A Brand Story Is What You Need to Share Your Entrepreneurial Vision. Here's How to Create One. Everything you need to know about designing a brand story that will help you connect with your customers and make them feel like they can count on you.
By Chris Kille Edited by Ryan Droste
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Good storytelling can move the hearts of thousands. It can also win a debate and make a sale.
Bringing elements of the stories to your visual identity that you learned in your research and brand exploration is a simple way to make a more engaging story. If you got your eye-catching logo and brand identity design, what next?
Design a story around it.
What is a brand story?
A brand story is a narrative that represents your brand. It's the story you'll use to connect with customers, and it's what will help you share your vision with the world.
Your brand story needs to be authentic and relatable because it's what will make people want to buy your product.
Related: Branding Is More Than an Accessory: It's the Foundation
Why do you need a brand story?
A brand story is not just about selling your product, it's about your customer's experience. It's about what makes your brand unique and memorable.
When you think about the experiences you have with brands, do any of them stand out? What made them so special? Was it how they positioned themselves as an authority in their niche, or was it their ability to make you feel like they have your best interests at heart? Was it because they had cool images on their website or social media channels that made you want to buy from them?
What if you could create those experiences for people who interact with your brand? You'd instantly become memorable, and more importantly, people would be excited to buy from you again!
Related: Branding Is Indispensable. Are You Using It to Your Advantage?
How to design a brand story
Designing a brand story is one of the most important tasks you can undertake as a company owner or marketer. It's the foundation for everything that you do, and it can help you get more customers and increase your sales.
Here is how to do it.
Define your audience
Before you design a brand story, you need to define the audience for that story. This may seem obvious since you know your customers, but it's important to consider why they're buying from you. Is it because they want a great product or experience? Is it because they want to feel part of a community? Is it because they want to support a cause?
You don't know your target audience well enough if you can't answer these questions. And if you don't know them well enough, how can you design something that speaks directly to them?
Define the context
When designing a brand story, the first step is to define the context. What are your customer's needs? What are they looking for in the products you offer? And how do those needs relate to what other brands are offering?
If you're selling clothes, for example, you'll want to define who your target customer is and what they need from your clothes so that you can tailor your brand story accordingly. Do they want clothes that are fashionable and comfortable? Or do they need more breathable fabrics to keep them cool in hot weather?
The context will help you define which parts of your brand story need to be emphasized or de-emphasized.
Create a hero
Your brand story starts with a hero — the person or thing that will be your story's star. The hero is the character your brand will align itself with and support in its efforts to make the world a better place. It can be an individual, such as a scientist or social activist, or something more abstract such as nature itself or an idea. It's important to pick something meaningful for you and your team because you'll use it as a touchstone for everything you do.
When selecting your hero, think about what inspires you most about them and how those qualities align with your values and vision for your brand.
Tell a story that reflects your brand identity
A story is more than just a sequence of events — it's an emotional journey with a beginning, middle and end. It's up to you to decide what your brand's story will be.
When you're telling your brand's story, you need to make sure that it reflects who you are as an organization and what you stand for. For example, if you're a startup focused on empowering women in tech, it makes sense to talk about how one of your co-founders was inspired by her mom who always encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Remember that this doesn't have to be super-serious all the time — sometimes it can just be about having fun.
Demonstrate the need for change
If you're looking to build a brand story, the key step is demonstrating the need for change. Your audience needs to be able to see that there's a problem and understand how your product or service will solve it.
Let's consider for a moment that you're selling a new type of toothbrush. You need to show customers that their current toothbrushes aren't working and why they need yours. You could start by showing them before-and-after pictures of teeth versus teeth with no cavities. Or, if you have scientific data proving your toothbrush is more effective than others, you could also use that.
Create a plan of action for the future
After you've gone through all these steps, it's time to sit back and look at the big picture.
The final step is to create a plan of action for your brand story. While it may seem like an extra step, it's one of the most important. This is where you decide what's next.
Do you want to create additional content?
Do you need to hire more people?
Do you need to make some changes to your business model?
These questions will help guide you as you move forward with your brand.
Brands with a strong story often lead to customer loyalty and brand popularity
The brand story doesn't necessarily have to be complex or lengthy, but it should be authentic. The challenge comes in putting your story into words; it's much easier when you can create a narrative with the given visual elements. With plenty of inspiring examples and guidance, you'll be creating your own compelling brand story in no time.
Related: Branding Basics – How To Build a Stellar Brand from Scratch
