Brandmerry Blog Archives
How Brand Storytelling Increases Revenue [Case Study]
Every wonder how brand storytelling can impact the success of your business? Or how to share your story in a way that attracts your dream clients? Tune in to my personal case study on how I've used storytelling to build a 6-figure business.
How Brand Storytelling Increases Revenue [Case Study]
BY MICHELLE KNIGHT
Today, on the blog we are bringing it back to storytelling. Our focus at Brandmerry is on branding and marketing and how storytelling plays a crucial role in every single aspect of running your online business.
In some recent episodes of the Brandmerry Podcast, we've started to dive in and talk about the principles of storytelling.
In fact, episode five was all about the three key factors for telling better stories in your marketing.
Then in episode six, we talked about writing your ‘About Me’ page, which is one of the first pages that I recommend my audience write because it's a really great practice in writing your brand story.
Today I want to share with you a case study that just so happens to be my story.
They often say that sometimes you are the best example, right? That sometimes your story is the best connection piece.
My intention in sharing this with you is that you can look in with your marketing lens and listen to the story, pay attention to how I'm structuring the story, pay attention to where I'm connecting with my audience, offering value, offering education, and offering inspiration.
You're going to get an opportunity to hear my story and then you're also going to have an opportunity to dissect it and figure out how you can improve yours when it comes to your marketing.
Now, this particular example is pulled from my free on-demand training, the Build a Better Brand Method.
In this free training, I share multiple facets of the branding process. I talk about the six phases of what I call the Better Brand Method. This is the same method I teach inside of my program You! Branded. We also dissect storytelling, and I offer up this case study, which we’ll get to in just a minute.
We talk about your ideal customer. I offer advice for getting core information about your ideal customer that will improve your branding and ultimately your marketing, and we jump into messaging.
So this is a small piece of that on-demand training. If you haven't listened to that training yet, you could head to betterbrandmethod.com and get signed up after you listen in to this.
Brand Storytelling: Case Study
I want to share with you how I've used storytelling from the very beginning of my business, once I figured out this whole branding thing, and how I've used that to create over half a million dollars in cash revenue and become a digital nomad.
I spent eight months building a website and a “brand”.
In the beginning, I honestly didn't do the work. I struggled for eight months to brand myself and to sign a single client.
It's not that I wasn't doing things. I was doing things. Many of you are also doing things, but not the branding work.
I spent a lot of time building a website. I had a logo, I chose my colors. I chose my font. I had a Facebook group back in the day. I had all the backend ready to go. My client onboarding, my emails, all of those different things.
I was also showing up online. I was on Facebook almost daily. I was slowly trying to grow my email list. I was showing up in other people's groups. I was posting on social media. I was doing “the things.”
But as you guessed it, I was not profitable.
I didn't make any money. Then right when I was getting ready to leave my 9 to 5, I had a moment where I was like “I'm going to scrap the whole thing and I'm going to rebuild it.” And that's when I accidentally implemented what is now my six-part framework.
All of that started from my story, every single piece.
So let's take a glimpse into what that process actually looked like with storytelling.
So at first, my story allowed me to rediscover my strengths and my mission, my values and my authentic voice. So I already had some good content to start showing up with because I could start sharing these things with my audience. It was a small audience of like 15 people, but you know what? There were 15 people!!!
Then storytelling helped me get to know my ideal customer on a more intimate level. This was very important because I was able to then create stories that would resonate with them and where they were on their journey.
From this, I was able to determine how I wanted my audience to feel, tie in that emotional piece, because I knew who they were and I knew who I was.
Then I rebuilt my website. I rewrote all my copy. I updated all of my visuals. Redid the entire website that took me eight months in just one week because of these pieces that I had already implemented with my story.
Then I worked on really refining my message.
I didn't have testimonials at the time.
I hadn't had a client.
So I used my story to connect more deeply with my small audience. I started showing up, I started sharing more about the things that were happening in my life. I started talking about the power of storytelling. I started to share my mistakes with branding.
I just kept showing up, but I knew who my audience was this time. Before I was guessing. Now I had done the work and I knew who they were so I could craft my messages for them.
People started to notice.
