There are lots of online businesses out there, each one competing for customers.
To succeed, companies need to find ways to differentiate themselves from each other.
One of the most common ways to do this is to talk about their products.
This is how companies can emphasize their uniqueness. They can demonstrate how they offer something that no one else has.
For many years, this has been an effective strategy, but times are changing.
In today’s business world, it’s not enough anymore to just talk about your product.
You need to offer your customers something more. You need to establish a different kind of connection with them.
A quality product is, of course, still important. But if you want people to hold true loyalty to your company, you need to promote your brand.
And to do this effectively, you need to engage in some brand storytelling.
What is Brand Storytelling?
Brand storytelling has become a bit of a buzzword in the past decade or so.
Many companies like to boast about their brand, but simply talking about your company doesn’t make it brand storytelling.
Brand storytelling is a narrative which includes both facts and sentiments that help connect customers with your specific brand.
It’s a way for you to share your most important values with current and prospective customers.
It includes many of the elements used in regular storytelling to inform, entertain, and inspire.
Without brand storytelling, you’re working at a serious disadvantage, and brand loyalty may suffer as a result.
Your brand storytelling can become a major component of your very brand identity.
It can involve talking about your brand history — the journey you took to get to where you are now.
It might explore the people who have benefitted from your brand and the lives that have been changed.
It definitely should illustrate the values you hold dear as you guide customers through your sales funnel.
These are all hooks that can bring in an audience that will be receptive to learn more from you.
Obviously, this is a lot of ground to cover, so let’s talk about the elements you’ll want to consider as part of your brand storytelling and how they can contribute to an increase in brand loyalty.
Effective Brand Storytelling Elements
Telling a story is far from easy.
After all, if it were easy, everyone would be able to do it well.
Effective brand storytelling does tend to include some common elements you’ll want to include.
Basic Storytelling Components
Do you know what every great story has? Characters, conflict, setting, themes, etc.
As you craft the story around your brand, make sure these components are part of the tale.
Let’s look at the characters as an example. Who could be a character in your brand storytelling?
One character could be you. What’s your story? How did you come up with the idea for your brand and products?
The story should be about your journey and the challenges you’ve overcome.
This is how you hook your audience.
You know who else could be a character? The customer!
Your customers have obstacles in their lives as well. Perhaps they haven’t gone on the same journey as you yet, but they clearly want to.
Have them play a role in that story.
Every component of a great story should make it into your own.
The conflict should involve not just the opposition you’ve faced but the solutions for how you beat it.
The themes should speak to customers and demonstrate your most cherished values.
In this way, you’ll have a more compelling story to tell.
A Unique and Personal Tale
There’s only one you in the world.
Why not play up that fact?
Nobody has the same story as you do. Others may have similar experiences, but your story is unique.
When you craft your brand storytelling, make sure to emphasize what separates you from others.
As a result, this will also make your story more personal.
People like to be able to identify with you.
That’s a connection you’re going to want to make.
Supporting Data
Many companies take the approach of bombarding customers with facts and figures.
Data can be a valuable tool, but it shouldn’t be the dominant factor, especially when it comes to storytelling.
Simply spouting facts can come across as cold and impersonal.
Using data in a support role, however, is a smart move.
Telling your audience a story, then showing them some interesting data points is a great way to back up what you’re saying.
How Brand Storytelling Increases Brand Loyalty
Now that you know some of the elements you can include in brand storytelling, you may be wondering how it can help with brand loyalty.
Let’s take a look at the ways brand storytelling keeps people loyal to your company.
People Love Stories
Let’s face it. Whether it’s a tale of ghosts around a campfire, an epic novel, or an enthralling movie, we all love a good story.
You don’t have to be an expert in brand psychology to know that.
People are drawn to stories. It’s in our very nature.
Few things can get people to come back like the continuation of an engaging story.
When you build your brand around a story, people will naturally want to see what happens next.
It’s like anticipating the next sequel in your favorite franchise.
Customers are going to want more because you’ve hooked them with a narrative, and that simply leads to more brand loyalty.
Establishing Deeper Connections
Good brand storytelling effectively communicates your values.
It helps generate emotions in the customer.
It gives your very existence purpose.
Storytelling of this type helps to establish a much deeper connection with your audience.
That connection goes beyond product features and affordable prices.
This is something that endures.
When a customer understands what you stand for, it encourages them to stand with you.
Effective brand storytelling inspires people to join your cause.
Without that connection, people won’t be as willing to stick with you for the long haul.
Once you have that connection in place, strengthening it becomes easier. Customers can see themselves in your story. They become willing participants.
Every time they go through one of your sales funnels, they get to experience another chapter.
Humanizing Your Company
People have gotten used to dealing with faceless corporations.
What a breath of fresh air it is to actually interact with a living, breathing human!
The right story can show that you’re a real person who has solved some real issues.
Brand storytelling humanizes your company. It helps customers see the person behind the product and the logo.
When people enter your sales funnel and experience your story, they’ll see that they’re dealing with someone who understands them and their challenges.
This is so much more effective at connecting with your audience than some corporate-approved industry jargon.
It also instills more confidence in what you offer. That leads to more sales and improved brand loyalty.
Use Brand Storytelling Today
Ready to get your own story out there?
ClickFunnels will help you do it.
With our help, you can create an effective funnel that tells your unique story and promotes your product.
The result will be customers more loyal to your brand, leading to increased sales.
If you want to test it out for yourself, try the 14-day free trial from ClickFunnels.
What kind of brand storytelling has stuck with you? What stories have you told that have connected with audiences? Let us know in the comments below.