Telling the Story of You

In today’s digital landscape, it’s easy to lose sight of your core marketing goals in the sea of graphs, data, tweets, and content that get the majority of our attention. Focusing on these tactics, however, doesn’t solve the primary initiative in the marketing world which is to develop and promote a brand. And a brand is a composite of ideas people associate with you and your company. These ideas are based on several factors including the products or services you offer, the way you communicate with your audience, and where they see your mark. But the most important aspect of building a solid, successful brand is to tell a story that communicates who you are to people who care.

In today’s world, people have near infinite options for where to buy. Millennials in particular are more concerned with what you represent as a company than what you actually sell. Brand loyalty is a big part of any modern marketing strategy and comes from the emotional bond your customers form with your story.

Storytelling has always been a central facet of the human experience. Stories have the ability to simplify complex ideas into a narrative that our brains and hearts can understand. This creates an immediate emotional connection to the subjects and ideas in the story. When that subject is your business, you’re talking about real marketing.

When you set out to tell your company’s story, include your own personal details. Studies have shown that younger consumers are more likely to engage a brand if the CEO uses social media. Why? Because it makes the company human in some capacity. And if they know the CEO’s story and how it applies to the story of the brand, all the better.

When building your brand and telling your story, don’t be afraid to be human. Be flawed, be imperfect, be real. That’s what makes you approachable and trustworthy. Forming the story of how your company came to be is equally important as what it stands for and why. Use all your media channels from blog and newsletter to social media and consumer engagement to tell the epic narrative of how you and your company came to be the hero of your industry. That level of character association will make a statement and an impact with your audience in ways that promotional calls to action never will.

Be a story worth hearing and your audience will reward you with their attention and eventually their loyalty.