9 important keys for brand storytelling

Your brand story is not an about page.

It is not a chronological time line of where you started, and where you are now.

It is not your CEO's soap box, and it is not your soap box.

Your brand story won’t fit on one page. It is not something that you can get a writer to “make up”.

Your brand story is not just told and heard by your target market.

Your brand story is experienced and felt at every touch point.

What is brand storytelling?

Your brand story is more than a narrative. It encapsulates a few core features of your brand, and goes beyond the words you put on a website or in a press release.

Your story paints a picture of how people perceive your brand. It’s made up of factual information, emotions, features, benefits, your history, your future goals, and often times, perceptions. Sometimes, your brand story isn’t entirely within your scope of control.

I'm not the first to write about this, and I certainly won't be the last. I thought it would be useful to provide a visual reference for when you're trying crystallize your brand story.

Tone of voice

What you say, and how you say it.

Customer experience

Are you reactive, or proactive? How do people feel when they come to you?

Design

The colours, fonts and visual persona of your brand.

Values

What do you believe in? What does your brand stand for?

Purpose

What’s your goal?

Reputation

How are you being perceived?

Content marketing

What are you publishing, and where? How often?

Customer market

Who are you targeting? Who actually buys from you?

Offerings

What are you selling? What’s the quality? What’s the value? How is it priced?

If you want a brand story that actually punctures your customer in the aorta and makes them do something about it, you need to make sure your narrative encapsulates all of these keys.

Now go. Do. You've got a story to tell.