8 Ways Storytelling Can Power Your Brand Success
If you have been following my posts you will know that I write a lot about the importance of First Impressions, Personal branding and the power of networking. One of the best lessons I have learned with my business is how brand storytelling can greatly enhance interest and engagement in you and your business.
Creating stories with strong visual images and authentic content not only helps you develop a more visible persona for your business, it can significantly boost your SEO at the same time. In speaking with successful bloggers, leaders and entrepreneurs, I have compiled a few tips to help you tell the story of your brand.
1. Create your brand stories with a specific audience in mind.
When you are telling your stories on social media, make your content captivating and worthwhile; answer questions, offer tips, give a free gift and leave your audience with a 'wow' factor that will have them returning for more.
2. Choose your headlines wisely.
Titles, headlines and taglines are all effective brand storytelling elements. There are a lot of ways that you can test your title, headline or tagline before posting. Your goal should always be to make sure your titles are click-worthy and your content share-worthy to ensure your storytelling success.
3. Create more keyword-rich evergreen content than time-specific content.
In it's simplest definition, an evergreen content is a piece of content which does not expire in the short term. Blog posts regarding the latest social media trend might get you immediate clicks, but you want to make sure that your messaging will send potential customers to your brand for months and years to come.
4. Develop a storytelling strategy.
It is important to build a cohesive brand voice and even plan for seasonal content in advance. Know the results you want to achieve, how you plan to get closer to your goal, and the resources you will need along your marketing journey. If you occasionally update old stories, your content marketing return on investment will steadily increase.
5. Use data to increase the impact of your stories.
By telling a story, you can simplify complex subject matters and create context that helps people remember. It’s difficult to store new information, particularly facts or figures, unless we are given some context. By using storytelling, entrepreneurs can be more effective at helping their message stick in the minds of potential customers.
6. Stories help people learn
It’s not always stories with a happy ending that are important. Telling stories with negative outcomes, perhaps about when a poor decision was made, is a great way to engage with others in your business and make them think more critically about what they might do to avoid making the same mistakes.
7. It can offer a glimpse into the future
Smart entrepreneurs need to be able to master the art of what’s known as 'vision-stories'. These are stories that paint a picture of what the future can look like. It’s vital for securing funding, getting buy-in for proposals and projects, and helping people to overcome their fear of uncertainty.
8. It triggers an emotional response
Stories can provoke powerful emotions and responses. A good story offers detail the reader can use to make his or her own judgements and perhaps forge an emotional connection with you. Emotional connections lead to trust which can turn into sales and long term relationships.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that mastering the art of storytelling should be an essential part of every entrepreneur’s and leader’s toolkit for success. From making you more memorable to teaching new skills, there is tangible proof that effective storytelling produces great results.
If you need help to craft your brand story, contact Jennifer Grant International, we will be pleased to work with you.