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Tag: brand storytelling

  • How to Improve Your Brand’s Storytelling by Shifting Your POV | Entrepreneur

    How to Improve Your Brand’s Storytelling by Shifting Your POV | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As I emphasized in a previous Entrepreneur article, a big mistake in brand storytelling is assuming that you’re telling a story about your company. It’s really two stories: One about your brand and one about your customer. But you need to lead with your customer’s story.

    How? Shift your point of view by learning to see their story.

    Related: Telling Your Brand Story Is Crucial. 4 Steps To Ensure That It Resonates.

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    Keith A. Quesenberry

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  • How Crafting a Story Helps Founders Define Their Mission and Values | Entrepreneur

    How Crafting a Story Helps Founders Define Their Mission and Values | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    According to Builtin, 46% of job applicants place a high value on company culture, and 47% cite their current work culture as the main reason they’re seeking new jobs. Corporate values influence company culture, which is now one of the most critical aspects of employment.

    Founders should be focused on their mission and vision from the ground up. This also helps them understand themselves better and “find their why.” This purpose then spreads across the company under their umbrella and leads the way for others to feel fulfilled at work.

    Related: The First Time We Tried to Define Our Company’s Core Values, It Failed. Here’s What We Did Differently the Second Time.

    Your story strengthens your values, which strengthens your brand

    The ability to understand and articulate your values helps you understand yourself deeper. It’s something that takes thought, introspection and time to work through. You can’t simply decide on a brand story and build your values around it, nor can you arbitrarily pick values that you think will “sound good” and use them as a basis for your story. You will soon find out that does not work out.

    While it is common that founders must figure out their mission before they share their story, it can work vice versa: Sometimes speaking to a media coach or mentor helps founders understand themselves and flesh out the details of their mission and story. In fact, even talking to the right journalists who ask good questions can be helpful for digging deeper into the roots of who you are and what you want your company to be.

    It’s worth the time and effort to define your personal values and let that be what influences your corporate mission and story. By infusing these essential parts of yourself into your brand, you’re weaving something that resonates as authentic and meaningful into the foundation of your company. Then, when you’re speaking to the media, potential customers or a new team member, your passion and sincerity will be what they pick up on.

    Values are dynamic: Don’t shy away from evolution and growth

    Many people believe they must cling to a single set of values for their entire lives. Otherwise, they will be perceived as unreliable, untrustworthy or even betraying themselves or their families. The same can be said for businesses, too.

    However, research supports that it’s normal and healthy for values to change and adapt over time. For instance, what was important to you as a child may no longer hold the same value as an adult. Or an opinion formed as a teen might not hold up to your lived adult experience. The priorities you have as a single person are likely to shift when you become a spouse or parent. In every instance, it’s reasonable for these value shifts to happen, and nobody would be able to make a serious argument that it was “bad” or “wrong” to make these changes.

    In the same vein, the values your company starts with may be different from the ones that serve your goals in a year or three years’ time. Yes, there will be thematic similarities, just like a founder’s personal values will share common threads reflective of their individual identities. An evolving mission is a healthy part of your brand’s storytelling.

    The ability to revisit, modify and live out each new iteration of your values is also an integral part of your story. This kind of honesty and transparency shows that you, as the founder (and by extension, the company), are willing to embrace vulnerability, be open to change and stand up for what you believe is right. This is a particular type of strength that only a small number of brands — and people — can claim to possess.

    Related: Core Values: What They Are, Why They’re Important, and How to Implement Them Today

    Telling your brand’s story is telling your story, so make it count

    In his own talks about values, Mark Manson, author of the bestselling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, notes that “we are defined by what we choose to find important in our lives.” This is equally true in business. What founders value most will be reflected in their mission and values and will become inextricably woven into the tapestry of the brand’s story.

    Our values are fundamental to our identity, and our identity (aka your brand story in a capitalistic world) is what draws people to us. The more authentic and aligned with reality your brand story is, the easier it will be to grow your company and employees that will help you thrive.

    Related: How to Develop a Company Vision and Values That Employees Buy Into

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    Anastasia Chernikova

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  • Discover the Transformative Power of Words in Building Your Brand | Entrepreneur

    Discover the Transformative Power of Words in Building Your Brand | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    How much weight do words carry in building our personal brand? A lot!

