Intro

Your brand is one of the most important assets your company has. It’s what customers think of when they hear your name, and it can make or break a business. A strong brand story can help you stand out from the competition and connect with customers on an emotional level. In this article, we will discuss the importance of branding and how to build a compelling brand story that will engage customers and help your business succeed!

What is a brand story?

A brand story is a narrative that explains the origin and purpose of a brand. It should be compelling and engaging, while also providing customers with an understanding of what the brand represents. A brand story should be unique, memorable, and relevant to the customer. It should also align with the company's core values and mission statement.

There are several elements that should be included in a brand story:

• The origin story: This is the history of how your brand came to be. It should be interesting and engaging, while also providing customers with an understanding of your brand's mission.

• The brand identity: This is what makes your brand unique and different from others in the market. It should be consistent across all touchpoints, from your website to your social media channels to your packaging.

• The customer story: This is the story of how your customers interact with your brand. It should be relatable and show how your brand has helped them in their lives.

Creating a strong brand identity will help customers remember your brand, while a brand story that is relatable and relevant will help them connect with your brand on a personal level. Creating a brand story that aligns with your company's core values and mission statement is also important, as it will ensure that your brand story is consistent with the overall message you're trying to communicate.

The benefits of having a strong brand story

Branding is important because it allows customers to identify your company and its products or services. When customers are familiar with a brand, they are more likely to trust it and more likely to buy products or services. Consider some of the benefits of having a strong brand story below:

Connect with customers on an emotional level

One of the key benefits of having a strong brand story is that it can help connect with customers on an emotional level. When customers feel a connection to your brand, they are more likely to be loyal and buy your products or services.

To deepen your connections, you'll need to strategically use keywords that align with your user's search intent. This tells your audience that you know your stuff and can answer their questions. Not only will this improve your brand's authority, but it'll also help foster stronger emotional connections. For help finding keywords that connect with your customers on an emotional level while aligning with their search intent, Ranktracker has an awesome, easy-to-use keyword finder.

Differentiate your company from the competition

A strong brand story can also help you stand out from the competition, which is important in a crowded marketplace. This, in turn, allows you to capture a larger share of the market. If you are able to create a brand story that makes you stand out from other businesses, then customers will be more likely to choose your product or service over those of your competitors. This is because they will see that your company offers something unique and valuable that isn’t available from anyone else.

Build trust with customers

Another thing your brand story can do is help build trust with your target audience. By creating a positive image and reputation, a company can make consumers feel more comfortable doing business with them. This is especially important when it comes to online transactions, where customers may not be able to see or meet the person they're doing business with face-to-face. A strong brand can help instill confidence in potential customers, encouraging them to buy your product or use your service.

Strengthen customer loyalty

Customer loyalty is one of the most important factors for any business. It creates long-term relationships with customers, which in turn increases the ROI of marketing efforts. Loyal customers are also more likely to recommend a business to others, expanding its customer reach. Additionally, customer loyalty provides valuable insights into customer behavior that can help businesses improve their products and services.

Increase company recognition

Having a strong brand helps improve company recognition because it differentiates your products from those of your competitors. When people easily recall your brand and identify your products, it indicates that your audience is familiar with and trusts your company. This makes it more likely for them to do business with you, which results in increased sales and profits.

One way to increase company recognition is by using social media to reach a large audience with your message. Another way to increase brand recognition is through earned media, such as press coverage, reviews, and guest posting. Getting featured in popular publications or blogs can help raise awareness of your company. These increase your site's backlinks, which improve rankings on results pages. The more recognized your company is, the more naturally the backlinks will come.

Increase word of mouth marketing

People love to talk about things they’re passionate about, and businesses with a strong brand story are no exception. By creating a story that resonates with your target audience, you can encourage more people to talk about your business. This word of mouth marketing leads to increased awareness, leads, and sales.

How to create a brand story that engages customers

A brand story should be well-thought-out and carefully crafted. It should be reflective of your brand's values and mission, and it should be something that customers can connect with on an emotional level. If you take the time to create a compelling brand story, it will pay off in the long run by helping you build a strong brand that customers love. Here are eight simple steps to help you craft an enticing brand story.