The same audience I had before began to take action and the only thing that changed was what happened on my end.
My clarity on who I was, who I was serving, and the connection.
Within three months of having my new solid brand built, I made $15,000 in my business.
Then I booked out my one-on-one.
Then I made $100k within a year.
Now here's what I want you to notice. My email list size did not change.
I still had about 15 people on my email list. In fact, the first $20,000 that I made in my business, $15,000 was within those first three months, and then I signed another client at the beginning of January the next year.
That first $20,000 in my business came from those initial 15 people.
They weren't new people.
I was showing up in a different way.
I was connecting more deeply.
I understood who they were.
My offer didn't change either. I could just message it better.
All that changed was my brand clarity and my approach to communicating with them.
Sometimes it's as simple as one sentence that they just hear differently.
I was able to do that because I had taken the time to really get in touch, not just only with my story, but their story.
Who the heck were they?
What were the struggles?
What were those desires?
What was standing in their way?
Storytelling plays a role in everything.
It plays a role in your specific niche and your selling position, and ultimately what you offer to solve your audience's problem.
It plays a role in how you communicate the benefit of your offer with your audience through brand messaging.
It plays a role in building a deeper, emotional connection with your audience, leading to more conversions.
It plays a role in showcasing your authenticity. 86% of consumers say that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like and support. Storytelling will help you stand out in a saturated or crowded market. It is in fact, the only thing that will.
Because again, you can have the exact same offer as somebody else. What makes you different?
Your story.
Your connection.
And storytelling will give you content to share when you are just starting out, that won't be a waste of time or energy, because it will be focused on building.
CONCLUSION
Your next step, to gain more information on the exact branding process I used and now teach my clients is to watch the Build a Better Brand Method training.
This on-demand training will give you the signature six-part framework, a look into the ideal client process, and my step-by-step process for building core brand messages in your business.
Watch it now at betterbrandmethod.com.
- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -
DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS
MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
BRAND AFFINITY: WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO YOU IMPROVE IT
Have you ever wondered why some brands resonate with you so much better than others? Or, why you find yourself coming back to a brand over and over again because of the connection you feel? It’s Brand Affinity! Learn what it is and how to improve it for your business on the blog.
Brand Affinity: What Is It and How Do You Improve It?
BY MICHELLE KNIGHT
Have you ever wondered why some brands resonate with you so much better than others?
Or, why you find yourself coming back to a brand over and over again because of the connection you feel?
Me too, that was until I learned about Brand Affinity.
Turns out I had been focused on building Brand Affinity for years, just didn’t have a name for it, but this secret sauce is something every online brand should work towards (more on why in a minute).
The beautiful thing about Brand Affinity is that it doesn’t have to take years to build trust. We often think that building trust with our audience takes a lot of time, and for some it does depending on where they are in the buying process, but it can happen within in minutes.
The tips I’m sharing with you in this blog will give you tools to start building Brand Affinity today, so you can get started on your way in building a deeper relationship with your audience.
Let’s start at the beginning.
WHAT IS BRAND AFFINITY?
Brand Affinity is when a consumer believes a particular brand shares the same values as them.
It’s deeper than a knowledge of the brand, brand awareness, and begins to build the connection between consumer and brand on a more personal and emotional level.
This connection is what allows you, as the brand, to not only stand out online but keep your audience coming back time and time again.
Remember purchase decisions come down to trust.
“If someone likes you they’ll listen to you, if they trust you they’ll do business with you!” - Zig Ziglar
Building this trust is necessary when building an online brand in 2020 and beyond because consumers are looking for brands that they can trust.
As more generations become part of movements and make changes in their personal lives they’re looking for brands that share those values and go even further to provide support for those values as well.
When you build brand affinity with your audience you increase the likelihood that they will purchase your service or product, you create a consumer base that sticks around for the long haul (hello community) and your audience is more likely to refer others to your brand.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a sweet deal.
BRAND AFFINITY IN MARKETING
In a few minutes, I’m going to share with you five ways to increase your brand affinity, but there is one strategy that is essential when it comes to marketing your business and that’s the power of storytelling.
The reality is you can’t just post your values every single day on social media, but you want people to understand them.
