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#ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story

by | Apr 8, 2016 | ContentWritingChat

#ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? Never fear! We have a full recap of Tuesday’s chat where we talked all about honing in on your brand story. Let’s dive in and review some of the tips that were shared this week!

#ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story


Tamara Budz joined us as our guest host this week. She is a marketing consultant and brand storyteller/content marketer who owns the Silver Shade Group.

Q1: Define brand storytelling.

What exactly is brand storytelling? Julia, Tamara, Brittany, and Hannah all chimed in with great answers for our first question.

As Julia mentioned, you want to focus on what your brand solves for people. What pain points are you helping them with? And what exactly are your customers saying about you and your brand?

Similarly to what Julia said, Tamara reminded us that we need to ask ourselves: How can you help your audience?

Brittany shared a great answer. Your brand story is your past, present, and future. It’s about your reputation and the connections that you make with your audience.

Hannah said brand storytelling is about sharing your message in a meaningful and entertaining way. You need to make sure you’re speaking to your audience.

Q2: What makes a strong brand story?

Now that you know what brand storytelling is, what exactly makes a strong brand story?

Co-Op Social was spot on with their answer. A strong brand story includes authenticity, relevance, and connectivity. You need to be authentic, your story should be relevant to your brand and your audience, and it should form a connection with your audience.

As Brittany said, remember your values. Integrity is important to everything you do within your brand.

Julia and Jeremy were on the same page with their answers. Both of them expressed the importance of focusing on your audience. Get them involved in your story and make sure it’s one they’ll feel drawn to.

Hannah said it’s important to understand the pain points of your audience, as well as their interests. Knowing these things can help you create the right content for them.

Andrew said to focus on the people. Don’t be afraid to share the struggles behind the story of your brand because that can be compelling and relatable for your audience.

Q3: What are the benefits of storytelling for a brand in today’s era?

Developing and telling your story can have some major benefits for your brand. Check out these answers from Kim, Hannah, Michael, and Alberto.

As Kim from McKinney & Associates and Hannah both said, it’s all about developing a connection with your audience. Your story needs to draw them in and help you start forming a relationship.

A great answer from Michael: Your brand story is what will make you memorable if you tell a good one!

As Alberto said, there are people behind every story, not brands, logos, or business cards. Focus on telling your story and humanizing your brand.

Q4: How do you find/discover your authentic stories to tell?

To find/discover your authentic stories, it sounds like most of the people in the chat agreed: look to your customers.

Pay attention to what your customers are saying. They can provide you with valuable advice. As Julia said, find out how you’ve been able to help your audience. Tamara agreed. She said your customers will tell you what they need. All you have to do is tune in to what they’re saying or just ask.

Kate knows a little stalking, or listening rather, can help you gather a ton of information on your customers.

Pratik suggested not just looking to your customer, but also looking at your competition. Take a look at what they’re doing. It’s sure to help give you some fresh ideas!

Q5: What are some ways to be unique as you tell your brand’s story?

When it comes to telling your brand story, you need to find a way to be unique so you stand out from the crowd.

Zlata reminds us that you should never forget your audience. What resonates with them? What are they drawn to? You need to create content with them in mind.

As Julia said, make sure you get creative on every medium you use, whether it’s infographics, gifographics, SlideShares, blog posts, etc. Use your creativity and show it off in everything you do.

Kristen said to show vulnerability in your story. When you’re authentic, your audience picks up on that and it will really resonate with them.

And finally, Brittany pointed out that we should never get stuck in our ways. We need to be willing to experiment and try new things. Step outside your comfort zone and try something different.

Q6: What are the best mediums to tell your brand story online? (blogs, videos, etc.)

This was another question people in the chat mostly agreed on. To determine which mediums are best for your brand, look to your audience and see what they’re responding to. Here’s what some chatters had to say:

Affinio, Pratik, and Zlata all agreed that the mediums you choose will depend on who your audience is. Ask yourself, what are they drawn to? What resonates with them and what are they interested in? Do they prefer reading blog posts or watching videos? It all depends on your customer!

If you aren’t sure which mediums they prefer, take Kristen’s advice and just ask. It really is as simple as that. Don’t be afraid to just reach out to your audience and ask what they enjoy. They’ll tell you.

As Rachel said, consider who your audience is and where they’re spending their time online. These are two things you need to keep in mind every time you’re creating content.

Julia and Sabjan both offered some great suggestions for popular mediums to utilize. Julia said videos are essential for getting a visual story across the best. They also provide a fantastic way to form a connection with your audience.
Sabjan also mentioned videos, but said blogs, infographics, eBooks, and podcasts are all amazing as well. It’s good to try a few mediums and see what works best for both you and your audience.

Alberto is another fan of video, as he suggested live streaming. With so many live streaming apps available today, it just might be a great medium to try out for your brand. See how your audience responds!

Jeremy reminds us that the message is always the most important thing, not matter which medium or location you choose. Keep that in mind!

Q7: What are important do’s/don’ts to keep in mind when telling your story?

When telling your story, keep all of these do’s and don’ts in mind:

Be yourself. Don’t try to be something you’re not.

Keep your audience and your business goal top of mind because both are important.

Don’t write for yourself. Write for your audience instead. When you create the content they want and need, they’ll keep coming back for more.

Ask yourself: Would you read/listen to/or watch your story? If the answer is no, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Pratik and Varun both agree that you need to be authentic. If you aren’t, your audience will see right through you.

Determine the medium that’s right for you. Don’t be afraid to try new things, but once you figure out what clicks for you and your audience, stick to it.

Rohan shared a ton of great do’s via Fast Company. All of these are amazing tips!

And lastly, just go for it! Don’t hold yourself back.

Q8: What are some examples of brand storytelling that you love?

To get you inspired, check out some of these examples of brand storytelling people in the chat also love:

Julia is a big fan of PooPourri’s storytelling. They’re always creative!

Kim is a fan of State Farm’s relatable ads.

Kristen enjoy’s Airbnb’s storytelling.

Some great examples from Pratik: Nike, Apple, Cadbury, and Coca Cola.
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM CDT for great chats centered around content writing and marketing!

Tags: branding