The Art of Brand Storytelling Is not Copywriting

We all love stories. It is in human nature to be captivated by the narrative. A great story can inspire, motivate, and evoke positive emotions and great brand storytelling can skyrocket your business.

A powerful brand story can do just that. It resonates with people and builds a deeper connection. And it is much more than copywriting or advertising. If your brand does not engage actively in storytelling, you miss tremendous opportunities. This article will explain what is brand storytelling.

What is a Brand Story? 

Think about Apple. They are doing it incredibly effectively. From the product design to promotion and presentations – everything happens according to the story brand guide: innovation, technology, change, growth.

A brand story is who you are, what you do, and why you do it. It tells how you help people and what you care about. It illustrates the message behind the company or product. To put it simply – it is the reason why a company exists and why people should care about it.

Yet it is not as simple to create a brand story, especially if you are not experienced. Many entrepreneurs are unsure whether they need it (the answer is yes) or how to start. A lot of businesses turn to professional backstory, which is a valid option. But before that, let’s talk about why building a story brand is important.

Reasons to Create a Brand Story 

Let’s face it, interruption marketing is far from being as effective as in previous decades. The majority of people are actively avoiding ads. According to the Elderman Trust Barometer Special Report, 74% of respondents do that.

Why? They do not trust advertising. It feels too pushy as if a faceless and soulless corporation wants their money.

That’s why there is a huge rise in engagement marketing right now. The main focus now is on building trustful relationships with customers and brand storytelling can help with it.

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The study mentioned above has other impactful data to consider, such as :

• 69% of respondents said that they experience growing concern about brand storytelling
  impact on society and it influences their trust;
• After the quality, convenience, value, and ingredients as major factors in making a purchase, people named next «I must be able to trust the brand to do what is right»;
• People’s trust in brands directly links to them being loyal customers and making more purchases.

So how can a company increase the trust between itself and its customers? It all starts with building the best brand storytelling.

The successful brand storytelling examples can be seen in almost all major enterprises. This is what makes one stand out from the competition in brand storytelling and in the whole marketing. After all, there are a lot of brands with similar quality products. But people still opt for one and not another.

That’s because the narrative resonates with their core values and beliefs. It evokes emotion, and this is one of the most powerful forces in human behavior. As examples of the brand story think of Dove, Gillette, Nike, and Google. What comes to mind with each name? Those are probably completely different narratives. Reading about copyrighting will be useful anyway.

When it comes to industry competition in brand storytelling there are not so many things a company can do. They can compete in prices but only for so long. They can create a completely unique product, which no one else can replicate, which is quite difficult. Or they can create a brand story that resonates with their target audience.

Benefits of Storytelling for a Brand

Here are the main advantages a business can experience from creating a story brand guide and consistent narrative:

1. Brand storytelling makes you unique. This is why people want to know about the company, and that’s why they want to connect. It might not seem obvious, but usually, the audience cares much more about who is behind the product and how it all came to be rather than traditional advertising.
2. It humanizes a brand. We, as humans, want to interact with other humans, not corporations. That’s where all these Twitter and Tik Tok accounts of enterprises come from. Many make jokes, follow trends, and respond to people. It makes a company less of a corporation and more of a human. It shows that a brand cares and hears the audience, which leads to trust.
3. Brand storytelling helps to communicate what your values are. What do people get besides the product? It can be an excellent customer experience, support a good cause, builds a self-brand, or make a global change (even a small one, it doesn’t have to be global).
4. It gives you control. The truth is that the narrative is no longer controlled fully by enterprises. Before that, they were the sole source of information. But now it is different. People will share their experienced, whether they are good or bad. They will add to the narrative. A consistent story brand guide allows controlling the part you can control. If you do not do it, others will do it for you. And it is rarely a great thing.
5. It attracts the target audience. This narrative goes both ways. People with similar core values and interests will appreciate the company and product/service. Having an identity and values also gives employees a sense of purpose and a greater cause. Overall, it is a positive thing to bond over.

How to Create Your Brand Story 

Let’s be honest. There is no ultimate story brand template to fit any company. It is simply impossible and would bit the whole purpose of it. But if you want to work on your narrative, here are some steps to take:

Start with the core

The core includes mission, vision, values, and purpose. Those are fundamentals of your business that will peak through everything – from customer service to supporting a specific charity.

Learn about writing specifics

Do not copy examples from other firms. They can serve as a story brand template at the drafting stage, but the magic in authenticity. Start by learning about narrative techniques and styles. Think of words and particular things that correspond with the core of the brand. Avoid any official/advertising language, anyway, you have to learn how to create interesting content to make your brand storytelling the best way possible.

Make brand storytelling consistent

A story brand guide should impact all aspects of the company’s operations. Create a checklist for that, starting with visual representation (colors, fonts, typography, logo) and up to a unique voice (informative, friendly, funny, supporting, etc).

Consistency is what increases trust. Make sure the content all over the platforms is consistent with the story brand template. And the same principles have to apply to customer service. If your narrative is all about being data-driven and formal, it makes no sense to post memes on a corporate Twitter account.

Focus on the Audience

It is crucial to always keep the target audience in mind. What are people interested in? What words will correspond with them better? What narrative will evoke an emotion? How can you represent your brand story to them efficiently?

Communication has to be not only efficient but also targeted exactly at the people who will appreciate it.

Share It

Decide on how you are going to share it. Choose the channels that make sense for the narrative and the target audience. Also, the tips on SEO tools will help you a lot, and there is an article that will show how.

As a writer of this article must admit that we run a special service for backstory writing that can be a very creative tool for your business or personal needs when it comes to making an impressive story.

Stick to It

 Performative activism doesn’t work. At least not for long. Fake stories get uncovered pretty fast in the social media age. Do not create a narrative that is built on a lie, as it will backfire.

If you state something as a core belief in a brand story, you have to stick to it. For example, if your company is all about acceptance, you need to follow this policy in everything. The audience will hold the company accountable.

In Summary

Creating a powerful brand story takes time and a lot of brainstorming. But in the modern climate, it is a crucial part not only of a marketing strategy but of overall company presence. It helps to stand out, bring value, and offer a unique experience to customers. Best brand storytelling is the one that you like.