You can’t share your mission point-blank in every email, but you want your audience to understand it.
This is where storytelling becomes your secret weapon in marketing.
Through strong storytelling, you can showcase your values and mission daily through your brand messaging. Yes, that’s right storytelling should be incorporated into every aspect of your marketing.
Want to learn all the ins and outs of storytelling in business? My Tell Better Stories Mini-Course has your name written all over it. Learn more at brandmerry.com/stories
Storytelling gives you the ability to not only share relevant stories that showcase your values and mission (hello, Brand Affinity) but give you the tools to begin building deeper relationships with your audience.
These deeper relationships and connection are why our audiences trust us, buy from us and keep coming back.
It’s not enough to just have strong Brand Awareness, someone’s knowledge of your brand, you have to go deeper. The truth is, there are a lot of people offering something similar to you, multiple ways for a consumer to solve their problem, but storytelling and specifically Brand Affinity makes your brand...their brand.
5 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR BRAND AFFINITY
I know you’re wondering, “Michelle, aside from storytelling how can I increase Brand Affinity with my community?”
Well, I’m so glad you asked!
I know storytelling can feel complex, I’ve included some resources below to support you with this, but I want you to be able to start TODAY. So, below you’ll find five simple ways to improve your Brand Affinity almost immediately.
1 | SHARE YOUR BRAND VALUES
Seems simple enough right? Well, not enough brands are identifying the values of their brand and therefore aren’t sharing them. How do you expect someone to experience Brand Affinity, shared values, if you yourself don’t know your brand values.
So, if you haven’t already identified yours now is the time to start.
I suggest thinking of the values you personally hold and how those connect to your brand.
What values do you want to share between you and your consumer, it will be a lot easier to build a business you love if you attract the right people.
For instance, some of my brand values are:
+ Authenticity
+ Transparency
+ Care and Attention to Detail
+ Reduce the overwhelm
+ The desire for our living a Freedom lifestyle
I showcase these through my marketing, every email, photo, etc is focused on attracting people who share the same values.
TAKE ACTION: Identify your core values and then share them.
The simplest thing to do is post them on your website, this can be done on your About Me page, but as we talked about earlier you’ll also want to showcase these through storytelling.
2| SHARE THE MISSION BEHIND YOUR BRAND
I started my career in non-profit work so forgive me as a gush over the power of a Brand Mission. As business owners we forget this, not enough business owners are taking the time to identify the mission or purpose behind their brand and this is a mistake.
63% of consumers state they want to buy from purpose-driven businesses.
And although money is amazing, I love it myself, it’s not the purpose. Your purpose and mission need to be deeper than that.
For instance, the mission behind my brand is…
“To empower women to uncover and own their story and share it with the world through their personal brand.”
This mission not only drives every decision in my business, but is also one of the main connectors for my audience.
TAKE ACTION: Identify your mission.
What is the purpose behind your business?
What legacy do you want to leave begin with your work?
Then share it! I love encouraging my clients to share their mission statement on their Home Page, but you can also include it on your About Me page.
3 | SHOW BRAND AFFINITY THROUGH PHOTOS
This is my favorite thing to do as a personal brand and it’s so important. We often don’t think about the effect of Instagram on building trust or the use of seeing multiple photos on a website as a way to build Brand Affinity, but it’s actually a very powerful practice.
Here’s why it’s so powerful. When you showcase multiple photos of yourself, different outfits, different locations, different expressions your audience feels as if they are seeing at different moments in time. It’s as if you’ve met and know each other for longer than you actually have.
Photography overall is one of my favorite investments as a brand. It’s not about spending a bunch of money or posing for all your photos, but it is about elevating your brand by showing different sides of your personality and if you’re not a photographer then hiring one can be one of the best investments in your business.
TAKE ACTION: Hire a photographer if you can and make sure you clearly articulate your brand values, ideal customer and the emotional connection you want to portray. More on prepping for a Brand Photoshoot here
But, even if you can’t invest in a photographer right now, you can use a tripod or a friend to take photos of you. Make sure you’re sharing different moments in time to achieve the Brand Affinity. Then share your photos on your website and of course on social media.
