Brands like Coca-Cola, Burt’s Bees, and IKEA are great at telling a story through their products, marketing campaigns, and interactions with customers. And it’s no wonder why. Brand storytelling is something that brands have been doing for decades —Tupperware parties, restaurants with ‘mythical’ backstories, the Jolly Green Giant. Stories are what make humans human, so it makes sense that we rely on them as much as we do.
In fact, research suggests that businesses that use storytelling have seen a significant increase of up to 111 percent in revenue compared to those that don’t. But even though telling your brand story with words can increase sales, you probably find it easier to read a book than write out your brand story. That’s why we have compiled three things you need to do in order to attract your ideal customer through brand storytelling.
1. You should understand brand storytelling and why you need it.
Brand storytelling is a narrative that gives your audience context and meaning to their experience with your business. It’s about building a connection with your audience by providing them with relatable content. A great brand story evokes emotion and inspires action – whether that’s buying your product or sharing it with a friend.
Everyone is familiar with the classic brand stories of companies like Apple, Nike, and Starbucks. These brands have built their entire business around the idea that they are more than just a product or service – they’re an experience. And as consumers, we love these experiences! But why? Why do we love Apple so much? Why are we willing to pay $5 for a coffee?
The answer is simple: We relate to their stories. We can imagine ourselves walking into the store and getting the same feeling of excitement over new products or coffee beans that we did when we were kids. It’s this connection between customers and brands that have made brand storytelling so essential to marketing plans today.
- Determine what will resonate with your ideal customer.
When you are creating a brand story for your business, it’s common to spend a lot of time thinking about what makes your company unique. But after you’ve identified what sets you apart, the next step is to figure out how those characteristics will resonate with your ideal customer.
The best brand stories draw the reader in by addressing a pain point or challenge they are struggling with and then offering a solution. What does your customer do for a living? How much money do they make? What do they do for fun? How old are they? Before you can create effective brand stories, you need to know everything about your target audience.
Once you understand who your target customer is and what they're looking for, you can create stories that speak directly to them. You'll be able to form a connection with them because you'll be providing them with the information they crave in a story that entertains and appeals to their emotions.
3. Tell your brand story.
For millennials, especially, this is a major factor in determining whether they'll purchase from you. Millennials are not only the largest generation in terms of population, they hold around $200 billion in buying power. They want to know what your brand stands for — what you're doing to give back or help your customers or community — and how that aligns with their values.
One brand that does an exceptional job at communicating its brand story through its online content is Method. Its website tells the story of how it began as a small start-up that believed in using business to solve social and environmental problems to create safe, modern cleaning solutions. The company now also sells hand soap, dish soap, and body products, but it still sells these products as part of its larger message of sustainability and transparency.
You can tell your brand story through your content marketing strategy by aligning it with your company's mission statement and creating content that reflects the values behind the products you sell. For example, if your small business helps working moms balance work and home life, then create digital content that speaks to working moms such as blogs about balancing work life with home life or tips for handling kids' after-school activities.
The truth is that stories demand to be told. They ripple through time and affect every aspect of our lives. Even today, stories are a critical part of our lives—so much so that we actively seek out storytellers to tell us their tales. In the business world, storytelling is more than just superstition and window dressing. And when you look into it, you’ll discover that the reason for this is simple: the best stories sell.
Today’s customers are more educated and informed than ever. Many can differentiate a bad brand story from a good one, and they are less and less forgiving of the former. Crafting compelling brand stories that resonate with your target audience will help you stand out from your competitors, build trust with customers, and increase conversions.