How to Build Your Unique Personal Brand Story

Why come up with a personal brand story?

What makes you unique? Anyone who knows you probably will have a different answer: your mom might say it’s because you have the cutest smile, your friends might say it’s because you can eat a whole cheese sandwich in one bite, while your colleagues might say it’s because you build the best pivot tables.

But what if you could actually guide how potential connections, employers, or clients see your unique value?

What’s that special added value you can bring to the table? You may already know it or it may still be unclear, but coming up with a personal brand story can either clear any doubt or refine an existing idea. And storytelling is your key to uncovering your brand.

Your personal brand story: the art of storytelling

Marketers are going nuts over storytelling, and for good reason. Brands are understanding the importance of stories to up engagement and build an emotional connection with their customers.

Iconic people and companies such as Beyonce and Disney created their brands around stories we all know and cherish.

Beyonce’s alter ego, Sasha Fierce, took a whole bunch of steps before landing her mega-successful career. She started off in Destiny’s Child, took steps to go solo, zeroed-in on her audience with “Independent Women,” “Single Ladies,” and “Run the World (Girls),” and was mindful of her public image. She only spoke when it was relevant for her music career.

Disney on the other hand, has one of the most successful brands in the world, with a market capitalization of around $200 billion. Disney’s brand appeals to consumers of all ages and attracts people from around the globe, their secret is, you guessed it, storytelling. Every word, billboard, advertisement, and book remind their audience of a deep-seated emotional connection through nostalgia and childhood memories. Every aspect of a Disney movie is carefully planned and thought through. Every tiny component of every single story is dissected and analyzed. Every single element of a Disney theme park is carefully set up to follow its story and appeal to its audiences in each culture and country.

Now, going back to brand stories.

Stories are so widely popular among marketers because they’re a powerful tool in human communication. In hearing a story we tend to feel a particular experience and relate to it, often empathizing with the main character. This happens through a process of “neural coupling” in the brain, in which the listener’s brain activity reflects that of the speaker’s activity.

Neural coupling results in apprehension, understanding, expectation, and empathy. The impact of these feelings within the listener results in trust. By telling a story and creating a shared connection with the listener or reader, a speaker can generate trust. And this is the key.

How to build your personal brand story

To create a great brand story for yourself, start by differentiating this from an elevator pitch. You’re not selling a skill set or influencing a purchase, you’re infusing a story with personality and authenticity to create a genuine connection with your audience.

Your story is not meant to portray you as being some godlike superhero with amazing skills. It shows your human side, with a narrative that encompasses struggles, joy, sadness, success, failure, and growth — all infused with your unique voice and personality.

So what’s the anatomy of a good brand story?

• Struggle
• Action
• Success

Simplicity here is key. Don’t add too much complexity to your brand story, otherwise you’ll dilute your message. Provide only essential information to guide your reader through your narrative.

• The brand story should give your audience an idea of who you are as a person and professional — who are you?
• The brand story should explain your mission — why do you do what you do?
• The brand story should connect with your audience — how can you add value?
• The brand story should leave an impact and a legacy — how can they tell your story to others?

These are all essential questions your brand story should answer. Your brand story should grab enough interest and create enough intrigue to make your audience want to meet, connect, and work with you.

Remember that your personal brand story is a living and breathing narrative, it adapts to your audience without losing its essence.

Conclusion

I’ll write more about this, as building a personal brand story is serious business and requires lots of thought. But thinking about your brand story allows you to pivot and figure out what really matters to you and your audience.

Developing your brand story is work that truly pays off in the long run, so give it a thought, and keep reading my blog for more.