Take a look at my Instagram to get a feel for this!
4 | BUILD A COMMUNITY
There are a lot of different ways to build community outside of a private Facebook Group, even though everyone is telling you that you need one. The truth is you can build community on social media and through your email lists just as effectively.
When we think of community we think of a central location for everyone to hang out, but what you’re wanting to do is just declare your brand as the community.
For example, inside of my first email when you sign up for my email list I welcome new subscribers to the Brandmerry Community.
I’m always referring to the Brandmerry Community on my live streams, blogs and on social media. There isn’t a specific jacket we all wear, but we know. The women inside the community know I’m speaking to them and about them and that builds connection.
You could even go as far as declaring a name for your community.
This sense of unity makes someone feel as if they are part of something bigger. It’s not just about buying your product and peacing out it’s about belonging, which we as humans want.
TAKE ACTION: How can you use the tools at your fingertips to build a community? Will you give your audience a name? Determine some of the fun ways you can create a community that allows your audience to be part of something.
5 | EXCELLENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
It’s no secret that as consumers we want to be cared for. We don’t want to work extra hard to get the products and services we desire and once we make the decision, i.e. commitment, we want it to be easy.
This is where your customer service comes to the next level.
We often think the customer service is the sale, and while that is important, what comes next is what builds further Brand Affinity.
For instance, when someone purchases one of my services or courses they receive instant confirmation that their purchase has been received. Then, they receive an email with all the information they need, including login, how to access the materials, the next steps and where to start.
I take the guesswork out of getting started and right away my audience feels taken care of and trust is increased.
TAKE ACTION: How can you improve your customer service? If you have any holes in your process, post-sale, fill those now!
CONCLUSION
I hope you can see the importance of Brand Affinity and why every single brand, no matter what you sell, should be focused on building this deeper connection and trust with their audience.
As I mentioned before I know sometimes this whole branding and storytelling thing can feel like a lot. If you’re wanting to build more of a foundation with your brand, understand how all the pieces like storytelling fit together and what you want to avoid when building your brand then I’d love to invite you to watch my free class.
In this free class, I’ll share the Build a Better Brand Method. Sign up for the next available time at brandmerry.com/brandmasterclass.
And if you’re looking for those resources on storytelling, sorry to keep you hanging, you can find those below.
Where and When to Share Your Brand Story can be found here
The Art of Storytelling in Business can be found here
5 Examples of Brand Storytelling to Incorporate into Your Marketing can be found here
How to Attract Your Dream Clients Through Emotional Branding can be found here
I hope these resources will support you in understanding storytelling in marketing on a deeper, it really changes everything!
P.S. If you made it this far, good for you! Let’s take it a step further and dive into your branding. If you haven’t already be sure to watch my free class on The Build a Better Brand Method.
It’s a free 60-minute class for female entrepreneurs looking to build a strong personal brand that supports them in standing out online, creating a stream of high-value content and build a community of fans that leads to a revenue-generating business.
Sign up for the class at brandmerry.com/brandmasterclass.
- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -
DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS
MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
Where and When to Share Your Brand Story
How often should you share your Brand Story? This is one of the top questions I receive as a Branding Mentor, followed by, “but won’t my audience get annoyed?” In today’s blog, I’m excited to bust this myth + provide you with a bonus audio recording where I’m addressing the underlying issue and fear of annoying your audience.
Where and When to Share Your Brand Story
June 27, 2019
How often should you share your Brand Story?
This is one of the top questions I receive as a Branding Mentor, followed by, “but won’t my audience get annoyed?”
In today’s blog, I’m excited to bust this myth + provide you with a bonus audio recording where I’m addressing the underlying issue and fear of annoying your audience.
Before we dive into today’s post it’s important that you’ve done some work around your Brand Story. You can take my free quiz below where you’ll identify your brand story + how to market it to attract your tribe.
You can also check out this post on How to Identify Your Brand Story and 3 Things You Can’t Miss.
AND, just because I love giving away free gifts - I also have a must-see masterclass where I’m sharing my 3 Steps to Build a Better Brand.
Alright, let’s get into it, starting with some stats!
