How Storytelling Takes Your Brand From Ho-Hum To Amazing

Ever visit a town, and afterwards relate what you saw to friends but no one cares?

Meanwhile, the person you're with regales people with a story about your outing and everyone is all ears.

Certain people can turn everyday experiences into stories that capture the moment. They're photographers with words.

While we're not all natural storytellers, you can learn to tell stories.

This is especially important when you're talking about your brand.

Too many people make their brand as exciting as day old bread. They fail to touch someone's feelings. You have no reason to care.

Brand storytelling draws prospects in by touching you emotionally. It helps others identify with your brand, giving them a reason to believe in and trust your brand.

Think of politicians, who at the end of the day are brands selling themselves to us.

President Joe Biden, for example, is identified with Amtrak and its conductors, whose lives he touched riding the train between Delaware and Washington for decades. His devotion to Amtrak and its conductors humanized him. You felt he cared.

Brands often use origin stories to distinguish themselves.

Life coaches for example often share how they had the same problem they're now helping others solve. They were depressed, or stuck in place, or abusing drugs. Or in massive debt. Or fill in the blanks with any problem.

What makes these stories compelling is that you know the coach understands where you're coming from. And has the wherewithal to pull you out of the depths you've sunk.

Apple similarly used its origin story to distinguish itself.

Steve Jobs, its founder, dropped out of college and working with a friend out of his family home fought competitors to launch his product.

You want to stand up and cheer. You want to come aboard.

So how do you tell your own brand story?

Don't worry. You don't need to be another Shakespeare or Hemingway to do this.

But you do need a structure for your story.

Otherwise, it's a string of facts. You did this. You saw that. You went here. Who cares?

A story weaves the facts into a tale you want to follow. It has a beginning, a middle and an end.

The simplest story structure is The 3 Act Story, which is a common dramatic framework.

1. The set up: You establish the scene and the characters.
2. The confrontation. You state the problem and create tension
3. The Resolution. You solve the problem and all's well.

Land Rover does this beautifully in its Land of Land Rovers video ad.

It introduces us to a small, remote Himalayan village and its people. (The setup).

You learn about the treacherous journey the villagers take to reach their village located at an altitude of 3,636. (Confrontation)

Resolution. To reach the town, the villagers rely on a fleet of 1957 Land Rovers. Without them, they would not survive.

The ad pulls your heartstrings, while dramatically showing the reliability and durability of Land Rovers.

This is just one type of storytelling framework.

No matter what structure you chose, however, what's key is that you envelop your facts in a drama where you're tugging emotions and resolve the problem.

Want to learn other frameworks? I detail those in a blog post whose link is in the comments.

How are you using storytelling to enhance your brand and engage your audience?

#branding #storytelling #coaching #brandingtips

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I help small business owners, including coaches and consultants, nail their messaging, branding and marketing to grow their business. Schedule a?free Power Positioning call with me.