The #1 Myth Entrepreneurs, Coaches, Consultants and Small Business Owners Believe Around Brand Storytelling in Business

Marketing Tips

Mar 4

The #1 Myth Entrepreneurs, Coaches, Consultants and Small Business Owners Believe Around Brand Storytelling in Business

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

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As a personal branding consultant and a marketing strategist, I focus a great deal on not only who you are as an entrepreneur and the brand experience that you're creating, but also how you are attracting quality leads.

One of the methods, and my favorite method by far, that I have become very known for is all around brand storytelling.

Incorporating the art of storytelling in your content, on your sales pages, in your email marketing, in your videos, every single thing that you do, as a way to build that connection and trust.

But when it comes to brand storytelling there is one major myth floating around the internet and it’s hurting a lot of entrepreneurs, content creators, coaches, consultants and more.

It pains me so much when I see it, when it’s truly a simple fix. I watch as business owners write social media posts, write emails, promote their offers and their services and experience low conversions, despite the fact that storytelling is incredibly powerful.

So, let’s set the record straight and dive into the #1 myth around brand storytelling in business.

Brand Storytelling Myth

It is important that you understand that there is a difference between just telling stories and building a business.

At the end of the day, you're asking people to invest their money into a product or a service that you sell.

We're not just telling stories to tell stories.

I often call this the friend zone, right? You don't want to fall into the friend zone where someone's like, "Cool story, bro. That's amazing."

You want to position yourself as the guide or the authority. So understanding that there is a difference plays a role in correcting the myth or belief.

The truth is many people believe that brand storytelling is about them, their brand, but it's not.

It's really about your audience.

I know some of you are like, "But it's my story, Michelle. But this is what I'm telling and this is my journey."

And I'm over here like, "Yes, amazing. I love that for you. I love this story for you. I am excited that you have this story. I am so excited that you want to share it with the world. Please freaking do that."

But every story that you share has got to connect with your audience or you're going to miss the mark.

You're going to have people saying, "Wow, I love your story. That's amazing."

Rather than taking action on your offer.

You’ll have people not following through and clicking through to the product or the service that you're promoting.

And ultimately just being interested in what you have to say rather than seeing the value in investing in your products and your services.

How to Tell Better Brand Stories in Business

The myth that I see happening manifests itself in business owners writing their stories for themselves, but it’s not for you, it’s for your audience and it needs to be about them!

So what do we do?

How do we avoid buying into this myth and making this very, very big mistake?

I've shared in some previous blogs that one of the first things that you need to do in your branding and marketing work is understand your ideal customer.

You've got to know who they are, because how can you know what stories to share with them if you don't actually understand who they are?

Understanding who they are at their core and essentially their story makes you a better marketer.

You want to understand your ideal customer's journey.
Where have they been?
Where are they now and what are they struggling with?
Where do they ultimately want to be and what needs to happen for them to get there?

Then you position your product, your service, and your stories to help them and connect with them along the way.

Brand Storytelling Example

We all know about the importance of the ‘About Me’ page, right? It’s often the first thing entrepreneurs write for their website and spend hours and hours on.

And while, many educators will tell you that you shouldn’t talk about yourself in your ‘About Me’ page, I go against the grain and say, “Yes, you should talk about yourself!” But, as we’ve been mentioning it can’t be all about you.

The reality is that people are clicking on that page because they want to connect with you and they want to get to know you.

So even on this miraculous page which is all about you and your journey, you want to make sure that you're highlighting those pieces that connect with your ideal customer.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:

You want to highlight the things your ideal customer is looking for in a brand. This is a great opportunity to share your brand values.

Highlight a part of your story that can connect with your ideal customer. Highlight parts of your story that connect with where your ideal customer is now and where they want to be.

You also have an opportunity to invite your audience in. Whether or not your stories mirror each other, you can draw up similarities by simply asking a question. For example, you can say, “Have you ever felt like this?”

And, then a golden opportunity near the end of the page is to turn it around back to them.

You want to say things like, "And this is where I am today and I help blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, to create their amazing brand. How would it feel for you to go from struggling to understand your brand, to feeling confident in your brand and sharing it with the world? How would it feel for you to..."

You're making it about them, not just about you!

WHY BRAND STORYTELLING IS IMPORTANT

Storytelling is important and sharing those very authentic stories about your life are key because they allow you to be a human being to your audience.

They build trust and they build connection, but you'll miss the mark every single time if you just make it about you.

If you just come at it from the angle of let me share this cool thing that happened to me today rather than saying let me share this thing and how it ultimately is valuable to you, you’ll miss the connection.

So aside from understanding your ideal customer and their story, you’ve got to find those connection pieces.

You also want to make sure before every single story that you share, you understand and you identify the value that it provides your ideal customer. If you do that, I promise you will avoid this mishap that so many brands make.

Make a commitment right now when it comes to brand storytelling.

Say, “I am not going to just tell stories to tell stories. I'm going to tell stories to move my business along, to guide people through the branding process, to connect with them, and ultimately lead them to the sale because it's very, very important."

And you’ll be golden.

Branding and Business Coach | Michelle Knight of Brandmerry

Watch the full video below!

P.S. Have you tuned in to The Beautiful Climb podcast? I release new episodes every other Friday on topics around productivity, motherhood, habits, goals and going after the life of your dreams! Check out past episodes and be sure to subscribe at thebeautifulclimb.com