Brand Development: How to Make Your Story Heard

Good branding involves telling a story that customers can relate to, and having this feed into your overarching identity as an organization.

Of course you can’t develop your brand effectively if you don’t know how to amplify the narratives you construct.

So what are the best ways to not just build the stories that will sell your brand, but also ensure that they find their way to a receptive audience?

Deliver clarity and consistency

In the battle of brand identity vs brand image, the most powerful weapon in your arsenal is taking a consistent approach across the board.

You want your messaging to be unified in its tone, so that the way you want your brand to be perceived, and how it is viewed by customers, are aligned.

This is where sticking to the same framework is wise, as it gives you a foundation on which to build each aspect of your brand. Working with branding experts, and using a StoryBrand certified guide, is sensible in this context.

Pursue simplicity & authenticity

You might assume that brand development is a complex process, and while it definitely requires a lot of time, effort and carefully planning, this should not result in an overly confusing or conspicuously contrived end product.

Let’s say that you want to convey the ways in which your business is solving problems for customers in a specific industry. Rather than tackling the entire conundrum in one go, an effective story will dial this in to explain how you are helping individuals. This gives a much needed human touch, and allows others to relate more easily.

Authenticity also comes into play here, and it’s something to consider if you are worried that your brand will be eclipsed by bigger, better-known rivals. Don’t just try to follow the herd or give your audience what you think they want; tell stories that are unique to your organization, and the rest will fall into place.

Select the best platform

Getting your story heard can feel like an uphill struggle, but brand development doesn’t need to be arduous if you are presenting crafted narratives to the right people in the right places.

First, you have to work out what format is the most suitable fit for your story. Perhaps it will work well as an article or a fully fledged e-book. Perhaps it will convey the necessary details and the brand identity you are working on as an infographic. Perhaps you should invest in visual content, or focus on a social campaign that mixes written content and images.

Whatever the case, the format you select for your storytelling endeavors is important. And of course there is always the opportunity for content created for one platform to be repurposed for another; breaking down the key points of an article to make an infographic can ensure cross-pollination between the platforms you occupy, for example.

Ultimately, the intention is to not only make stories that are meaningful, but that are also eminently sharable. Achieving organic traction with brand development is a great end goal to have in mind when you get started.

Track performance and change things up

Last of all, you have to be conscious of how your brand development is being perceived, and whether it is hitting the mark or missing it by miles.

Analyzing the interactions earned by your efforts, experimenting with new approaches if issues are obvious, and adjusting tactics to move with the times, will all go towards shaping and solidifying your brand image, and making it match your business’ identity as well.