More organizations are turning to strategic storytelling because, in our technology-driven era, the bare facts about a company do little to help it stand apart and succeed. You can tout your features and benefits, the way your many competitors do. But when you start to dig deeper into your company story — its personality, promise and potential — your brand comes alive.
Stories engage individuals and elicit interaction — it’s that simple.
But to tell memorable brand stories, organizations should commit to creating a culture of storytelling.
Leaders of for-profit and nonprofit organizations show the way by embracing a storytelling mindset — and inspiring employees at all levels to do the same.
The process takes time, but it’s worth the effort.
Start with these five steps.
Stories become meaningful when they help the public connect to a brand. They help build brands and businesses. Storytelling is powerful. Embrace the concept and encourage your team to do the same.
Your entire team must understand the value of telling strategic stories — and it’s not about entertaining. Your stories should articulate why you exist, focusing on what you do and how you make the world better. Every organization has a philosophical reason for its existence that has little to do with the products or services it sells. Your origin story becomes your narrative anchor — we call it a master brand story. The stories that you tell on a continual basis support your “why.”
Your master brand story doesn’t have to be elaborate. At its core, your brand story tells people why you matter and what you can do for them.
Take, for instance, a computer repair store called “It’ll Be OK Computer Repairs” that explains how techs understand that laptops are more than just technology tools — they’re lifelines that need prompt attention. Now imagine the tax preparer who likens himself in his images and text to a therapist who can relieve the stress and anxiety of tax preparation.
If you haven’t created your master brand story — complete with a hero, villain, conflict and resolution — do it now. With your brand narrative, it’s much easier to string together stories, each with a different function and purpose.
You can use stories in advertisements, case studies, videos, press releases, website pages and more. If you plan to invest time training your team to identify good stories and tell them well, you should have a plan and goals. Do you want to use stories on social media on a weekly basis to drive engagement? Or will you only use them as success stories for your monthly newsletter to boost your click-through rates?
Crafting a compelling brand story extends beyond requesting client testimonials or asking an unsuspecting person to share his story with the world. Brand stories show how your client (the hero) fought against a villain (the conflict) with the help of a guide (your organization) and reached success.
As Donald Miller explains in his best seller “Building a StoryBrand,” your stories should reflect a problem that your organization is trying to solve.
Once your team members understand the brand storytelling framework, they can identify stories as they occur. You can create a form for collecting ideas and story elements while the information is fresh.
Miller’s book offers many great tips. Share it with people in your organization who have a knack for storytelling. While you train everyone to understand the elements of a strong brand story, you might invest in a smaller group to manage the storytelling process, from collecting ideas to writing, editing and measuring impact.
An organizational culture of storytelling leads to people who see higher value in the mission of the business. They get excited about seeing clients (the heroes) overcome challenges to arrive at a resolution, and maybe even inner growth and transformation.
A culture of storytelling leads to a more enthusiastic and dedicated team — and an organization that can rule its industry.
Hook PR & Marketing works with changemakers to build their brands with strategic storytelling. Do you need help relaying your vision and brand promise? Contact us for details.