You have a story to tell and I don’t mean you have a book. I mean that where you are right now, with your own business, you came from somewhere to get here. You worked hard. You made sacrifices. You tried things, some that succeeded and some that failed. From the moment you conceptualized your idea to this moment in time, that is your brand story. So, how do you tell that story in a way that connects with customers?
First, What Is Your Brand Story?
Your brand story is more than a series of events that brought you from point A to here. Your brand story is also about your vision and your ideals. Why did you decide to embark on this project? What are your goals? What is your mission? How you tell your brand story should touch on these components.
That said, don’t let yourself get bogged down in the details. You’re not writing a novel, after all (though if your story is compelling …). So let’s look at what you can do to keep your story focused and connect with your target market.
Keep It Simple
Your brand story is how you want to remember the basic story structure: beginning, middle, end. When you apply that to your story and what your story means, consider,
Beginning – What inspired you to start your business? What problems are you solving during this time? What inspired your mission?
Middle – How are you solving the problem? How is your mission shaping your business? What obstacles were in your way – and how do they tie into the beginning questions?
End – How did you overcome your obstacles? Where are you now that you succeeded? How are your vision and mission shaping your next steps?
Add Personality
Once you have the shape of your story, look at the personality that you want to add to it. The personality in your story should reflect the way you want to interact with your team and your customers. A financial advisor, for example, will want to reflect an insightful and professional tone. Other types of businesses will want a more casual tone, especially if you’re in tech or digital marketing.
Differentiate Yourself from Others in Your Industry
Look at your competitors and study their stories. Find where you have similarities to them and look at how you can help your story stand out. Maybe you both saw the same problem but arrived at different ways to solve it. Why is yours better? Maybe you have similar visions. For example, maybe as digital marketers, you both have the vision of elevating marginalized creators on social media. How are you positioned to make that vision a reality?
Bring It Together
So, you have your story. You have your purpose, vision, and mission. You have the problem you wanted to solve, the challenges you overcame, and you have determined how you’re different from your competitors. Remember to keep your story brief and focus on the important details. If you’re unsure what to include, remember that your brand story answers the question, why are you here? If a detail doesn’t answer that question, leave it out.
Now, get writing.