I spoke with a business owner a few weeks ago that told me she recently invested into a beautiful antique case to display cupcakes at her bakery. The cupcakes always have been delicious and top quality. There was a loyal customer base to prove it. However, when placed in the gorgeous new case, sales exploded and the case more than paid for itself on the first day. That’s the magic of a brand story!

We say it all the time– business is people. It’s caring for people, connecting with people, and helping people. A fantastic product is essential to compete, but a fantastic product alone is no longer enough today. Our customers are smart, intuitive, and they have a lot of options – today we must earn trust and love before they hand over their hard earned cash.

Knowing our brand story and know it well, is the first step to connecting with our market, forming trust, and earning love from committed customers.

A compelling brand story propels our business forward. Here’s why:

• A brand story CREATES FOCUS. Focus gives clarity, determination and confidence. Without crystal clear focus there is wasted energy and efforts that lack results. A brand story gives clarity around where to invest, who is the ideal customer, and what will be the most impactful growth. Focus gets results.
• A brand story COMMUNICATES AND CONNECTS. A well-formed message that talks to what people actually care about combined with compelling visuals is powerful. The impact of great words and strategic visuals are underestimated all the time. Most likely words and visuals will be our customer’s first brand experience. Our message and visuals should speak their ‘language’.
• A brand story GUIDES THE EXPERIENCE. It is all about the experience today. Trust is formed by a consistent brand experience from the first interaction on instagram, to customer service after an inquiry is sent, and the final deliverables that wow. It’s an excellent product and an experience that exceeds expectations. Our customers expect brands to know them so well the entire experience makes them feel like they ‘get me’ and they have found ‘their people’.

What somebody thinks and feels about our brand matters more than ever. If the customer is not ‘feeling it’ they will move on regardless of how incredible our product is.

Buying today is more than practical; it’s a lot of heart. A great brand story is not only good but it’s essential  for businesses to thrive today!

 

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words by char