    Building our own brand and that of our company, especially if you are executives or founders, revolves around what you do and what you say about what you did. As someone who focuses on building brands for entrepreneurs, executives and startups, and crafting impactful messages, I am mindful of the transformative power of words. They have the ability to evoke emotions, alter our body chemistry and create connections, all of which directly shape brands. Brands develop over time through the messages we consistently and deliberately share with the world.

    Let’s delve into the world of brand building, supported by research, and explore how we can use words to influence listeners and cultivate authentic brands. Whether it’s crafting compelling pitches for investors, inspiring articles and narratives or mastering the art of persuasion in sales, these strategies will help you harness the potential of words to establish genuine connections, evoke emotions and enhance your value to others.

    Related: 6 Powerful Brand Storytelling Tips For Marketers

    Supercharge your narratives with emotions

    We’ve all been there: a story sounds too “smooth” or too “perfect” we tend to suspect their reliability and not remember them well, since we can’t see ourselves in them or feel something about them. So then, when you craft narratives, make sure to demonstrate vulnerability and authenticity and use descriptive language that engages the senses with universal themes and values. Those points can make you become more relatable and somewhat reliable.

    For instance, instead of explaining product features, share a story that showcases its transformational impact on a customer’s life — a storyline that others can relate to from their own life — and use emotional descriptions (i.e. “Before they used the product they were frustrated and overwhelmed by the overload of work, but once they used it they were focused and felt free to handle other aspects of the business”).

    Another example: an entrepreneur selling sustainable clothing can narrate a story about how their eco-friendly clothes reduced allergy symptoms among sensitive people who got their “lives” again after moving to that product, along with positively impacting the environment.

    Provoke curiosity and intrigue

    Creating curiosity can be a strong tool to draw attention, share your knowledge in your domain and connect others to you. It can be done when you use suspenseful language that leaves the other side wanting more from you, whether it’s one person or an audience of clients, and even a social media post, and pose thought-provoking questions that challenge conventional thinking. In practice, begin investor or client presentations with intriguing questions that spark curiosity and set the stage for captivating discussions. For instance, a speaker addressing an audience about the future of artificial intelligence can ask, “Can you imagine a world where machines surpass human intelligence?” or “Do you think modesty is a relevant practice in the workplace today?”

    By the way, some words such as “imagine,” and “what if you…” can really get the other side moved and curious, and open their mind to new possibilities — all thanks to you.

    Leveraging social proof and influential language

    Incorporate testimonials, case studies, or success stories to build credibility and authority, emphasizing the impact and value your work has had on others. Highlight prestigious affiliations, endorsements or partnerships to further establish credibility and influence.

    By showcasing the success stories of previous ventures or collaborations, you emphasize positive outcomes and garner trust. For example, a startup founder can include quotes from satisfied clients or highlight partnerships with industry-leading organizations to demonstrate the value and trustworthiness of their brand.

    Related: A Brand Story Is What You Need to Share Your Entrepreneurial Vision. Here’s How to Create One.

    Tailoring language to individual communication styles

    Look carefully at others’ communication and personality types, and adapt your language to resonate with different styles. Once the other side feels you understand their world they connect and trust you more. Use words that align with their values, motivations and communication preferences, empathize with their perspective and address their specific needs.

    In practice, when communicating with analytical individuals, provide data-driven evidence and use precise language that appeals to their logical reasoning. Or when presenting to a CFO or any finance executive, use terms like “return on investment,” “risk mitigation” and “data-driven insights” to appeal to their analytical mindset.

    The power of words extends beyond ordinary tips and tricks; it lies in the ability to evoke emotions, forge connections and build a distinctive personal brand, whether you use it in a face-to-face interaction or online. By implementing those strategies, such as crafting emotionally charged narratives, provoking curiosity, leveraging influential language and tailoring communication styles, you can captivate your audience, evoke emotions and leave a lasting impact of a credible personal brand. Embrace the transformative power of words and witness the profound difference it makes in building authentic connections and shaping your personal brand in the business world.

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    Lirone Glikman

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  • How to Create a Brand Narrative That Inspires and Engages Your Audience | Entrepreneur

    How to Create a Brand Narrative That Inspires and Engages Your Audience | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Once upon a time, in a world full of competition and noise, there was a business owner who struggled to stand out from the crowd. She had a great product, a talented team and a passion for what she did. But in a marketplace full of lookalike brands and forgettable messaging, she knew that something was missing. That’s when she discovered the power of business storytelling.

    By crafting a narrative that conveyed her brand’s values, mission, and unique selling proposition, she could build a loyal following that went beyond the features and benefits of her offerings.