Did you know that it takes your audience 7 touch points before they are ready to invest in your product or service?
It’s called the Rule of 7 in marketing and it’s one of the most important “rules” you need as an online entrepreneur.
What does this tell us? Just talking about a product or sharing a story one time isn’t enough.
The good news? With the power of social media and the freaking explosion in online marketing, we have like a million avenues to share these stories so they don’t become boring.
And while I could close this blog post right here, because I’m hoping you’re sold on the effectiveness in repetition in marketing, I made a brand new recording just for you so you can finally overcome this fear.
After listening to the audio, be sure to scroll down for a break down on exactly where I would share my Brand Story to get started (hint: it includes 10 different placements)!
The recording you’re about to listen to is part of my brand new show, The Authentic Brand Builders Show. It’s an exclusive weekly show for my private community Authentic Female Entrepreneurs.
EP 01: Getting Over the Fear of Repetitive Storytelling will give you a more thorough explanation of the Rule of 7 and the mindset shifts necessary to show up for your community fully.
Be sure to join Authentic Female Entrepreneurs to catch all the weekly episodes!
10 WAYS TO SHARE YOUR BRAND STORY
Now, you’re ready! You know the power of sharing your story with the world, you’ve identified your story and now it’s time to share it.
Below, I’ve included 10 DIFFERENT places to share your Brand Story as a way to build brand awareness and community. I’ve marked the ones that can be repeated ever 30 days with an *.
On the homepage of your blog (include a small excerpt similar to a social post)
On your About Me/ My Story page (want my tips on this? Click here)
The sidebar or footer of your blog
Social Media post (includes Facebook and Instagram) *
IGTV video
Insta Stories *
As a highlight on your Instagram
Introduction in a Facebook Group *
Youtube video (tied in with your favorite tip within your niche)
Live video (Facebook) *
That’s one freaking story, imagine what you could do if you repeated this over and over again for your most important stories - the ones that share your expertise, relate to your audience and build trust.
Pretty cool stuff, right?
Go forth and share your story and don’t forget to my new masterclass where I’m sharing How to Build a Better Brand!
Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!
P.S. Are we connected on Instagram? No? Well lady what’s happening here we’ve got to fix that. Come hang out with me on my favorite social media platform. Follow for inspiration and send me a DM to know we’re connected.
How To Use Masculine and Feminine Energy in Your Branding
How To Use Masculine and Feminine Energy in Your Branding
When I started this entrepreneur journey I didn't even know what masculine and feminine energy was, and maybe you're in that same boat. So today I'm sharing how you can use it not only in your business but your brand as well.
What is masculine and feminine energy?
Masculine energy is rooted in action taking, goal setting. They're big doers, competitive, direct and problem solvers. A lot of entrepreneurs lead with their masculine energy.
Feminine energy is rooted in intuition, community, feelings, collaboration and creativity. What is really important when understanding masculine and feminine energy is you need both of these things to create a strong business. So you have to first identify where you are, what you lead with and what you need more of.
I lead with my masculine side in both business and life. There became a point in my business where I recognized that, so I found a mentor that would help me tap into my feminine side. And it's really changed my business completely.
Which do you feel like you lead more with?
How Masculine and Feminine Energy Plays a Role in Running Your Own Business
We lead with one over the other, but the other one is still there. So what we need to do is bring the other one out more.
If you're more masculine, how can you add more flow and creativity to your business. Something that I started to do to bring out my feminine energy was dancing and yoga to bring out that flow. Also, mindset work brings out that feminine energy as well. Allow your feelings to come through and surrender or detach yourself from the how. Also, vulnerability and playfulness are so, so important in feminine energy which is something that played a role in my personal life once I had my son.
If you are more feminine, then you need to be really clear on your goals, time block, scheduling so you can balance that creativity with action taking. Where can you add in more structure and strategy?
How it plays a role in your branding and content creation to attract your audience
I don't see people talk about this too much, but it comes up all the time. And if you can think about your audience, what they need and what pulls them in, it's really really powerful in branding. The person on the other end has these energies too, they are human, they have layers as well. So if you ever feel like your brand it attracting two different people, it's actually the two different energies which is good.
