Today’s world is an advertising-heavy one, and in order for your startup to stand out, it’s important to tell your brand story.
“Consumers don’t want to listen to you talk about the details of your product endlessly—that’s boring and lifeless—they want to hear a story. They want to know why you care, how you can help them or how you’ve gotten to be where you are,” Syed Balkhi, co-founder of Optinmonster, said.
Social media is a great platform for sharing your brand story because it offers a greater reach than your email list or blog. You don’t have to drive a click or get someone to subscribe, you just need engagement.
But what is your brand story? It’s the narrative behind your product or service. It’s your why, the feeling, event or personality traits that potential customers can relate to. This connection is what connects consumers with your brand.
The good news is, you may already do this on your website’s “About” page. For example, check out how BeardBrand tells its brand story on the company’s about page:
“In February of 2012, I headed to Portland, OR for the 2012 West Coast Beard & Mustache Championships. I was about 8 months into my yeard and was competing in my first beard competition. It was at this event that I first experienced the bearded lifestyle at its fullest and simply put; I fell in love. Shortly after that event, I launched Beardbrand as a way to unite beardsmen and build a community.”
Once you have your own brand story developed on your website, it’s important to take it to social media. In a crowded market, storytelling is an important tool for driving sales and brand advocates, especially as a startup.
If you’re ready to share your brand story, the time is now. Use these ideas bring your brand story to the people who want to hear it: your future customers.
Jump on the live video train
Live video is becoming more and more popular, as everyone’s favorite social media apps continue adding features that make video (live and otherwise) more accessible. As an entrepreneur, live video is a great chance to authentically tell your brand story, whether you’re active on Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat, three social platforms with live video options.
“Live videos really convey your true brand and culture because they are, in many cases, unscripted and imperfect,” the experts at Whiteboard Marketing said.
Here are a few simple ways Whiteboard Marketing suggests using live video to tell your brand story:
- Rapid questions from followers or ones you come up with yourself
- Quick tips related to your business or brand. For example, a productivity tool startup may share a video with its founder called, “How I use X to streamline my workload”
- Address one or more frequently asked questions
When telling your brand story, just remember to be yourself and let mistakes happen; that makes you and your business more relatable.
Related: 7 Expert Ways to Build an Unstoppable Personal Brand
Get more from each post
Use the carousel or multi-photo feature, available on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to post multiple pictures or videos in one post. This way, you’re able to tell more of your story at once, whether you’re showcasing a recent client project or unboxing a new product.
Here are a few ideas to consider from Mav Social’s guide, 9 Killer Carousel and Multi-Image Ideas to Tell Your Story:
- Linear storytelling: To show the beginning, middle and end
- Product showcase: Tell your brand story with your products
- Product tour: Unbox a new item with a multi-image post
- Step-by-step process: Get creative; this can be related to you or your business
- Before and after: This is a classic example that is only applicable in some cases
- Questions and polls: Pair a question or your response with images
- Create an album: Perfect for showcasing volunteer days, moments with clients, etc.
- Post a 360-degree photo: Instead of posting one panoramic, post it in pieces
- Share a longer video: Three 1-minute videos, each ending with a cliffhanger to keep followers clicking through
Focus on your three to five topics
In order to tell a cohesive brand story, you need to keep it streamlined and focused. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself: what are the three to five things people know they can come to our social media profile and find?
For example, a computer repair shop may focus their brand on:
- Answers to common laptop repair questions
- Hilarious computer fails
- Computer tips for non-tech inclined people
In each case, they’re able to connect with their ideal customer and keep them coming back, while sharing stories and insights related to their unique brand story.
For example, they may be posting tips for non-techie followers because one of the founders knew nothing about tech and lost 10 years of files. Now, she uses her business and brand to tell that story and help others avoid the same disaster. Not to mention, it’s relatable—many of us have been there before.
Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter!
Finally: Create your strategy
As a content marketer, I can’t skip over the planning part. This will ensure that your plans to tell your brand story don’t slip through the cracks as you shift your focus to other priorities.
Now that you know more about how to tell your brand story, use the following questions to bring it into your current social media marketing strategy:
- What formats best support your story? Images, video, graphics?
- How often will you post about your brand story?
- How can you weave your brand story into posts about your services or products?
For example, answering these questions may lead a solopreneur e-commerce seller to create a basic strategy like this:
- Personal photos and videos are best to tell my brand story
- I plan to go live on Instagram once each week with topics that allow me to weave my brand story into the video
- I’ll post one personal photo each week with a caption that shows my connection with the brand and why it matters so much to me
- I plan to tell one personal story on a product post each week to show potential customers where my product ideas come from
Tell your brand story on social media
Use your brand story to drive emotional connections with potential customers and set yourself apart from other startups in your industry. Let your brand shine through in your posts, whether you’re sharing an image of your product or a personal video. You may quickly find that you’re able to drive more followers and sales because people love your story as much as your product or service.
