If you want to be memorable, tell your story.
Essential to personal and business marketing because it creates a memorable and emotional connection with the audience, storytelling can capture attention, convey information, and elicit a response in a way that facts and data alone cannot.
Narrative elements like characters, conflict, and resolution humanize the brand or person, making it more relatable and appealing to the audience. Stories can also convey values, beliefs, and aspirations, helping establish a unique market identity and positioning.
Brand stories create connections between you and your audience.
Storytelling builds powerful ways to connect with others, whether you're creating a brand or writing a memoir. In both cases, being authentic to yourself is the key to success.
Here are some tips for telling your story effectively:
Find your unique angle.
What sets you apart from everyone else? What makes your brand or your life story different and interesting?
Anything from your personal background to your unique perspective on the world can form your brand. Finding your unique angle will help you stand out in a crowded marketplace. For example, Airbnb's founders were struggling to make rent in San Francisco when they came up with the idea of renting out air mattresses in their living room to conference attendees. Their unique angle helped them stand out in a saturated marketplace and eventually created a hugely successful brand.
Similarly, finding the unique angle that sets your story apart is essential in writing a memoir. For example, Tara Westover's memoir "Educated" tells the story of her upbringing in a strict, survivalist family in rural Idaho, her journey to self-education, and her eventual graduation from Cambridge University. The unique angle of the memoir lies in the juxtaposition of Westover's upbringing, which was characterized by extreme poverty, physical and emotional abuse, and isolation from mainstream society, with her later academic achievements. Through her education, Westover gains a new perspective on her family and upbringing, ultimately challenging the beliefs and values she learned to accept as absolute truths.
Brand storytelling sets you apart.
Know your audience.
The first step in telling your story is to know your audience. Whether creating a brand or writing a memoir, understanding who you are speaking to is crucial. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your message and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
For example, if you are creating a brand for a fitness app, your audience may be people who are interested in improving their health and fitness. You can craft a message that resonates with them by understanding their needs and desires.
Nike is a brand that has done just that. With its iconic slogan "Just Do It," Nike targets athletes and active individuals who seek to push their limits and achieve their goals. The brand's innovative products, inspiring advertisements, and partnerships with top athletes resonate with its target audience, making Nike one of the world's most successful and recognizable sports brands.
Be authentic.
Being authentic is one of the most important things when telling your story. People can sense when someone is fake or insincere, which can turn them off.
Instead, be true to yourself and your experiences. For example, when writing a memoir, it can be tempting to embellish or exaggerate specific details to make your story more interesting. However, this can backfire and create a less real story. Instead, focus on telling the truth in a compelling and engaging way.
Consumers find Chobani authentic. An immigrant who came to the US with nothing founded the Greek yogurt company, and it has since become a symbol of inclusivity and social responsibility. Chobani's commitment to using natural ingredients, supporting local communities, and hiring refugees has resonated with consumers, who see the brand as honest, genuine, and socially conscious.
Use emotion.
Emotion is a powerful tool when telling your story. It can help your audience connect with you on a deeper level and make your message more memorable. Whether you are creating a brand or writing a memoir, using emotion can help you stand out from the crowd. For example, when creating a brand for a charity organization, focus on the emotional impact of your work. An emotional focus can help people feel more connected to your cause and motivate them to support you.
Apple's innovative products and iconic designs evoke feelings of creativity, luxury, and sophistication, appealing to consumers' desires for self-expression and status. Apple's marketing campaigns and brand messaging reinforce these emotional connections, creating a loyal following passionate about the brand's products and values.
Likewise, Coca-Cola connects with consumers through emotion. Coca-Cola's marketing campaigns focus on emotional connections, using themes like friendship, unity, and joy to create a sense of shared experience and positive feelings. With its iconic red and white branding and classic taste, Coca-Cola is synonymous with happiness, nostalgia, and Americana.
Show, don't tell.
When telling your story, show what you mean instead of telling. Use concrete details and examples to illustrate your message rather than simply stating it outright.
For example, instead of saying, "I'm passionate about helping others," you could share a story about a time when you went out of your way to help someone in need. Your audience will connect with your message on a deeper level and make it more memorable.
Be concise.
Let's get one thing straight: your attention span is longer than that of your goldfish. It's your patience that's shorter.
In today's fast-paced world, people have less time than ever. Whether creating a brand or writing a memoir, focus on the most important details and avoid rambling or getting sidetracked. For example, when creating a brand for a new product, focus on the key benefits and features that make your product unique.
Your audience will stay with you -- after all, we've amassed some serious skills when binge-watching our favorite shows, proving people will focus on story immersion for prolonged amounts of time. Our challenge is that so many things vie for our attention that your story has to be compelling if you want some of it.
Use humor.
Humor is a powerful way to connect with others and make your message more memorable. Humor can help you stand out and create a more engaging message. For example, when creating a brand for a new line of cleaning products, you could use a humorous tagline like "Because mess is just dirt's way of saying 'clean me!'"
Dollar Shave Club is another brand that consumers love because of its humor. The men's grooming company uses witty and irreverent humor in its marketing campaigns, poking fun -- not at people -- but at traditional shaving brands' high cost and pretentiousness. Dollar Shave Club's comedy creates a sense of camaraderie with its customers, who appreciate the brand's down-to-earth, relatable image.
Overall, storytelling effectively engages the audience, builds trust, and differentiates from the competition, making it an essential tool for personal and business marketing.
Your story brand can make all the difference in reaching your intended audience.