If you can see which energy your audience leads with, tap into that and add in the energy they desire in your branding, you'll attract those people. Talk to people not only where they're at, but where they want to be. Create that experience and content that speaks to all pieces of your ideal client.
Head over to my Facebook Page and be sure to like and comment on the video while you are over there to help more people see this information ↠ https://www.facebook.com/brandmerrycoaching/videos/1772342736135388/
And as always please share and comment on this blog post, I love connecting with you!
How to Use IGTV to Increase Brand Awareness
How to Use IGTV to Increase Brand Awareness
IGTV is a new addition to Instagram. It's another way to show up on that platform, get super visible and increase brand awareness and it's all about video. Not only are we going to talk about how you can use IGTV to increase brand awareness, but also how you can use it if live video really scare you.
What is IGTV and How to Start Using It
Essentially it is a longer, pre-recorded video platform on Instagram where you can share content and do more of a Youtube style video. This gives us a beautiful opportunity to get clear on our messaging. Smaller brands only have the ability to share 10 minutes of content per video, which will help us be really clear and concise in our messaging and the content we are sharing.
The other thing I love is the cross promotion within the platform which we will talk about a little later in the post as well, but Instagram is giving you the ability to link straight to your IGTV videos in stories. You can share as an in-feed post, etc.
The next thing I want to talk about is hashtags. Hashtags are searchibility on Instagram and now we can use these in our IGTV videos. There's so much flexibility in one platform which I'm absolutely loving. If you know your audience is on Instagram, you can now focus on this one platform to start building massive brand awareness.
Afraid of Video? IGTV is your answer
We know how important video is - it's where we, and every platform are going because it really takes your brand to a new level. It's all about taking your business and brand to the next level because when you do video, your ideal client will start to feel like they know you. So video is so, so important for increasing brand awareness and building a successful business.
I know from talking to a lot of you that live video can be scary. You want to be using it, but it scares you and this is where IGTV comes in. IGTV kind of takes away the scariness of live video, but has the same feel of live video. This gives you the opportunity to practice, record yourself and still ask for engagement. It's an introduction to video that is really going to be so powerful for those of you who are just starting out in video. Not only are you increasing your brand awareness, but you're getting yourself comfortable with the camera. You also have the ability to share this on various platform, and what I love about IGTV, you can grab the URL and send people from your email to your IGTV. You can even cross-promote on other platforms as well like Facebook.
If live video scares you:
Get comfortable with camera
Play with asking for engagement
Sharing on various platforms
How to use it in your biz for brand awareness
1. Focus on building one community - Instagram
The idea of being on all of these platforms can be super scary, so I always recommend to start with one and focus on it, get really good, and then add another. What I love about Instagram is it gives you so many touch points, so I think it's a great platform to start with.
2. More personal and less polished than other video
IGTV gives you the opportunity to be more personal and less polished than Youtube or even live video. It's about showing up as who you are with an already established platform.
3. Now have 3 points of contact on IG (posts, stories and IGTV)
This gives you the ability to show up for your audience in different ways on just one platform. It's so important for you at this stage in online entrepreneurship to have these multiple touch points.
4. Sharing options (cross promotion - within stories, via email, accessible in feed)
I can now use the swipe up feature to my new IGTV episodes. I really think easy access is so important and Instagram allows you to make your videos super accessible. You can also pull the URL from your video and share it in an email or on Facebook. Extend the life of your content!
5. CONSISTENCY!
Be consistent with your postings. What time, what day and what type of content? Think of a TV show. This helps build trust and accountability within your community.
You can watch the whole video for a more in-depth version of this and several bonus tips below!
Head over to my Facebook Page and be sure to like and comment on the video while you are over there to help more people see this information ↠ https://www.facebook.com/brandmerrycoaching/videos/1729525050417157/
And as always please share and comment on this blog post, I love connecting with you!
Michelle Knight is a Branding and Business coach for female entrepreneurs who are struggling to gain visibility and traction to take their business to the next level. She works with her clients to dive deep into their story so they can create a brand and message that positions them as an expert and allows them to create their desired income to free up time in their schedule for what matters most. Learn more >>