, you have your about page, your blog posts, your social media accounts, your emails, and basically any other interaction you might have with your prospects.
The mediums you use are up to you, but we recommend mapping out how each story you tell will contribute to the overarching whole of your company.
Want some help figuring out which stories drive your brand? Reach out to our team today.
