Facts tell, stories sell – which is why storytelling has become such an important aspect of brand building in general and place (city, destination, country) branding in particular. Humans have always loved a good story, and in the age of social media, storytelling really ought to thrive.
There are, however, a few things to keep in mind to make storytelling a success. Author and entrepreneur Brian Horn recently shared some useful advice on stories and brand building in The Huffington Post, summarized below.
Tips for Succesful Brand Storytelling
Here are four tips for telling stories that enhance, rather than ruin, your product or place brand reputation. Want to add some aspects or share your storytelling experience? Leave a comment!
Speak the Truth
Storytelling sometimes brings to mind exaggerated fishing stories or a boat captain’s yarn of adventure. However, when speaking about your brand, you need to be truthful, but it is okay to use colorful or flowery language and spin it a bit to suit your purpose. In other words, don’t claim your product can do something it cannot through a story. However, it’s okay to set up a “fiction” story as long as your clients know it’s fiction.
Create a Well Crafted Story That Serves a Purpose
When creating your brand story, you must be purposeful in your storytelling. Outline the steps you want customers to take and illustrate why your product or service is important to their lives. Remember your purpose for storytelling is to create a memory. Creating an interesting, genuine story about your brand that people will remember is the best kind of story to craft.
Choose the Right Stories
Selecting the correct story to use for your brand is a must. The stories are more impactful when they are personal. Consider the needs of your audience when choosing a story to use for your brand. Make the customer or client the main character and share a story of how your service has made them successful or fulfilled a need.
Be Indirect, Not Overly Pushy
Although you are selling your brand, you don’t want it to be obvious that is what you are doing. You want to craft your story to have three acts, just as any good story should, the situation, the conflict and the resolution. However, when creating a story for your brand, you also want to add a fourth element, that being a call to action.
Via How to Build Your Brand Through Storytelling | Brian Horn on Huffington Post. Image source: pixabay
Did you find those storytelling tips for place branding professionals useful? Please share!
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