    In this article, we’ll explore the art of business storytelling and how you can use it to create a brand narrative that inspires and engages your audience.

    The art of business storytelling

    The art of business storytelling involves using narrative techniques to create an interesting brand story that resonates with your audience. You can create a brand narrative that not only captures your audience’s attention but also inspires them to take action. A well-crafted story can help you stand out from the competition, build trust with your customers, and create a loyal following.

    Related: 5 Steps to Craft a Story That Hooks Your Audience Every Time

    How to find your brand’s story

    To create a compelling brand narrative, you need to start by identifying the core values, mission and vision that drive your business.

    What makes your brand unique? What impact do you want to make in the world? Answering these questions will help you uncover the story that will resonate with your audience.

    One way to do this is to use the hero’s journey framework, which is a time-tested narrative structure that people have used in myths and stories throughout history. By applying this framework to your brand’s story, you can create a narrative that engages and inspires your audience.

    But to be truly effective, your brand story needs to be authentic. It is crucial that you include your values, mission and vision in every aspect of your business, from your marketing messages to your customer interactions. Customers can sense when a brand is being disingenuous or inauthentic, and that can lead to a loss of trust and loyalty.

    Crafting your brand’s story

    Once you’ve identified your core values, mission and vision, it’s time to craft a narrative that resonates with your audience. Let’s look at the hero’s journey framework.

    The hero’s journey is a narrative structure that involves a protagonist who faces challenges, overcomes obstacles and emerges transformed. By applying this structure to your brand’s story, you can create a narrative that engages and inspires your audience. Here’s how to do it:

    1. Start with the call to adventure: This is when the hero is called to action and sets out on their journey. For your brand’s story, this might be when you first realized the need for your product or service.

    2. Introduce the challenges and obstacles: No hero’s journey is complete without challenges and obstacles. For your brand’s story, these might be the setbacks and struggles you faced along the way.

    3. Show how you overcame the challenges: The hero’s journey is ultimately about triumphing over adversity. For your brand’s story, this might be the moment when you finally found a solution to the problem you were trying to solve.

    4. Reflect on the lessons learned: Every hero’s journey involves a transformation. For your brand’s story, this might be the lessons you learned along the way and how they shaped your values and mission.

    By using the hero’s journey framework, you can create a narrative that resonates with your audience and creates an emotional connection.

    Related: How to Build a Brand Story That Buyers Emotionally Connect With

    Many examples of brands have successfully used storytelling to build a loyal following. The story of Apple is a great example of how a hero’s journey can create a story that resonates with audiences and inspires them to action. In the early days of the company, Apple was a startup trying to break into the personal computer market. But Steve Jobs saw something bigger — a vision for a company that would change the world. He cast himself as the hero of the story, setting out on a journey to build a company that would challenge the status quo and revolutionize the way we interact with technology.

    In Jobs’ telling, the call to adventure came as a meeting with Xerox PARC, where he saw a prototype of a graphical user interface that would change the way we interact with computers. Jobs recognized the potential of this technology and set out to build a company that would make it accessible to everyone.

    Along the way, Jobs faced challenges, and obstacles that threatened to derail his vision. Apple fired him, the company he co-founded, and had to start over with NeXT. But he never lost sight of his mission and eventually returned to Apple with a renewed sense of purpose.

    Through it all, Jobs remained true to his values and vision, and created a company that changed the world. Today, Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world, known for its innovative products and design-driven approach.

    Another example, Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign is a classic example of a brand using an interesting narrative to connect with its audience. The company built the campaign around the hero’s journey framework, with the call to adventure being when the hero decides to take action, the challenges being the obstacles that stand in the hero’s way, the overcoming of challenges being when the hero chooses to “just do it,” and the lessons learned is the idea that anyone can be a hero if they dare to try.

    In conclusion, crafting an engaging brand narrative is essential in today’s competitive marketplace. By identifying your core values, mission, and vision, using the hero’s journey framework, and making your story memorable, you can build a loyal following that will stick with you through thick and thin.

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    Divya Parekh

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  • 3 Timeless Elements of Storytelling That Will Grow Your Business

    3 Timeless Elements of Storytelling That Will Grow Your Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I run a digital marketing agency. If we are able to track a client’s revenue and connect it to the ads we run (an ecommerce client, for example), we can tell them — to the cent — how much they make in revenue for each dollar they spend on ads. If that sounds like a numbers game … it is. But when I pitch clients, I don’t lead with numbers.

