Does your brand need a story? Should you have a brand story?
Do you truly know your business’ image? Well, let’s say your friends and family tell you about a cool new restaurant, or some great organic grocery store. To start, they tell you their experiences with the business. They mention how the employees act, the look of the store, and it reflects the whole organization. They’re painting a narrative of what that business is about. They are creating a brand story, and your business has one too. If you’re not proactive, your customers and employees will spread word to create it for you. But you’re in luck: you can take actions to do your own storytelling. Here’s why you’d want to do it.
Cultivating a fanatic audience
It’s time to be honest, there are probably dozens of companies that do what you do. Some of them may even do it better. But in today’s passionate social culture, it’s not about “what” or “how” you do it. The modern customer cares more about “why” you work the way you do. This is the core of your story.
Need proof? This past decade, you’ve heard more buzz about fair trade, organic, and vegan than ever before. There’s a reason people drive right past a discount grocery to shop at Trader Joe’s. They want their hard-earned dollars going to a business that champions similar values in all their work, not just a few shelves of organic food.
A genuine voice resonates more deeply. If you’re transparent and consistent in your ideals, strong customer engagement is a natural result.
Building a strong company culture
Your employees have a voice that’s just as important as your customers. If you’re doing business just to maximize your financial bottom line, your team is going to feel insignificant. Low employee morale is a real mood-killer for doing business.
If you want a team doing their best work, you’ve got to revamp your company vision. You need a narrative to serve as a spiritual mantra for everyone you work with. Lukewarm employees sour the customer experience and dampen your productivity. When you have a team that feels your brand values as deeply as you and your customers, you’re literally breathing life back into your business.
Crafting healthy relationships with the public
We know that word of mouth about your organization is going to spread with or without you. So, your company needs to make every interaction a constructive one. Of course, you’re thinking, “I already know I should give good customer service.”
You’re right, but that also means being proactive instead of waiting for your customers to come to you. These days, most people research on the web before buying from a business. A good narrative in part means reaching out to these reviewers.
Social media is a great start for this forward-thinking engagement. Start productive dialogues instead of giving them generic “we’re sorry for your experience” messages.
By engaging your audience and learning from them, you’re improving your brand story. Furthermore, you’re showing bystanders that you value community involvement. They’re going to remember that next time they need services like yours.
Sculpting your brand story can be great, if you know how to create it
The narrative you want to tell is all about speaking to the mutual “why” of you and your audience. Discover your essence with Blueforest Studios brand storytelling and have it delivered through incredible video content. Set up a chat and learn how film can be your most powerful tool for your story marketing needs.