Brand storytelling – it’s a thing now. A very big thing. Everyone says storytelling is the best way to sell your product or service because it creates an emotional connection with your customer. It’s also the most memorable way to communicate your message.
But what does that mean for your business?
“Once upon a time, there was a plumbing store that sold a wide variety of pipe fittings, backflow preventers and other supplies”
“Long ago in a shopping mall far, far away, a carpet and tile store created the miracle of high-fashion flooring at low prices”?
Not quite. But if you’re in one of those businesses or another like it, don’t give up on using storytelling techniques to attract and sell to customers. Yes, you can.
What Is Brand Storytelling?
It’s just a way of telling your customers who you are and how you can help them. Narratives are the obvious and easy choice for lifestyle-oriented brands like fashion and food/dining, which can tell their origin stories or give the backstories of their products. More mundane businesses like our plumbing store also have a story to tell: differences between copper and aluminum pieces, how to know when to replace a part, how to tell when to call a plumber and when to do it yourself.
DIY stories satisfy the most fundamental purpose of business storytelling: creating that emotional connection with the customer. You’ve opened your world to them, let them in and shared information that matters. You’ve solved a problem for them, which is priceless. Chances are, they’ll be back.
Brand Story Ideas
Here are five brand story ideas to get you started, for your website’s About section or homepage or in brochures and other promotional materials. Not a single one is about selling stuff today, but the relationships they help you build with your customers will pay off tomorrow.
- Your origin story. What inspired you to get started? What challenges did you overcome? Who are you serving, and why?
- Free advice. Share something from your area of expertise: produce shopping tips if you’re a chef, cleaning tips if you have a cleaning service. You’ll build authority and gain gratitude.
- Customer interactions. Don’t just say you have excellent customer service; back it up with a recent success story. Even better: Customer testimonials.
- Profiles of your team, their training and what they do for customers. Don’t leave out the behind-the-scenes people who keep things running.
- New developments and trends in your industry. Watch out for jargon, and be sure it’s a trend your customers care about.
The Bottom Line
A good brand story creates an emotional connection with the product, and it has to be an emotion that has value for the customer. It’s not your chance to brag about a product “made only with the finest ingredients,” but an opportunity to make your customer feel good about buying . . . YOU!