With so much noise and competition these days, your brand needs a way to cut through and tell a compelling story that separates it from the pack. And, no, that doesn’t mean a timeline of your brand’s history from inception to the present day; but rather, it’s a way to build an emotional connection with your audience, which evokes certain feelings or connotations every time they think of your business. 

The art of telling a brand story can seem a bit tricky at first, but here are a few tips to make it easier.

Get to Know Your Audience (Really, Really Well)

Simply put, it’s not enough to have a demographic overview of your target audience. Yes, it’s great that you primarily speak to females between the ages of 18-45, but at the end of the day that doesn’t offer many insights as to how to connect to them on a deeper level. To tell a compelling brand story, first, you need to know who you’re talking to and what they’re interested in hearing. This can be done in many ways, including surveying them to get a better understanding of how they interact with your brand and digging deeper into your analytics to see how they experience your website or social media channels, for example.

Once you’ve learned more about your audience, it’s time to move on to the next step.

Start With a Thorough Brand Guideline

Aside from having a marketing plan, you’ll also want to create a document called a “brand guideline.” This can be as brief or detailed as you like, but the overall goal is to outline who you are as a brand, who your audience is, which channels they use, and how you’ll be communicating with them. During this exercise, you can have a bit of fun, playing around with themes and colours and even pulling up a few real-life examples of how you’ll be talking to your target audience. 

Stay Consistent Across All Channels

Once your brand guideline is locked in, you’ll want to leverage it as an official guidebook to how you interact across all channels. For example, did you determine that your tone and voice are “upbeat, exciting, and fun”? Then make sure you’re sticking with language and design that reflects who you are. The more consistent you are throughout (eg. email marketing, social media, website design, and copy), the more easily your customers can gain an understanding of how your business operates. On the other hand, if you’re “fun and upbeat” on social media, but “dry and factual” on your website, your customers may become confused and have a harder time identifying with you.

Build An Emotional Connection With Your Audience

While the technical components of a brand story are undoubtedly important, what really hits home with your target audience at the end of the day is resonating with them on an emotional level. Many brand stories will achieve this by talking about a pain point that their clients had that only they can solve. For example, Eden’s client Fody Food Co. carries a range of packaged goods that are designed specifically for individuals with sensitive stomachs. Throughout their blog, social media, website, and other communications, they take every opportunity to let their consumers know they’re heard and the Fody Food brand is here for them. Not only that, but they’re able to keep things light and funny, creating a safe community for those with IBS and other tummy troubles. 

Make it Memorable and Authentic 

Finally, try not to force anything. Stay true to who you are and be sure to remain authentic in your marketing communications. This way, when it comes time for your customers to take the next step, they’ll know exactly what to expect and will develop a strong connection with your brand. In other words, the expression “fake it till you make it” certainly doesn’t apply to telling a brand story. Just be you and as long as you’ve identified your target audience correctly, they’re bound to love it!

Need help telling a compelling brand story? The team at Eden Advertising has many years of experience and is here to help give your brand its authentic voice!