You hear it all the time: You need to have a story. But what does that really mean?

Continuing from last week's post about writing a great story, I'm going to explain why telling a story about your brand is vital to the success of your online and offline communications, and give you some tips for how to write it.

Politics and storytelling

Early in 2015, the usual suspects stood head to head in the UK general election. One said:

"The coffers are empty. We must all tighten our belts to get this country back on its feet"

The other said…

Actually, what did they say? I'm pretty sure they had a manifesto full of alternatives, but I was a bit busy to read it.

The fact is, they didn't have what the other guys had: a simple, understandable story.

Your business needs a story for exactly the same reason. Without it, people will struggle to understand the contribution you could make to their lives.

What do you do and why do you do it?

When it comes to writing your story, think first about how or why your business came about. Did you overcome a challenge or take an interesting or surprising route to resolving a problem? Does something about you or your values mean you do a better job than your competitors? Do you want to help people achieve something really special?

What do you stand for?

Great stories have some or all of the following elements:

Brave or challenging statements
Honesty
Heart
A happy surprise (or "aha!" moment)
Inspiration

Struggling? Look at the brands you interact with on a daily basis. Feel the message your local supermarket gently whispers in your ear as you browse the bananas. Read brand statements on the websites you use. They're all giving you a quick reminder of what they do and what it means to you.

You'll likely find that the process of writing your story crystallises your business plan and clarifies your direction. It should help you to define your target market and where to find them. Hopefully, it will make you feel good about your business and spur you on to take things forward.

How do you use your story?

Your story plays a part in every single communication your business makes. It's your elevator pitch when you talk to new clients, the first thing people see on your website. It influences everything, from your marketing to your customer service experience.

The beauty of a great story is it allows everyone who works with and for you to spread the word about your greatness.

So don't be left in the minority; start writing your story today.

If you need any help writing a brand story or injecting it into your online content, get in touch.