    When I pitch a client, I don’t tell them we can generate $34.12 for every $1.00 they spend on ads. Surprisingly, that’s not what seals the deal. Don’t get me wrong, the numbers are important, and I share numbers in every pitch I make, but they’re not the most important thing. What matters more than numbers, or any other detail I could share, is whether or not I can tell a good story.

    Frankly, numbers bore clients. They’re just a box to be checked. If I start to talk numbers too much, the client’s eyes will glaze over, and I can see that what they want to say to me is, “Yes, yes, the numbers are good enough, I see that, check the box, move on, now tell me a story!” Not that they’re looking for just any story, they want a story they can identify with. They want a story that shows that my agency has worked with someone like them before and that we got great results. But that’s not all they want. Here are three elements your story should include in order to convince your clients they want to work with you:

    Related: Harness the Power of Storytelling to Transform Your Business for the Better

    Storytelling Element #1: A hero

    In his book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, author Joseph Campbell laid out what we all now call “The Hero’s Journey.” To simplify, the hero is comfortable at home, when suddenly there’s a call to adventure. He leaves home, faces challenges, overcomes obstacles and comes back home a changed person. This story is told over and over again in books and movies, from The Hobbit to Star Wars to Harry Potter.

    However, while every story needs a hero, where many entrepreneurs make a mistake is in assuming they or their company is the hero. As Donald Miller explains in his book Building a StoryBrand, “When we position our customer as the hero and ourselves as the guide, we will be recognized as a trusted resource to help them overcome their challenges.”

    Your customer is Bilbo Baggins, and you are Gandalf. You are the Obi-wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker. You are Dumbledore, and your customer is Harry Potter.

    This technique has helped at least one entrepreneur raise over $8 billion for her clients. “Most firms in our industry go into a meeting with a polished pitch that’s all, me, me, me,” says Stacy Havener, CEO of Havener Capital Partners, an agency that helps investment boutiques build, launch and grow funds. “We flip the script. When we help our clients raise money, we tell them to make their prospect the hero.” Havener explained that in one case, the strategy resulted in a $10 million commitment after just a single initial meeting.

    Related: 8 Tips That Will Help Your Storytelling Deliver

    Storytelling Element #2: A challenge

    There’s no more boring story than, “We wanted to do XYZ, so we went to work, and we did it.” Where’s the excitement in that?!

    Entrepreneurs are tempted to tell this kind of story because we don’t want to admit that we ever face any challenges. We want the client to believe that if they work with us, everything will go flawlessly, without a single hiccup. However, when we leave this important element out of our story, we not only hide the truth, but we shoot ourselves in the foot because we’re missing a great opportunity to show the client something important about ourselves — that we know how to overcome challenges.

    Juliana Garcia has helped business coaches generate millions in revenue using her trademarked technique, which she calls “Elegant Vulnerability®,” to share their challenges. “You don’t have to have the perfect story or hide the parts of your story that you feel ashamed to share,” she says. “Your clients don’t need you to be perfect. When you share your own challenges, you show up as a relatable human authority. This helps clients to gain a deeper sense of trust, and they’re willing to pay you more.”

    According to Garcia, there is an ideal ratio when sharing your challenges. “Balance 50% personal stories to be relatable and 50% business training to show you are a true expert. High-paying clients come to you when they resonate with who you are and at the same time feel like you will get results.”

    This is the future of storytelling online. A reasonable client expects there to be challenges, but they want to know that when you face one, you’ll figure it out quickly. There’s no better way to show a client you’ll take care of them, no matter what, than to tell them a story about when you overcame a big challenge.

    Related: 5 Ways You Benefit From Sharing Your Story Of Struggle

    Storytelling Element #3: A lesson

    What’s the third element in crafting your winning entrepreneurial story? “Victory, of course!” Sorry, no. Telling about how you faced a challenge and were victorious in overcoming it can be helpful, but it’s much less important than talking about the lesson you learned from the challenge.

    Ever heard someone ask, “What’s the moral of the story?” Someone who was famous for including lessons in his stories was Aesop, a Greek slave born around 620 B.C. Some of Aesop’s most famous stories, known as Aesop’s Fables, include “The Fox and the Grapes,” “The Hare and the Tortoise” and “The Goose and the Golden Egg.” In each fable, Aesop included a lesson — something practical the listener could learn and apply easily in their own lives.

