Crafting Your Brand Story | Brand Content Marketing Reno
Marketing has seen a full 180 in the last decade. With a universe of information at our fingertips, we are much more attuned to promotional B.S. and expect substantial, emotional content from brands. Content Marketing is the response to this demand.
Brands now lead with story, whereas traditional marketing led with promotion. It’s now common for big brands to leave logos and promotions out of their promotional content completely. This choice is a direct result of the rapidly changing relationship between brand and customer.
Basically, the distinction between brand and customer is insignificant. Social media and digital reviewing channels have kicked brands off their soapboxes — customers have an incredible power of choice, so brands have no choice but to listen and adapt to fit into their audience’s lifestyle.
Smart brands achieve this through brand storytelling.
Why Story Is So Effective
Stories have always been a vehicle for human connection. It’s science. Research shows how story increases the listener/reader’s empathy and comprehension toward the storyteller. Scientists call this “neural coupling” or “mirroring” because the listener/reader and the storyteller share a mutual understanding.
We are social animals that love a good story, and in a world that has become increasingly connected, brands thrive if they double down on the human appetite for story.
The purpose of storytelling in content marketing is to build relationships with customers, which lead to trust (and then revenue).
Creating Stories That Resonate
A brand story is not an epic tale spoken from a booming, unapproachable voice. A brand story is a representation of the people (target audience) who connect and share their experiences with the brand.
The brand is no longer separate from the customer, and that’s a good thing. The customer has as much influence on the brand story as the brand itself. So in content marketing, the content is never about the brand, it’s about the people. Your brand story is your customer’s story. So how do you do this? There are four elements to a successful brand story:
- Know Your Niche Audience
- Focus On Your Goals
- Keep It Simple
- Promote the Experience
Know Your Niche Audience
A thoughtful, researched brand story paints the brand into the narrative of the customer — it upholds meaning for the niche audience. Owning your niche and speaking to the desires, pain points, and shared experiences of your audience will help you craft a brand story that aligns with the people most likely to invest in your brand.
Focus On Your Goals
The whole purpose of brand story is to root your brand in meaning and express your brand goals. If your brand goal is to make money, that’s not going to result in a substantial brand story. Customers are not attracted to a business that is blatantly in it for the money. Even your childhood lemonade stand stood for more than that. Do better.
People become loyal to brands because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves, a story that resonates with their personal aspirations and values. Let your goals guide your brand story.
Keep It Simple
Whether you’re sharing your brand story through your website, a social media campaign, or a YouTube video, keep it simple. Complexity is great when you have 500 pages and a whole mythical universe to address, but for the sake of content marketing, keep things simple. Start with the basic beginning, middle and end structure.
- Beginning: present the problem
- Middle: reveal the solution, and guide us through it
- End: celebrate the success
Promote The Experience, Not The Product
Take a look at Nike commercials, Apple advertisements and other promotions by big brands. Most of the time the product doesn’t even make it into the commercial. Brands have mastered the art of selling the experience the brand is promising, not the product. In today’s market, the brand experience is much more valuable than the product itself. Promote an experience your target audience will hop on board with.
Need help crafting your brand story? Beer helps. Get in touch to see if our brand storytellers are a match for you.
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