Storytelling: Sprinkling a Little Magic Into Your Audience Relationships

I talk a lot about your brand messaging and the importance of being authentic in your business, but today we’re going deeper into the ways you can make a really amazing relationship with your audience by just being yourself and telling stories.

I know. It probably sounds really simple. Can branding really be that easy?

The short answer: maybe!

The importance of storytelling cannot be overstated. When you market a cool new product or service, you’re telling a story about how this is going to change their life or be something awesome to have.

When you’re talking about what sets your brand apart from others, you’re telling a story about who you are (and usually how you got here).

In the end, everything comes down to stories.

(Isn’t that a cool way to think about it? We are ALL storytellers!)

Some of the best stories are the ones that make you feel something. Those are the ones that stick with you for so long (and why some movies are still ICONIC long after their release). They build some sort of connection with their audience and almost have a sort of magic around them.

How do we capture that in our brand messaging and storytelling though?

This starts with being authentic. You can tell when you’re not feeling the story you’re telling and your audience can, too. So don’t worry about trying to play the character that you think can drum up a ton of success, just focus on being yourself. Make sure your brand storytelling is aligned with both you, your values, and your brand’s values (which should align with yours).

The next part is about knowing who your audience is and what resonates with them. You might have already researched your audience and know exactly what they care about, but if you aren’t sure, spend some time thinking about your ideal customer(s). What’s important to them? Is it something that’s also important to you? How can you authentically appeal to that in your storytelling? How can you center them as a protagonist in your messaging?

This next bit is going to have more to do with actual story structure. In stories, there’s a clear beginning, middle, and end. In the beginning, you get hooked into what they’re talking about. The middle might have the climax of the story. Rising action, connection of thoughts, plot building, all that jazz. And the end is the grand finale! It might leave you thinking, or give you a certain feeling, or even make you want to go out and do something. Brand storytelling is VERY similar. A solid beginning, middle, and end in your messaging can set you apart from others in a big way.

With this in mind, have a strong hook to get your audience locked in FAST! Studies have shown that the average attention span of a human is around 8 seconds, at least when looking at something new. You need to be able to make an impact in seconds, and a solid hook can make a huge difference. Try finding something exciting about what you have to offer and center your hook around that.

Oh, and while you’re at it, make sure everything is consistent! You want your audience to know who you are, and complicated messaging with a bunch of different angles and tones could get confusing. Make sure that who you are shines through in a clear way.

This might sound a little involved, but it can really be as easy as mapping out your messaging, being authentic, and researching your audience. The last thing I want to add is the importance of using human experiences that everyone (or a LOT of people) understands. When someone can imagine the situation you’re talking about, there’s so much more buy in AND they can see how your product or service can change their lives.

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Storytelling can be a ton of fun, in your brand and just in general. Knowing some key components can help you create more powerful connections with your audience and elevate your messaging.

I’m sure you’re going to tell some wonderful stories! Let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to share this with someone who could benefit!