As more and more consumers head online, it’s increasingly important for brands to foster relationships with shoppers instead of relegating themselves to faceless entities — if they want to win sales, that is.
According to a study by Sprout Social, 57% of consumers increase their spending with a brand they feel connected to and 76% will choose to buy from them over a competitor.
The easiest way to do this is to develop a brand story. Stories have brought humans together for centuries, and it’s no different today.
With fierce competition in the ecommerce arena, shoppers actively seek brands that share their values and have a compelling brand story.
A brand story is a framework that outlines what your business is about, where it came from, and how it’s relevant to your customers today. It tells consumers the who, what, why, and how behind your brand and products.
A good brand story goes beyond product features to connect with shoppers emotionally. In addition to differentiating you from the competition, a solid brand story can inspire deeper connections with customers, establish trust, and cement loyalty.
A brand story helps customers relate to your business. But, to encourage those deeper connections, you need to cover a few bases.
What is a brand story for your organization? How did your brand begin? Taking consumers back in time to your brand’s beginning is an excellent way to build trust.
Not only does it confirm that you’re a legitimate business (and not just a one-hit wonder), but it also brings customers into your world, inspiring an emotional connection.
Your brand story should include why you started your business and illustrate the early days: Was the business born out of a pain point you experienced? Did you see a gap in the market? Were you dead set on helping a specific audience segment?
Image Source: Panda
Bedding brand Panda shares its origin story on its website. It takes readers back to 2015 when the brand was created to counteract existing issues in the luxury homeware industry.
Research by Consumer Goods found that 82% of shoppers want a brand’s values to align with their own, and 75% will part ways with a brand over a conflict in values.
This part of your brand story should highlight what you stand for. Are your products made using only natural ingredients? What causes do you believe in? How are you doing your bit for the planet?
Shining a light on your business's purpose builds trust and establishes long-term loyalty with shoppers who share those values.
Image Source: Paneros Clothing
Fashion brand Paneros Clothing openly shares its mission on its website, which has a dedicated page for its ethics and values.
What makes your brand different from the competition? What makes you unique? Your unique selling proposition (USP) tells customers why they should buy from you instead of a competitor. Maybe you’re the cheapest option, only use local ingredients, or are committed to serving a niche market.
Image Source: Timberland
Timberland is no stranger to sharing its story. On a page dedicated to its backstory, the brand spotlights what makes it different, including the unique materials and processes it uses to create its products.
What is a brand story through the lens of customers? It’s important to know who you’re targeting — and not just a broad, sweeping statement here.
You need to get specific and go beyond the age and location of your top buyers. Instead, dig into their psychographic tendencies to discover their challenges, fears, dreams, and interests. The best way to understand your audience is to speak to them directly.
Here are some ways to hone in on your target audience:
In particular, look out for specific words and phrases your target audience uses — this can help you refine your brand voice and ensure you’re writing great product copy.
To stand out today, your brand benefits from having human characteristics so you can connect on a deeper level with shoppers. One way to do this is to craft a unique personality and a memorable tone of voice.
Here are some ways to craft a unique brand personality:
You can use a sliding scale system to determine where your brand’s tone of voice sits. For example, is it more informal than informal or more playful than serious?
Image Source: Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club is renowned for its laidback, casual voice. It’s not adverse to a swear word or two and uses plenty of questions on its product pages to draw shoppers in.
What is a brand story without your brand’s special sauce? There’s no single formula for getting your brand story right. However, there are some steps you can take to ensure your brand story is the best it can be.
Identify your business's sole purpose and mention it throughout your website, product descriptions, and marketing materials.
Don’t make up your brand story — be genuine to create a real emotional connection with shoppers.
Don’t overcomplicate things. Develop a meaningful, easy-to-understand value proposition.
Ensure your messaging reflects your brand story across all platforms.
Most importantly, make shoppers feel like they’re interacting with another human when they communicate with your brand.
Ready to put pen to paper and write your brand story? Here’s a template you can copy and paste to get started.
It’s easy to feel like there’s too much competition. But you have a superpower: your brand story. It can set you apart from the competition and help you establish deep, meaningful connections with your customers.
Once you’ve written your brand story, you can infuse it throughout your marketing materials and product descriptions to develop trust and win more sales.