A brand story is a subtle yet powerful tool. It’s not a sales pitch or PR stunt – a great brand story should be natural and authentic.
It’s not a way to manipulate people to buy either, but rather a means of building relationships and trust. Storytelling allows you to engage with people on a personal level and form an emotional connection with one another.
If your story is compelling enough, it will encourage people to feel positive about your brand. They might feel warmth or inspiration or excitement. That’s what makes them want to be a part of your story, and what makes your brand memorable. It means much more than simply buying a product or service.
We’ve shared some expert tips and examples to help you create an authentic brand story that resonates with people.
Show Personality
Your brand story needs a personal touch that’s unique to your business. It’s got to have enough personality to really engage with people and should be inspired by real people and your road to success. You need to be honest and transparent while expressing the realities of your industry or product. Simply put, if people see your story as authentic then they are more likely to trust your business.
Showing the humble roots that Burts Bees came from, the company magnifies its presence as a natural brand. It tells the story of how 30 years ago Burt the beekeeper let his new love, Roxanne, use leftover beeswax to make candles and then their now-famous lip balm.
Connect with Customers
To write a good piece of content, the tone should be conversational – this forms part of your content strategy. That’s particularly important when telling your brand story as you want to connect with your customers. A successful brand story communicates that your brand and the people who are interested in it are one and the same. This is how to engage with people who are into your niche, which GoPro does particularly well on its About Us page:
“GoPro frees people to celebrate the moment, inspiring others to do the same. From cameras and drones to apps and accessories, everything we do is geared to help you capture life as you live it, share the experience and pass on the stoke. We believe that sharing our experiences makes them more meaningful and way more fun.”
This section creates a sense of community for readers and inspires them to want to be a part of that dream.
Talk About the Past, Present and Future
We can talk about the kind of things you need to express with your brand story all day, but you also want to know about the actual content you should include. Give a detailed account of how your business started and arrived at where it is today.
Eyewear company, Warby Parker recounts how its founders were students and one of them lost their glasses on a backpacking trip on its History page. The cost of replacing them was expensive, hence they were inspired to start a company that offered quality glasses at a reasonable price. This example shows you can give your story personality by sprinkling in some interesting facts and anecdotes that will allow people to engage with it on a human level.
Create a Brand Statement
Another way to create the content for your brand story is to start with a brand statement and build your content around it. A brand statement tells people why your brand matters and how you’re making the world a better place. The reason you started your business wasn’t solely to make money. So, people need to know why your brand exists. IKEA does a good job of this on their About page. Their vision is:
“To create a better everyday life for the many people.”
However, IKEA could have said something about affordable furniture, instead, the brand conveys the purpose of their service in the wider context of the world. Staying focused on the direct benefits the service has on the consumer’s lifestyle is far more compelling.
Share Your Story
Now that you have an authentic brand story, you need to share it with as many people as possible. Firstly, your story is rooted in personality, meaning you can grow your brand as a whole with that message. Tell your story wherever you can – on your blog, through guest posts, integrate it into your tweets even.
To achieve even greater success with your brand story, have your customers tell it. Where do they fit into the story? Has your brand provided them with a solution to a problem? Has your brand helped them succeed in some way? Testimonials are a great way to weave customer stories into the wider story of your brand.
As a copywriting agency we can help with creating your compelling brand story, get in touch with our content team today to find out more.