In today’s episode, I share simple strategies to build brand stories that go to work for your business — with clarity, simplicity, and by attaching a specific goal for each story you share, so that it is memorable and resonates with your target audience while driving business growth.
I also cover some great places and ways to share your brand stories to maximize their value.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to the episode
00:55 – Overview of brand story strategy
02:09 – Start with the end in mind: set clear goals aligned with business strategy
03:15 – Know your audience: how to identify pain points and desired outcomes
04:48 – Build realistic next steps for clients in your story strategy
07:11 – The power of universal emotions in making brand stories relatable
08:23 – Craft simple stories for audience engagement and word-of-mouth potential
10:09 – Where to share brand stories
12:19 – The impact of podcast guesting as an accessible thought leadership tool
13:53 – Storytelling for team culture: embed values in company messaging
14:26 – Keynote speeches and crafting high-level stories to inspire audiences
Key Takeaways for Business Leaders:
Define Your Goal Before Determining Your Story: Set specific objectives before crafting stories. Define what you want your story to achieve—how do you want your audience to perceive you and what is the next step you want them to take. Purpose-driven storytelling is essential to resonate with your target audience and drive desired actions.
Prioritize Simplicity: Keep stories straightforward and focused. In B2B, audiences are busy, so avoid cluttered messaging. By removing any piece of your story that doesn’t move it forward, you increase the likelihood that your audience will remember the story’s main points and can easily share it with others, enhancing word-of-mouth reach.
Focus on Universal Emotions: Even if a thought leader or business is very different from its buyers, barriers between them quickly break down by identifying universal feelings that attach the storyteller to the audience. This shows the audience specifically how you understand and relate to their pain points. It shares from a place of vulnerability that naturally creates more trust.
Leverage a Variety of Platforms to Reach Targeted Audiences: Choose the most impactful channels for your brand stories. For B2B leaders, podcasts and keynote speeches can highlight impactful thought leadership in a very personal way, while social media offers consistent visibility. Each platform should serve a specific purpose within your broader storytelling strategy to maximize audience reach and engagement.
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Connect with Christie Bilbrey
http://www.christiebilbrey.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiebilbrey
Instagram: https://instagram.com/christiebilbrey
Grow Your Business as a Podcast Guest: https://bit.ly/pod-guesting
Create Your Buyer Persona: https://bit.ly/3H4Q2Hw