How to Build Your Brand with Storytelling

Your brand depends on the stories you tell. All successful companies have them.

When consumers like the narrative you provide, they’re more likely to remember your products and services, engage with your business emotionally, buy from you, and evangelize on your behalf.

For example, Look at the growth of the organic and sustainable food movement. If you walk the aisles of Whole Foods Market or your town’s specialty store, you’ll see stories about local farmers, happy cows, handpicked produce, or sustainably caught fish. People aren’t just buying dinner. They’re buying a narrative. And it’s marketing’s job to cultivate this connection between producer and consumer.

In his book Omnivore’s Dilemma, food writer Michael Pollan refers to this evocative marketing prose as a literary experience. It makes food choices special, transforming an egg or a piece of chicken or a bag of arugula from nourishment to an intellectual experience with complex aesthetic, emotional, and even political dimensions.

What Makes a Good Story?

A good story encompasses several essential elements that resonate with audiences. While "good" and "bad" can be subjective, certain key components are universally recognized in great storytelling.

First, a good story captivates its audience, maintaining interest and anticipation for what unfolds next. Entertainment is a large component of this element, playing on the same emotions of comedy and tragedy that entertained the ancient Greeks, even if those elements are greatly diluted. When a story accomplishes these things effectively, it can even persuade an audience to suspend its disbelief.

When you develop a producer/consumer relationship with this kind of depth, which includes shared narratives, you bond with your customers. Just by committing to your story, you’ll begin to sow the seeds of brand awareness that will bear fruit for many years to come. Here’s how:

Five Factors for Telling Stories with Your Marketing:

1. Make your audience part of the overall story.

Effective storytelling hinges on audience involvement and understanding. The more engaged your audience is, the more invested they become in your narrative. It's crucial to identify who you're addressing and to comprehend their pain points, challenges, and aspirations thoroughly. By delving into their experiences and desires, you can craft a compelling story that resonates deeply with them. Through storytelling, you can forge a meaningful connection with your audience, tapping into their emotions and values, ultimately fostering loyalty and trust.

2. Speak to your buyer personas’ pain points.

Emotional resonance is at the heart of impactful storytelling. By tugging at the emotional strings of your audience, you can ignite enthusiasm and passion for your narrative. When individuals feel deeply connected to your story, they are likelier to share it with others, extending its reach and influence. Harnessing emotions allows you to create unforgettable brand experiences that leave a lasting impression. Through storytelling, you have the power to evoke feelings of trust, reliability, and loyalty in your audience, reinforcing the enduring bond between them and your brand.

3. Entertain your readers. 

It's not uncommon for readers to become so engrossed in the narrative that they momentarily overlook the underlying intention of product promotion. To effectively convey your brand message, it's essential to consider incorporating tips such as employing captivating visuals, crafting relatable narratives, and maintaining consistency in tone and messaging. By leveraging the strengths of each medium and delivering content that resonates with your audience, you can seamlessly integrate product promotion into your storytelling strategy while captivating and retaining their attention.

4. Create a sense of community. 

Develop a level of exclusivity with your story, and make it so compelling that your audience needs to be a part of it. This can range from Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) to playing on personal identity and tribal experience. Humans have a need to become part of a bigger group. It's instinctual. Our ancestors were hard-wired that way for survival. Today, community includes brands, as well.

5. Differentiate yourself. 

Every company has a unique story, so this is your chance to show how you differ from the competition. By weaving tales that spotlight your manufacturing processes, stringent quality standards, and commitment to innovation, you can effectively communicate your brand's ethos and values to consumers. Moreover, incorporating authentic customer testimonials and success stories further enhances credibility, reinforcing the trust and confidence of your audience in your brand's offerings and capabilities.

An Exceptional Example of Storytelling in Marketing

This ad from AWAY is one of my all-time favorite spots. It speaks to all five points listed above. Take a look, and tell me what you think in the comments below.

What’s Your Story?

Learn how to develop your company’s narrative by defining your buyer personas and speaking to them with highly focused content. Talk to our creative team at TMC Digital Media to find out more about cultivating brand awareness through storytelling and a well-defined content strategy.