For me a movie isn’t great unless it has a compelling story at the center of it.
Just last night I was re-watching the movie Avatar, for like the 15th time. (I stop and watch it whenever it’s on because I love the story.)
In the beginning of the story, you meet the hero and learn his quest, but you’re not yet sure where it will all go. You know the planet Avatar is home to vicious, untamed beasts, and very large blue people, bent on fighting and chasing out the humans sent to mine a resource on the planet. But as you get caught up in the story you start to root for the blue people and the animals that were going to eat the hero at the beginning of the movie.
That’s the power of a good story.
So I want you to think about the elements of the stories you love and why. They build by setting the stage of a problem that needs to be solved, then they take you on a journey to solve the problem, and finally they bring you to a successful conclusion where you get to celebrate the solution. It follows the consistent story arc you see below.
Truth is, one of THE MOST frequently visited pages on any website, is the ABOUT page. The page that contains your story. So let’s take advantage of that fact.
Let’s define what’s a brand story.
A brand story recounts the series of events that sparked your company’s inception and expresses how that narrative still drives your mission today.
So we’re focused here on your origin story. The “Why” behind what brought you to run the business you’re running today. But keep in mind that it must also align with your mission TODAY.
“The human brain is wired to respond to well-crafted narrative — neuroscience proves that storytelling is the best way to capture people’s attention, bake information into their memories, and forge close, personal bonds. Your audience is programmed to crave and seek out great stories — that’ll never change.”
HUBSPOT
As we discussed in the beginning, a great story is one of the best ways to draw people in. Since we know from neuroscience that people are wired to seek our a great story, you have to give them one. One that connects on a human level. So a story that’s relatable, easy to read, and memorable will go a long way to building trust and establishing credibility for your brand.
So let’s discuss the elements of a good brand story:
- Your story should answer the question: Why does your business exist?
- Use the brand story structure methodology. The brand’s story structure includes — the problem, solution, and success.
- The problem is what you set out to solve.
- The solution you to actively find a solution to the problem.
- The success/resolution describes how you solved the problem, giving your audience an emotional payoff.
- Write your story from the perspective of the person or persons telling it. Don’t write in the third person as it causes the story to read more like a narrative. Use “I”, or “me” or “my”, for individuals and “we” or “us” for partners or founding teams in your storytelling.
- Be as authentic as possible. The more honest you are about your shortcomings, the more people will respect you and relate to your brand.
- Invite your audience to become part of your story. Ask them a question or to connect with you in some way.
Below are some examples of using the brand story structure for a few companies I personally use that I wrote based on facts I uncovered about each company to give you an idea of how this technique could be used.
John Paul Mitchell (One of the most inspiring stories in business today.)
Problem: My early life wasn’t easy. After my father left us when I two I entered the foster system in LA after my mother could no longer care for us. I made some bad choices that led to me being homeless twice. Because of my desire to eek out a living, I started a career in sales. I sold everything door to door but it wasn’t a great living and I was struggling.
Solution: That was until I met Paul and we birthed Paul Mitchell together in 1980. It was an instant success. In fact the company almost failed. But I never thought of quitting. I saw our struggles as an opportunity to work hard. My earlier struggles showed me the power of sales to turn things around. The eventual success of John Paul Mitchell Systems was the result of word-of-mouth selling and getting the attention of our first distributor who saw our tenacity and grit and who eventually paid off our first bill.
Success: I went from door-to-door shampoo and encyclopedia salesman and turned $700 into what would become John Paul Mitchell Systems, one of the most profitable hair care companies in the world. I stand by my personal beliefs to never test products on animals and to give back to preserve our planet for future generations.
Carol’s Daughter is a natural body and hair care line of products.
Example Brand Story of Carol’s Daughter:
Problem: I’ve always loved fragrances. My first products were butters and bath oils. I started selling my homemade products in craft fairs and flea markets. The women that came to my table wanted products for issues with their hair but I didn’t have anything to give to them.
Solution: So I went back to my kitchen and through trial and error I learned how to make products to serve the needs of the women who were craving natural body and hair care products. As a result of my persistence, when I went back to the craft fair with my new hair butters everything sold out. I knew I was onto something.
Success: Listening to my customers has led to phenomenal growth and success. And it continues today, 25 years later, on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, we’re still listening to what our customers want and need in their lives. This was what contributed to growth of Carol’s Daughter and that same strategy continues to be an integral part of our company even today.
So, what would you like to see next from Carol’s Daughter?
Drift is a conversational marketing platform that helps businesses connect with prospects through genuine, empathetic conversations and interactions.
Problem: The crux of content marketing is treating people like humans. We were doing what most other companies were doing: creating content to help and educate our customers. But as much as we preached about putting the customer first, we weren’t practicing it. Instead of offering the most value we possibly can, we were making people give us their contact information in exchange for the very thing we promised was free. The scenario of emailing or calling customers until they either unsubscribe or eventually bought something. No one actually enjoys filling out forms, becoming a lead, and getting nurtured. Our ulterior motive is crystal clear. So are we actually being customer-centric?
Solution: We got rid of all of our forms. We really wanted to practice what we preached–putting our customers first and providing a more human and empathetic marketing experience. All of our content for free, with no strings attached.
Resolution: Today more than 50,000 businesses use the Drift chatbot to have real-time high-quality conversations on their websites. Fulfilling our vision of treating people like humans and adding value to their lives.
We’d love to hear your Drift story. How has it impacted your business?
Re-read your own brand story. Does it include all the elements listed above? If not, now is a great time to edit or update your story.
Before you go…
If your business or entrepreneurial journey has been less than smooth that’s just the type of story people actually love. No one is inspired by uneventful success stories that have no nuance to it. It’s the rocky journey of pursuing a goal, getting knocked down, and, ultimately, finding a path toward success. Take the time to tell your story and connect in a whole new way with your customers.
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