    Including a lesson in your story isn’t designed to teach your customer a lesson they can apply so much as to show them that if something goes wrong while they’re working with you, you’re smart enough to not only fix it but make sure it never happens again. Ironically, by sharing your past challenges or mistakes, you build the client’s confidence in you.

    My business is very personal because I sell services to clients. You may sell products and never get to know your customers. Regardless, storytelling is vital to fuel your growth because whether you’re working with clients or customers or selling services or products, people do business with businesses they know, like and trust. Nothing I’ve found helps people feel like they know you, get to like you and develop trust in you than telling stories that include the customer as the hero, an exciting challenge and a lesson learned from facing the challenge. Try incorporating this kind of storytelling into your marketing and sales strategy, and watch how your customers rally around you.

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    Andres Tovar

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  • 4 Guiding Principles for Building and Deploying a Great PR Strategy

    4 Guiding Principles for Building and Deploying a Great PR Strategy

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Often new companies think about public relations at the moment of the launch and not much after that. However, PR is an ongoing effort that should always be kept alive.

    Public relations is not just about writing good press releases. It’s about building and maintaining durable networks and relationships, providing value for your audience and telling your brand story in the best way possible.

    1. Have a strategy beyond the launch

    The big launch is a big deal, and many new brands devote a lot of effort towards executing a great launch. However, not nearly enough effort is put towards sustaining the hype after the launch. A great PR agency is often more concerned with sustaining a groundswell of support and positively influencing consumer behavior through a steady stream of content and communication to the consumer and the media. This is why working with good PR agencies is essential to develop a solid PR strategy before the launch.

    A winning PR strategy should be holistic. It should demonstrate the quality of the work your company does, highlight the milestones crossed (or projected), measure the results of actions, identify what tasks are yielding more fruit and develop a pathway for growth sustained positive visibility.

    Thinking strategically about PR entails thinking long-term, which is slightly different from thinking tactically. Tactical thinking involves developing a routine of profitable tasks, for instance, posting on social media four times a week, planning a series of blog posts and so on.

    Strategic thinking, on the other hand, is informed by data. Strategies can be formed by understanding what success will look like for your company and then drawing a long-term data-backed plan to get the company from where it is to the desired goal. This is what great PR agencies are proficient at doing.

    Related: 4 Tips to Launch Your First Effective PR Campaign

    2. Don’t just sell — absorb feedback

    A winning PR campaign does more than sell. It focuses on developing a campaign and a message that customers can identify with and get behind. Selling is a consequence of using the right medium to tell the right story to the right audience. Selling is not the focus of PR campaigns, but it is a valuable tool to measure its success.

    A winning public relations strategy welcomes feedback and input from critics, customers and neutrals alike and adapts accordingly to create better results. Most strategies would not be perfect from the start, but the finest PR agencies can adapt the strategy over time to achieve the stated goals. Creating a clear two-way channel of communication between yourself and your audience is an essential part of your PR strategy.

    3. Leverage pre-existing relationships

    For many newer brands, their PR strategy involves trying hard to cultivate important media relationships that would help them in the long term. However, this effort can come off as pushy and may jeopardize the effort to build a strong network.

    One benefit of working with a top-notch PR agency is that they offer you access to their robust networks and relationships. Newer brands often have limited networks in the media or influencer space. This is where agencies can help.

    Relationships are one of the most powerful tools for an effective PR campaign. When relationships have been built on trust and credibility over years of working together, they often introduce your brand to new audiences and spaces and endorse your services with a high level of conviction.

    Related: Why You Need A PR Agency and How to Choose One Wisely

    4. Approach the right platforms with the right story

    What is your brand story? What is it about? Is it appealing enough to convince your audience? More importantly, is it appealing enough to attract relevant media organizations? It is common for new brands to pursue features in the biggest publications, but getting on the right platforms is far more important than getting on the big platforms.

    The job of a great PR agency is to identify where your audience stays and to tailor your brand story to reach them. Telling a bad story to the right audience or telling a great story to the wrong audience would yield minimal results.

    When crafting your brand story, you have to start by defining your brand mission and personality. The mission should be relevant to your audience and society at large. Your story must also be appealing, relatable and consistent across all your touchpoints. Your visuals, banners, colors, fonts and graphics are also great ways to add color to your brand story.

    Brand stories that are not generic and have a unique flavor or direction always stand out. Newer brands require a forensic PR strategy if they are going to penetrate their industries effectively, this may entail hiring an in-house team of PR experts, but more often than not, it entails contracting a well-connected PR agency to help out.

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    Jonathan Jadali

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