Brand storytelling is not that much different than telling a story to children. There are specific elements that must be included in a story to make it memorable. The best stories told over and over to delight and entertain audiences in a wide range of settings. When you are looking for ways to improve your brand storytelling, compare your story to any childhood story in your repertoire to see how it compares. Using these five ways to improve your story, you will find it much easier to promote your brand.
1. Understand Your Point-of-View
Every good story is told from one or more points-of-view. The stories may be told from first person (I am telling my own story), second person (this story is about you), or third person (this story is about them). Brand storytelling is usually first person, about us or about us. Our history, our reason for doing business, this is what we do for you. However, it can occasionally be told in third person. Perhaps a client is adding to your brand story, talking about how your company helped them. Whichever of these viewpoints you use, make sure to stay consistent when you are telling the story.
2. Evoke Emotion
The best stories include emotional moments that your listeners can relate to. When Rudolph gets "his nose so bright," you are happy for him. To make your brand story great, you need to evoke emotions in your listeners to help them invest in your brand. By recognizing themselves in the story or by relating emotionally to what has happened, your listeners will have another reason to connect.
3. Have a Beginning, Middle and End
You only want to leave your audience hanging in such a way that they want to contact you; however you still need a full storyline to complete your brand story. That can be a historical storyline or you can create your own beginning, middle and end depending on what your goal is. For instance, Cinderella starts out as a servant to her stepmother. She wishes for one night dancing at the ball. She gets her wish and marries the prince. Beginning, middle, end.
4. Add Personality
People are not robots, and we expect them to have personalities. The storyteller should add their personality (or the desired personality) into each sentence or phrase. Think about how you tell stories about your life to friends or family. Your words, expressions and gestures infuse your personality into your story. You need to do the same when telling stories about your brand.
5. Create Characters that People Love or Hate
Stories are only as good as the people they are about. By creating characters that your audience will love, or love to hate, you add a reason that people will listen and follow you. The Mayhem character on the Allstate commercials is a great example. Or you could think of Castle from the TV show of the same name. These characters make their stories inspiring, interesting and intriguing. You want to find out what happens to them.
If you include all of these elements into your brand storytelling, you will find that your audience will listen and respond to your story so much so that they will retell the story to their own friends and family.
