Using Brand Storytelling to Create Customer Advocates

As a business owner, your business is nothing without your customers. I have learned the hard way with early business ventures that failing to put your customer first is a quick way to closing your doors – for good.

Through the years, I have found brand storytelling to be an effective way to connect with your audience. However, to succeed with this method, you must tell the right stories effectively. 

Brand Storytelling Defined

Your brand story tells why your business exists and what its purpose is. You can tell it in many ways, including through your marketing content. 

Some goals of brand storytelling include:

• Trigger an emotional response
• Communicate the value of what you offer
• Build brand advocacy through trust
• Inspire customers to act (follow on social media, subscribe to an email list, etc.)

Your brand story should read like a book or movie. 

Your Guide to Brand Storytelling

Effective brand storytelling isn’t easy, but highly effective when you get it right. Steps to help you do this include:

Put Your Customer Center-Stage

Remember, your customers have to be part of your story. To make this happen, you have to make it relatable and relevant to them. 

Knowing who your customers are is imperative to getting brand storytelling right. You can have conversations with them on social media, use website analytics, and even customer service queries to learn your customers’ desires, emotional triggers, and pain points. 

Once you have this information, find out where your competitors “drop the ball.” This lets you fill a gap while creating effective brand story content. 

Distribute Your Brand Stories

Your brand stories should be posted in different formats, including blogs, social media posts, visual content, and more. Also, if you find something works well on one channel, it may be effective on others. When you use different types of distribution, it’s possible to reach and engage all sections of your audience. 

You may use web analytics to discover that new customers like to research on your website, while repeat customers prefer social media to remain updated. To reach both audiences, you must post your content in both places. Not only is this effective, but it’s also more affordable and helps you save time. 

Reinforce Your Brand Story Every Chance You Get

I have encountered so many business owners and marketers who tell their brand story and then never refer back to it, reference it or show it in other ways. You need to reinforce your story with everything your business says and does. 

Using Brand Storytelling for Your Business’s Growth

When a customer feels like they are part of your business and part of its story, they are going to tell others about you. This is where brand advocacy comes in. The more you get your story out there and reinforce it with additional content, the more your business will grow and thrive.