The Beginner’s Guide to Using Brand Storytelling in Marketing

Wondering how brand storytelling can boost your business, especially in Singapore? Well, this article has got you covered. This article provides a guide on how brand storytelling can be used in marketing.

Brand storytelling is a powerful tool in digital marketing that allows brands to connect with audiences strategically and emotionally. It is like showing your human side to your audience so that they can relate to you and engage with you. In the hustling landscape of Singapore’s business, digital marketing is in fierce competition. And brand storytelling is just another way of marketing your business.

It’s the skill of using your personal style to connect with your audience on an emotional level about your brand’s needs, values, and personality. This helps you connect with your viewers more deeply.

So, in this guide, we will go through the process of using brand storytelling in marketing and how businesses in Singapore can leverage the techniques to connect with their target audience. Whether you’re just a start-up or an established business in Singapore, you will discover how brand storytelling can transform your digital marketing initiative through this article.

Let’s get started!

What is Brand Storytelling and Its Examples?

It’s part of advertising the product or service, but more than that, it’s about connecting with the customer on an emotional level by telling stories that move them.

Together, they show the history of your brand and the things your business has done well so that you can connect emotionally with your audience. People will remember your brand’s story for a long time if you include its history, purpose, values, and other things.

One of the brand storytelling examples is from Apple, which produces renowned smartphones – iPhones and other products. In 1997, it launched a campaign “Think Different.” During that time, Apple was financially weak and struggling to gain its identity in the crowd. However, the campaign helped to achieve its goal.

The advertisement was broadcast in a television commercial. It also further featured influential people like Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., and others with the tagline:

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

–source

Through the campaign, Apple successfully convinced people that they are a brand that celebrates individuality, creativity, and innovation. It was able to convey the value through a powerful message and resonate with consumers. The campaign “Think Different” laid the foundation for the brand to be one of the most innovative and influential companies. With time, the brand has been standing out among the masses and inspiring audiences to buy its products.

The number of digital marketing strategies you follow, such as social media marketing, blogs, podcasts, and so on, is no longer enough. That’s because consumers want to know the story behind your products, trust you, and use your service because they like you as a brand.

Thus, if your brand has a story to tell, use it to gain the trust of people, attract new customers, and keep the existing audience happy. Meanwhile, you should also be aware that the brand story is not about yourself, nor is it about your employees; it is about how your product or services can serve the customer, make their life better, and provide them value.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Brand Storytelling in Marketing

Let’s kick off with a beginner’s guide to using brand storytelling in marketing. Here are the steps mentioned in detail:

Step 1: Derive your Origin

Before you start creating any story, look at the origin of your brand. Think about why you established the brand and from where it was derived that you are in the present day. Building your original story is the easiest step because you know why your brand exists. At the same time, you will obviously have a clear definition of your vision and purposes.

For example, if you are a SEO agency in Singapore, you might have aimed to help other businesses with their digital presence. You might have the vision to improve their digital marketing strategies and make them stand out in a challenging market in Singapore.

You can derive your original story by asking questions as follows:

·        Why was your brand created?

·        How did you come up with the idea?

·        What was the event that triggered you to establish the brand?

·        What challenges did you face while building your brand?

·        How has your vision over the years been accomplished?

·        What are your success stories?

·        What are the challenges you faced over time?

Step 2: Identify and Know Your Target Audience

Knowing your target audience is the most essential step in creating the brand story. That’s because you are creating the story to resonate with them with the aim of helping them with your products and services. Hence, identify the audiences, their values, and how you can be the solution to their problem or how you can add value to their daily lives.

Below are some of the questions that you can use to research your target audiences and get to know them better:

·        Who are your target audience?

·        What are their needs?

·        What problem are they facing, and how are they dealing with the problem?

·        How can your brand help them to solve their problem?

·        How would you make yourself visible to them?

·        What are your solutions that they would love to have?

·        Will you be able to solve their problem in the long term?

