Brand-Building Through Storytelling

Marketers have long embraced storytelling to build brands by creating a deeper connection to buyers. Like any good story, brand stories have a protagonist (think hero), an antagonist (the villain), a plot that puts the characters in motion, a meaningful conflict or challenge, and finally a resolution. A well-crafted brand story conveys the very reason for a company's existence and its core values and increases a company's "share of heart" which, in turn, increases "share of wallet."

It's no different for personal brands. Your story - your raison d'être - is how people come to understand who you are, what you do, and what makes you special. It's like a Disney FastPass, putting you at the front of the line for deeper connection and unlimited opportunity. In #SwayFactor lingo, I call this "owning your ellipsis" whereby your ellipsis is the dot-dot-dot in this question: Who do you know who...

• ... can help me with ___?
• ... would be available to ___?
• ... has expertise in ___?

At first blush, this brand storytelling business sound all that difficult, and yet for many people, it's more like a brain-freeze without the Slurpee?: All pain, no pay-off. I'm on a mission to change that, to be the living proof that shifts the way people tell their story, first to themselves, and then to others. And that's why I'm excited about National Write Your Story Day, commemorated annually on March 14th. #WriteYourStoryDay

Your story is fascinating. Perfectly flawed. Filled with action. Rife with suspense, setbacks, and in the end, triumph. And here is where your brain fights back: "Wait, what? Triumph? I haven't yet achieved x. I'm still working on y. I don't think z is really all that." Funny isn't it that we are often our most creative when we're hellbent on holding ourselves back? What if I told you that the very nature of your existence on earth, your very humanness was in and of itself fascinating? That where you've been, what you've learned, and where you're headed next are the makings of a best-selling story? #TruthBomb

By helping people through the deep-work of personal branding, I have discovered that it's not the how that holds us back but rather the who, as in who am I to be so bold, who am I to think so big, to behave as if I've got sway? Rather than trying to answer those self-sabotaging questions and wage war with self-judgment, I suggest you simply brush them aside like you would a harmless gnat in your air space. (In my mind's eye, I actually see myself physically waving off thoughts that don't serve me.) This is how we make space for self-love and give ourselves permission to tell our stories.

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to commemorate #WriteYourStoryDay by updating your personal brand story online. Level-up your digital footprint. You might start here and polish your LinkedIn profile. Or what about your bio on Twitter or Instagram, is that on-brand? Set aside any thoughts you may have about the viability of your story and just tell it. Increase your share of heart and your #SwayFactor.