The digital era in which we live has created millions of possibilities, and a problem we all have noticed: grabbing people’s attention is increasingly complex. As users, we are constantly being bombarded by new media, videos, images, ads, posts, and even new platforms almost every day. Our attention span has reduced, and we constantly look for something exciting that will catch our eyes. Marketing experts estimate that, on average, people are exposed to over 5,000 ads per day.

As users, we struggle. But also, as marketing specialists, we are the ones that have an uphill battle with these facts. There are only six seconds to tell a brand story and make a connection with the customer. Six seconds, that’s it. To be successful in these seconds, the brand story has to communicate its values and why a person should care to find out more about them. This is only possible when the message is simple, straightforward, and aligned – these are also the foundations for quality brand storytelling.

It’s indeed challenging to wrap your head around all of that if you’re not a branding specialist. The only robust and logical solution for you would be hiring a brand agency that has been around for a while and always keeps abreast in this cut-throat industry. Branding is a massive part of your business’ success, and it must be taken seriously. So you must hold several meetings with your staff and make a list of the most prospective brand design companies depending on your budget, needs, industry, etc., and then choose the one that best suits you.

So, would you need to read this article if a branding agency will take care of your brand design needs? As with any collaboration, it requires effort from both parties. If you let your branding do everything without you having an idea of what they are doing, you might be losing many opportunities and even let your brand design go down a route you might disagree entirely with.

Enough talk, let’s get down to it:

Defining the Difference Between the “What” and “Why”

The majority of marketing specialists will focus on the ‘what’: what am I selling? What are the functionalities? What is my target audience? But they rarely focus on the ‘why,’ which will set the difference between you and the competition.

‘Why should a customer care? Why should they listen to your brand story? Why does your brand do what it doesn’t? Why is this product or service different from the others out there?’ and other questions among these lines are the ones you should be asking to start building a brand story that will be interesting and capture your customer’s imagination.

These ‘why’ questions speak directly to the customer. They communicate the value, actual impact, and purpose that your brand will deliver to them. You are making them want to be part of your brand’s story.

Here are some of the most effective guidelines for creating a compelling brand story:

Focus on the Customer’s Mind

As we mentioned before, your brand story should be simple, straightforward, and aligned with your customer’s values, needs, and wants. It must also be exciting for them, encouraging them to explore even further.

The Problem Must Feel Simple to Solve

Get to the bottom of your ‘why’ until you answer ‘why your brand matters.’ How are you adding value to your customer’s life, and how are you doing it differently than other brands or products? They can’t be spending valuable time trying to decipher if you’ll add to their life. That’s why your excellent storytelling should answer this directly.

Entice Emotion in the Mind of Your Consumers

Customers nowadays don’t care so much about prices and even the products themselves. What they do care about is their emotions. They want to feel seen and heard by your brand. They want to have a powerful reason to care for your brand and to buy from your brand. They want to see something besides good results and a reasonable price; they want to connect with the brand emotionally.

This emotional connection will make your client stay with you, it will also see you as more than a transactional relationship, and it will build trust and a deeper bonding than other marketing techniques.

Provoke an Internal Reflection or Question

What is it that you want people to see or think when they come across your brand? If they can relate to your brand story, they will genuinely engage with your brand.

Make your Client the Hero of Your Brand Story

For creating compelling brand storytelling, you need to make the customer connect and resonate with the story; the easiest way to do so is by making them the hero of the story. Let the brand assume more of a mentor role, letting the customer participate rather than control you. Focus on experience-based connections.

But, it is easier said than done because it requires scientific skills, an artistic eye, and a creative mind. It doesn’t matter how short the message will be; the depth of the story should always be maintained. However, always remember to follow the basic rules: is it simple, clear, and consistent/aligned? Are you communicating your brand’s essence?

Align the Story with Other Aspects of Your Branding

Once you have the story you want to share with your customers, know you need to make it be in the formats and channels they consume and show it across every touchpoint in their journey with your brand. Your customer should always be at the center of your story and your strategy; remember it is for them the reason your brand exists.

Consistency is another crucial thing. You should be consistent in the story and message you communicate with the customer across your entire organization, internally and externally.

To finally bring your brand to life, you must align the enabling technologies, employee interactions, sales collateral, and processes. This will allow you to flawlessly turn your marketing and storytelling strategy into the sought results you were after.

Conclusion

These are the basics of how to create a compelling and solid brand story. When aligning the brand story to all the other parts of your brand, you will reap the fruits of all your efforts and see what your brand is capable of, how much value it can bring to your customers’ lives. Not only this, but when done correctly, you will transform your customers into vocal brand advocates.

But to achieve this transformational point, you need a solid brand with a story that your audience can relate to. Hence the need for a brand consulting company at your side to make sure that everything is in place and works correctly.