Step 3: Create Your Brand Personality

The third step is to create your brand’s personality. Branding and storytelling are different but interrelated. Branding provides a visual or conceptual identity to your brand, while storytelling brings the identity to life by narrating using various techniques.

You can create a personality that reflects your brand’s identity. At the same time, your brand’s personality should be appealing to the target audience. Hence, you can be playful, connect with them, and try to be innovative and trustworthy by aligning with your brand values.

Meanwhile, should also develop your brand voice by reflecting the personality that resonates with your audience’s language and preference. It can be casual, formal, conversational, authoritative, or anything else. However, the brand voice should be consistent. You can also use a mascot, some quotes, a logo, and others to represent your brand and show the desired emotion to your audience.

Step 4: Define Your Brand’s Values and Purpose

The next step is to define your brand’s values and purpose. They help you to develop the story of your brand and deliver your purpose. You can craft the brand values on short and sweet notes, as we saw in the example above for the Apple brand.

To define your purpose, identify your goal and make it stronger. You can include your story for the purpose of the brand.

Step 5: Make your Story Powerful and Captivating

After collecting all the essential elements of your brand storytelling, you are ready to craft the story. So, use around 700-800 words to make your brand story that has all the answers to the potential questions about your brands. Meanwhile, the brand story should deliver the reason behind your existence and your brand’s aim.

You can assign the task of writing the brand story on the basis of the above elements to content writers. They can help you convert your story into something the audience can relate to. Meanwhile, there are also many brand storytelling agencies in Singapore that can help you form a story for your brand.

Step 6: Share Your Brand Story

Share a compelling story about your brand as soon as you create it on different channels. You can add your brand story to your website under the “About Us” page. Similarly, you can add milestones, missions, and values on the same page. Incorporating images and multimedia makes your brand story more interesting.

Similarly, you can share your story across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others. Creating regular posts about your brand on social media can help you to connect with the followers on such platforms.

Besides, if you have a blog page, you can share some detailed articles about your brand. Email marketing and advertising are other ways to convey your value to your audience. Meanwhile, you can also tell your brand story through PR, collaborate with other brands through podcasts, give insights into your brand during events, and more.  

Conclusion

Marketing your business is how you create a real brand story. Get to work right away on creating a brand story that fits your business and your viewers. If you’re not sure how to start your own brand storytelling, you can also talk to digital marketing firms in Singapore for help.

Through the art of narration, you can establish a deeper connection with the business and your audience. A lot of opportunities await in the landscape of Singapore business where you can utilize brand storytelling and convey your values.

As we conclude the article, it is evident that successful storytelling, like that of the brand Apple, requires you to be authentic, relevant, and convey empathy. Also, you should understand your audience on a deeper level to resonate with them.

Hence, by utilizing the power of authentic brand storytelling, you can elevate your marketing strategies in the Singaporean business world and create and foster connections with consumers. 

Some FAQs Related to Brand Storytelling in Marketing

Why is brand storytelling necessary?

Brand storytelling is valuable to any business that is doing digital marketing through various channels. It helps them to grow and connect with the audience on an emotional level. By leveraging the supremacy of storytelling, brands can communicate their values to their target audience in a way that the audience trusts them and resonates with the brand.

What brands are doing storytelling in businesses?

Brands like Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, and Disney have been using brand storytelling as one of their digital marketing strategies. As a result, they have mastered the art of storytelling and gained the trust of the people to stand out among the masses.

How do we build brand storytelling?

To build brand storytelling, you must first identify the core value of your business, know your target audience, brainstorm the storytelling framework, create the story, and share it accordingly.

Is brand storytelling a digital marketing strategy?

Yes, brand storytelling is definitely a highly powerful digital marketing strategy. It is the process of creating your brand’s story and sharing it to connect with audiences, build trust among them, encourage them to use your products and services, and personalize your brand to your target audience.

How long should a brand story be?

A brand’s story should be authentic and easy to digest. It should make the audience feel that what you are saying is true and simple to understand. Talking about the length, the story should be short and powerful so that people don’t have to spend their precious time learning about your story.