The story of your business - how it came to be and why you are in business today - is a mountain of personal connections and powerful marketing that you can build on. Until you build your brand on your own stories, you’re not building the social capital that you need to market yourself in the internet age. And until you realize the power of storytelling in all styles and formats then you may be missing out on an opportunity to create powerful community.
We (as leaders of companies and organizations) spend so much time, effort and money trying to find the best tool to market our product or services. We do this because we see the successes of other companies and brands that invest in robust ad campaigns, glossy print inserts, radio spots and big budget TV ad buys.
What many of us are missing however is that it is not just the medium that is the secret to success, it’s the content that the medium is presenting that creates and engages community, which in turn can birth successful outcomes. The most effective content that brands can use to attract audiences that convert to customers is the content based on authentic, personal storytelling.
Your Story Cuts Through Noise to Your Niche
Ok, you will probably roll your eyes when I state the next fact:
WE ALL HAVE AN EPIC STORY TO TELL.
Many of us simply don’t know that our stories are relevant. Even more of us know that we have a story to tell, but can’t quite articulate what the story is or even how to tell it. Storytelling engages the people who could very well become your customers because your niche will identify with your stories and be drawn in.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ― C.S. Lewis #learnsocial
— Sociallogical (@soclogical) September 30, 2012
We are all attracted to other people, groups and brands that dig the same things that we do. It’s been the case since the beginning of time, but now we can laser focus on it and develop communities around our brands by sharing content, information and stories.
Why is authentic storytelling so important? Because we are living in an age of connectivity where there is a lot of noise and very few things can penetrate through that noise the way that authentic storytelling can. (On a side note, I chose both the picture above and the background of my about.me page for their epic story value. I hope just leaving you wondering will make them interesting)
Friends tell friends stories
If you are a presenter of other people’s stories, or have a passion for sharing your own incredible stories, then you are on the right path. We can tell our stories in articulate, engaging and sharable ways via multiple platforms that will engage and grow communities.
I intend to show you how through this blog.
I am an entrepreneur, a filmmaker, and a professional storyteller. I want to share my experiences with you from working and living in the media production, television, and content marketing industries for the last decade. I am convinced that you and your brand have stories worth telling.
A great potential side effect of telling great stories and building a loyal audience is that they will become your brand evangelists and you will see an increase in sales! Stay tuned, this story isn’t over yet...
Does your company share your stories? I would love to hear them. Please post links or stories in the comments below so I can have a look and share them with others.