Thousands of years of storytelling have literally hardwired our brains to the simple act of connecting, entertaining, and passing along information. It’s easy to forget the power that it has, especially in the business world where the importance of your brand story is key.

Your brand story can be told in several ways. In a LinkedIn bio, on your website, even in the local press if you are lucky enough to get that kind of attention.

Getting your brand story right is crucial because it gives prospective customers a window into your business and more importantly, into you.

A Website Without a Brand Story

Frequently known as About Us pages, you’d be surprised by the number of websites that contain a hastily created page or no page at all.

Indeed, the problem with many About Us pages is that they are simply an afterthought or a link at the bottom of a site that when opened displays little to no useful information on a business owner’s story.

As the name implies, your brand story should communicate the “story” of your business.

How did you get started and why? What drives you to succeed? What is the passion behind your business? And why should customers buy from you?

There are other areas of your website where you can “sell” your products or services, but it is on a page like this where your true colors should shine.

Telling Your Brand Story

Telling your brand story and heightening awareness of your brand is an important strategy that goes a long way to transforming your identity and presence in the marketplace.

Take these two examples of companies that are well known to all of us, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks.

Here are examples of what you’ll find on their About Us pages.

Dunkin’ Donuts:

FROM COFFEE BEANS TO JELLY FILLING

Everything we do is about you. From chefs who create exciting new flavors to crew members who know exactly how you want your drink—we prioritize what you need to get you on your way. We strive to keep you at your best, and we remain loyal to you, your tastes, and your time. That’s what America runs on.

FOUNDED

In 1950, Bill Rosenberg opened the first Dunkin’ shop in Quincy, MA. Just five years later, a franchise legacy was born.

Starbucks About Us Page:

It happens millions of times each week – a customer receives a drink from a Starbucks barista – but each interaction is unique.

It’s just a moment in time – just one hand reaching over the counter to present a cup to another outstretched hand.

But it’s a connection.

We make sure everything we do honors that connection – from our commitment to the highest quality coffee in the world to the way we engage with our customers and communities to do business responsibly.

From our beginnings as a single store over 40 years ago, in every place that we’ve been, and every place that we touch, we’ve tried to make it a little better than we found it.

What’s Your Take?

Which one do you want to know more about?

Doesn’t the old photo alone make you curious? Wonder where that first store was located? Who set it up? What’s their story?

If you’re a curious consumer, you’ll want to know more about the brand you’re supporting. And even if it’s a well-established brand, it’s still interesting to know how Starbucks started out, right?

According to figures released in 2019, the company’s assets totaled $19.21 billion.

That’s one success story that I want to know more about.

Making Your Brand Story Work for You

While both of the company profiles illustrated above give us a snapshot of their individual stories, I can’t help but think that Starbucks does a better job.

While your small business can’t compete with the likes of Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, a well-written brand story can help to elevate it and even out-match other firms in your industry.

One way to make your brand story work for you is to create one that contains an element of conflict or challenge along with a resolution. You want, in other words, to add some adversity to your story.

Here’s an example of an attention-grabbing brand story that could resonate with a lot of people.

Jeff is a personal trainer. He’s been running his own small gym for five years. The pandemic hits and he has to shut down. This is devastating for Jeff because being a personal trainer is all he has wanted to do his whole life.

In fact, a serious injury many years ago almost shattered his dream. But Jeff kept going, building up his strength day by day until he was strong enough to train again.

Against all odds, Jeff was able to rebound from his injury, even acquiring the credentials needed to become a qualified fitness instructor.

A story like this is sure to touch the hearts of many. If Jeff continuously promotes his gym using this brand story, then it’s a definite win-win for him.

Telling your brand story is similar to taking someone on an emotional journey, and that matters now more than ever given the changing nature of customer loyalty.

Let me know in the comments below how you’ve created your own brand story. And as always, feel free to sign up for my free e-newsletter.