What is a brand story?
A brand story is the exciting and engaging narrative of how your brand came to be. It’s the story of the people, places, and things that make your brand unique and special. It’s the magic that sets your brand apart and makes it stand out in a crowded market.
A brand story is important because it helps to create a meaningful connection with your customers. By telling a compelling story, you can capture their attention, engage their emotions, and build a sense of loyalty and trust. It also helps to humanize your brand, making it more relatable and approachable. A great brand story can help to turn casual customers into lifelong fans and advocates for your brand.
How to craft a compelling brand story
(step one)
Define Your Brand Values.
If you want to build a brand story that truly speaks to your audience, you have to start with the basics – your values. Defining your brand values is like laying the foundation for a house – it’s the first step you gotta take before you can start adding all the fancy decorations and furniture. Your values are what guide your brand and inform everything you do – from your messaging to your marketing to your products themselves. Take the time to define your values and use them as a jumping off point for your brand story.
(step two)
Identify your target audience.
It’s hard to tell a compelling story if you don’t know who you’re telling it to. Spend some time thinking about who your ideal audience is. I find it helpful to imagine talking to one person directly. Building out an ideal client profile or avatar can be an effective tool for narrowing down your ideal audience quickly.
(step three)
Craft your brand narrative.
With the who and what in place, it’s time to start thinking about your brand narrative. What’s the story you want your business to tell? How do your brand values support that story? And what connects your story to your audience? If you’re feeling stuck I’d recommend checking out the book Building A Story Brand by Donald Miller for a complete step-by-step breakdown to dive into the weeds of your brand story.
(step four)
Use compelling visuals to support your story.
Now that you have your brand story in place, it’s time to add in the supporting characters. Whether it’s through your logo, brand elements, or stock photography— your brand visuals should be a cohesive system that supports and works with your brand story. When sourcing imagery think about the emotions they evoke rather than the content of the image specifically. This can be a helpful starting point for building a cohesive visual library.
(step five)
Share your story— consistently and often.
It’s time to take your story out into the world. When we say share your story often— we mean it. It may feel repetitive to you but it’s important that your audience gains that familiarity and trust with your brand and your business. Hop on stories to talk about the meaning behind your tagline or logo. Share your brand values in an email blast or grid post. Find fresh and innovative ways to be consistently reminding your audience who you are and why you do what you do.
(Free Guide)
Steal Our Framework
We created a detailed breakdown of each step and prompts to guide you through the brand story creation process.