Spend 20 minutes on any social media platform and it can quickly become overwhelming how many businesses are out there. To add insult to injury, every business owner will tell you how ‘saturated’ their market is.

Showing off your products and services often isn’t enough to convert into sale and more than ever, people want to their purchases to act an extension of themselves and their values. This is where a brand story can come in; a means of separating yourself from your competitors and connecting deeply with your ideal customers.

Learn how to create an authentic brand story of your own in 3 simple steps and watch how it transforms your marketing.

Why Brand Stories Are Important 

Brand stories are important firstly because of, well, science. For a time long stories have been a powerful tool in human connection. On average, six more neural pathways are activated when we’re telling and listening to a memorable story. This increases information retention but also deepens connection between the storyteller and the listener. 

When the listener feels like they resonate with a story, an effect of trust is created. So as a storyteller, you can generate trust in whoever is engaged with your story.

In business, the ‘know, like, and trust’ factor is huge. It means that people only do business with those whom they know, like, and trust. Developing a personal brand and brand storytelling – as we’re outlining here – is a great way to foster this.

Brand stories are also incredibly refreshing. It takes the focus away from just selling a product or service and makes it about something bigger. As a business owner who genuinely wants to help people or inspire change in the world, this can feel like a really authentic form of marketing.

The Main Components of an Authentic Brand Story 

We all learned about storytelling in elementary school. What’s great about creating a brand story is that it’s fairly simple and follows the same format. 

Your brand story should be approached like any other storytelling assignment – connecting with the audience through shared experiences, showing conflict, a solution, and providing a clear beginning, middle and end.

For all the visual learners, it can be helpful to think of these markers as part of a ‘story mountain’ (see example below). 

Beginning/Status Quo: Use this section to introduce yourself and your brand. Describe the status quo of your industry, what you noticed about your competitors, what inspired you to start your brand, etc.

Middle/Conflict: Describe the problem you noticed in what other brands were offering, a gap in the market, what challenges you faced starting your brand, etc.

End/Solution: Build up to where you are present day, how you overcome your obstacles and ultimately, how you solve your clients or customers pain points. Give mention of your mission and vision without making them sound too formal.

It can be incredibly tempting to make this story complicated, thinking it will make you sound more interesting, but it’s best to refrain from that. Simple stories are more trustworthy and you don’t want to risk a reader getting lost or tuning out half way through.

Check out 6 Examples of Genius Brand Storytelling You Have to See from Marketing Insiders Group. 

Where to Use Your Brand Story 

The beauty of your brand story is that you can use it everywhere – and you should! Branding is all about consistency and your story is no different. 

The longest form of your story should live on the ‘About Us’ page on your website, but you can use it everywhere. For example, in social media posts, in advertising copy, videos, etc. 

Revising your story a few times and making sure it’s digestible is crucial when you don’t have a lot of time, or real estate, to fit it in. 

And remember: only a small percentage of people see everything you post. It might feel like you’re being repetitive, but this is how you stay top of mind and build customer loyalty.