Is Your Brand Telling A Good Story | Guest Blog Post
Today's post is a guest blog post written by Nicole Andreini of Nicole & Co.
Brands are the stories people tell about your business.
Without stories, we would not be able to comprehend the value of something. Stories create experiences that one would not have had otherwise. The story your customers tell their friends about your business is first initiated by the brand they encounter.
Is your brand telling a good story?
If your answer is something along the lines of “Eh…” then we need to talk, girl.
I mean, wouldn’t you love to tell a story that was more along the lines of “Holy cow that’s amazing!” rather than “Oh, that’s what you do?”
Your brand can do this for you. It can be the kick in the booty to your storytelling reputation. The cover of the book you’re writing that makes us pick it up to read.
A business without a brand is like a novelist with no story to tell. You cannot successfully have one without the other. Or worse – what happens when a business’s brand does not successfully portray their story?
I love stories. I like to tell them and I like to hear them and I like to read them. My friends will be the first to tell you that I have a keen sense of storytelling. In fact, many nights, in order to fall asleep, I ask my hubby to tell me a story. He rolls his eyes and just tells me something about his day and I’m happy as a clam.
Stories are the crux of our society. Without them, we would not be able to comprehend the value of something. Knowing, understanding and listening to others’ experiences creates a situation in which it’s like being in someone else’s shoes. Which gives the experience value.
Stories can be told a variety of ways. They can be spoken, written, videoed. A story can be told with just a facial expression, a stroke of a paint brush or even a meal cooked. But let’s talk about the way your story is told.
Is your story different than everyone else’s? Is it as unique as you are? Does it portray all the silly quirks and badassery, talk-back dialogue? Does your brand wear ripped mom jeans and faded tee shirts? Ok ok, I maaayyyy be talking about myself but still. You get the gist.
Brands, like stories, brands are an emotional experience. It’s the connection that is formed with a person and your business. It’s the touchy feely, tell me how that made you feel moment.
Your brand is what people are saying about you behind your back. It’s the silent ambassador of your company. It’s the one thing that you have that nobody else has. It’s your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. And no one except you can write and draw and build and play and dance and have a brand like you.
They say comparison is the thief of joy. If you compare yourself to others, you loose the sense of your true self. And frankly, when markets are saturated and it feels like you have nothing new to say, it’s really hard to convince yourself that you have anything unique to offer.
But you do. You know you do. I know you do. You are you, and there is no one else that is like you. I promise. You were beautifully and wonderfully and UNIQUELY made. Your business was, too. Let’s treat it with the same respect and love that your creator has for you.
You’ve asked your mom. Your bestie. Your networking group and your favorite Facebook thread and that random stranger on the bus. You’ve asked them if your brand is good, if it tells the right story.
They gave feedback. Some good, some bad. But afterwards, you’re still left stumped, and frankly, overwhelmed. How do you know if your brand is telling a good story?
The problem with asking all these people about your brand is that they don’t really understand your business like you do. It’s your business, after all. Your brand, your story, your life. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could answer these questions about your brand yourself, since you are the one who is most intimate with it every single day?
Wouldn’t it be nice to know, from your own perspective, if your brand was telling a good story?
Well then, let’s do it. Ask yourself all the right questions and start telling a good story with your brand.
I prefer to break down every brand into three parts:
CLARITY | WORTHINESS | PROFESSIONALISM
These three simple aspects of your brand are the building blocks of your storytelling ability.
Being able to know if your brand is clear, worthy and professional is the first step into your brand’s storytelling ability.
Nicole is the woman behind Nicole & Co.
She grew up knee deep in a family of authentic and candid conversation, and always knew there was more to say.
Some would describe her as a lighthearted (or recovering) Type A with an affection for honey lattes, words and delightful design.
She believes in strategic collaboration, strong language and bold design. Her ultimate goal is to bring lightheartedness and ambition to the surface of the everyday grind.