Remarkable Brands
Let me tell you about the time when… Why is it when someone makes a speech or does a presentation, we’re much more captivated when it includes anecdotes? More particularly, a story that dives into the either amusing or moving details of a person’s life. By now, most marketers know storytelling is a critical part of resonating with your target audience. And, it's a vital ingredient to building a modern brand strategy. But let’s go a step further – have you considered using micro-stories in your marketing?
Brands leverage stories to communicate who they are, what they do, their beliefs, and their mission and values. As you know, without this information and context, audiences hesitate to engage with a brand, let alone make a purchase from or align themselves with one. Brands that build an emotional connection with their audience, backed by logic, and that can clearly and authentically communicate their story to the people they serve, are best positioned to build a strong customer base. They attract and grow a like-minded following.
How do you ensure you are truly making authentic connections with your audience? You tell micro-stories. A micro-story is a detailed component of a story block (a fundamental element of a compelling story) that dives a little deeper into the details of the story and expands on relevant, relatable information.
When a brand tells a micro-story, it commits to resonating with its audience on a deeper level, and relating to individuals who have had similar experiences. See how Toyota does this well in our blog How to use micro-stories to win at brand storytelling.
By researching and gathering enough information about your audience, you can manifest a comprehensive understanding of their demographics and psychographics. This helps you understand what drives your audience, what makes them tick and how to connect with them authentically.
When you start to tell your brand story (that has been built on a comprehensive understanding of your audience), it often results in at least one of two things – either the human side of your brand shines, and/or your brand is seen by its audience to acutely understand their challenges and needs. Both outcomes are vital in growing a true and authentic following.
Ultimately, when a customer experiences the humanness of your brand, it’s easier for them to engage and connect with your brand in the long-term. And, that’s where micro-stories come in. Through connecting with your audience, with a truly relatable, more detailed story, you can build bonds with them that extend beyond a transaction. When a brand builds many bonds, it begins to establish a tribe (or community) of true followers.
The age-old marketing battle to be front of mind at point of purchase means making a genuine connection with a customer can be the deciding factor when it comes time for them to buy. Micro-stories can amplify your brand’s relevance and resonate with your target audience prior to purchase. This means a customer’s mind may already be made up before even reaching the shop. Social media can be the opportune platform to tell your brand story and micro-stories in-depth and over and extended period of time, and make genuine connections with your audience.
And, when your brand makes genuine and authentic connections with your audience, it bonds with their hearts and minds. They then become confident that your brand not only is the best partner to meet their needs – but also, your brand fully understands them and has their best interests at heart.
When this happens, your customers are likely to become brand ambassadors, recommending your brand to their peers. Your brand becomes something they can stand behind as an extension of their identity. Transforming a paying customer into a brand ambassador is a sign of a remarkably mature brand. On top of this, you’ve achieved self-sustainable marketing as your customer is an advocate for your brand, and the results begin to speak for themselves.
Each time your brand gets micro and dives deeper in its storytelling, an opportunity exists to relate to more of the people your brand serves. Micro-stories are the future of brand storytelling. Invest time and effort into discovering them, and then strategise how to take them to market to start making authentic connections with your audience.
Want to learn more about how to do this? Contact our Blunt Agency team.