Crafting Your Brand Story -041

Do you know your brand story? Have you written yours? 

Brand is one of those terms that gets thrown around all over the place. We use it often without being 100% sure that we know what it means. Add another really broad term like story and you have Brand Story. Something you could probably talk about in a conversation or nod along with, but when pressed, you might not fully get this concept.

In this post (and podcast episode) I want to help you understand what a brand story is, why it’s important, and how to craft your own brand story.

Listen to Create If Writing – Episode 041

What is a brand? 

I would define your brand as your full identity. Not as a person, but your identity as a writer, blogger, or business. It encompasses everything from your visuals (which is what many people think of as a brand) to your ideals and beliefs.

Your brand has a vibe. It should have a clear sense of purpose, which is where the brand story really comes in. Your brand becomes recognizable not only visually, but in terms of the kinds of content you create and share and how you interact with people in your space.

What is a brand story?

Your brand story is the way that you would describe all of those moving parts that make up your brand, but in a HUMAN and relatable way. You see, story is engrained in our DNA. It is an innate part of us. Sometimes after childhood, we don’t validate story. It becomes less important than some of the more tangible or measurable things: income, ROI, financial security, investments, and all those fancy adult terms.

And yet, we know and we see how story actually impacts us. This is why advertisers utilize story in Superbowl commercials.

Writing Your Brand Story

When you write your brand story, you’ll be talking as much about your audience as you will yourself. Because this is not simply a story for you, to bring the focus to you, but this is a story that is meant to draw in the ideal audience. You talk about your history, your values, your struggles, and your transformation, but you’ll also be really speaking to THEIR values, struggle, and the transformation they want to see.

You’ll want to write out the whole thing, then edit it down, and become familiar with it. You should already know it, because it’s your story, but just like everything online, there is editing. Every value you hold dear may not come through your brand. You edit. You choose. You define your brand.

Where Does Your Brand Story Go?

I’ve never seen a Brand Story tab on the navigation bar on a website. Rather, it’s a framework that goes underneath everything else. It’s like your why: it brings focus, clarity, and cohesion to your brand. Even if you never share the actual story you write word for word. Even if the whole thing doesn’t go on your website.

Pieces of it may appear in your About page, or on your Work with Me page. When you talk to people about what it is that you do, this brand story will come out. At least, that’s the point. You want to work on this and craft and write this like a mission statement and KNOW it, so that when someone asks, you will retell your brand story in your own words. Because it is YOURS.