Step 1: Define your mission and values

Your company's mission statement should concisely describe what you do and why you do it. This provides customers with further clarification on the motivation behind your work. Values are a set of beliefs that guide your company's decisions and actions. They should be aspirational, reflect your company's culture, and be something that everyone in the company can get behind. Some good examples of values include integrity, innovation, customer focus, and teamwork.

Step 2: Figure out what makes your brand unique

Your brand is what makes you different from every other business out there. It’s what sets you apart and attracts customers to your products or services. There are a few ways to help communicate what makes your brand story unique to your audience. You can focus on the history of your brand and how it’s evolved over time. You can also talk about the people behind your brand and what they stand for. And finally, you can communicate the values that your brand represents.

Step 3: Create a narrative that tells your brand's story

Your story should be engaging and informative for potential customers, detailing the company's history, its values and what it stands for. It can also showcase the products or services that the company offers, and how they differ from the competition. Telling a story that engages the reader is key to getting them interested in what your company has to offer. If you've never used storytelling in marketing, it's time to start.

Step 4: Build a storyboard to help you visualize the story

Next, build a storyboard to further outline your brand story. Create a series of images or sketches that depict key messages and values in an interesting and visually appealing way. This can further assist you with visualizing a brand narrative that customers can follow and understand. Include visualizations that map out customer journeys and create detailed user stories. By seeing the customer experience from start to finish, you can craft a stronger brand that will resonate with your audience.

Step 5: Write the copy for your brand story

After you have a general idea of what your brand story will entail, it's time to start writing the copy. This can be in the form of a blog post, an article, or even a short video script. The important thing is to focus on creating engaging content that tells your story in an interesting way. Be sure to include key messages, call-to-actions, and a strong conclusion that will leave customers wanting more.

Step 6: Choose visuals that represent your brand story

Your visuals should be eye-catching and reflective of your brand's story. They should be high quality and professional, as they will be representing your company to the world. If you're including images, make sure they are relevant and add value to the text. The same goes for videos – choose footage that is interesting and informative, without being too long or boring.

Step 7: Be consistent

Your brand story should be consistent across all channels, from your website to your social media accounts. This means using the same language, tone, and messaging. You want potential customers to easily recognize your company and what it stands for, no matter where they come across it. By being consistent, you can build a strong and recognizable brand that will stick in the minds of your target audience.

Step 8: Activate your brand

After you've taken the time to write your brand story, it's time to implement it into your marketing strategy. By activating your brand, you'll create a stronger emotional connection with your customers through ongoing interactions and experiences with your products or services. This means highlighting your brand in your advertising, on your website, and in social media. You can also include it in PR campaigns, email marketing, and even in-person events. The sky is the limit when it comes to activating your brand story.

Examples of brands that have successfully told their stories

A brand story should be unique, memorable, and relevant to the customer. The following companies have all been able to successfully tell their brand stories, which has helped them become household names.

• Apple
• Coca Cola
• Nike
• IBM
• Ford
• McDonalds

Thanks to their brand stories, these companies are easily recognizable by their logos and slogans by people around the world.

Are you ready to build a compelling brand story and grow your business?

As you can see, there are many benefits to including a brand story in your marketing strategy. Not only will it help you connect with customers on a deeper level, but it will also make your company more memorable and recognizable. If you're looking to take your brand to the next level, start telling your story today.

If you're ready to build a strong brand and connect with customers on an emotional level, contact AS Marketing. We can assist you in the storytelling process, activate your brand, and help your company stand out from the competition.

About the author

Adriana Stein is the Founder and CEO of AS Marketing, an agency that specializes in creating holistic online marketing strategies for B2B and B2C companies worldwide. Adriana and her multilingual and multicultural team specialize in developing strategies that incorporate various techniques like native-speaker level SEO, LinkedIn content marketing, and marketing automation. She has also shared SEO content marketing guides on Moz and Hubspot. Follow her on LinkedIn for more tips on how to take your online presence to the next level.