There are millions of brands marketing billions of products on the internet. Each person in your audience sees 4,000-10,000 ads every day.
What can you do to grab the attention of such a desensitized audience? You need to tell them your brand story.
Let’s look at the facts. No one wants to hear another sales pitch, but everyone loves a good story.
It’s why the film and book industries remain strong and will never die. It’s why the most popular films have a never-ending chain of sequels. We can’t get enough of the story.
So we ask again: what hope do you have of breaking through the fog of advertising desensitization and reaching your audience? You need to stop selling and start storytelling.
Keep reading and we’ll show you how. Follow these tips on how to tell your brand story on social media.
Know Your Social Media Audience
You may know your audience as a whole, but no two social media platforms have the same audience. If they did, one platform would win and swallow the other.
For each social media platform you use, do your research to make sure you’re targeting the right audience. Find out who the audience is (age groups, genders, professions) and what they like (entertainment, tips, memes, videos). Then, post appropriately.
Whatever you do, don’t post the same thing on every social media account. You may still post the same information on each, but you should present it differently each time according to the audience you’re targeting.
Be the Story
The best part is that your brand story is better than any book or movie.
How so? It’s alive.
Books and scripts can’t deviate from the written word, but you can. Your story is real and happening right now.
Show your audience your brand is alive by giving it personality, a character, a human side. Post about your likes and interests. Incite positive discussion through which you can engage with your audience.
Talk about something new you learned. This can be a business insight or trivia about Adam West, as long as it’s interesting.
Share what’s going on in the life of your brand. Tell of events you’re participating in and campaigns you’re starting. Share interesting or funny behind the scenes stories.
Two Winning Strategies
When using actual stories in your posts, there are two ways to do it.
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Is it a good story that’s immediately enticing, like how you overcame second-generation alcoholism, turned your life around, and became a successful entrepreneur? Another example would be how a charity you started impacted a family.
Stories like this are best told in a long post. The post will cut the story short so people will want to click the “See More” button. It makes them hungry for more, prompts them to take action, and rewards their curiosity with a satisfying ending.
Hand-Feeding
The second way to accomplish this same effect is by hand-feeding your audience the story one sentence at a time. Here’s are some examples:
“Alone at the office today—I hear something meowing.”
“There’s a cat in my cubicle.”
“It has no tags—is it a stray?”
These cliffhangers create anticipation that keeps followers engaged.
Tell Your Brand Story on Social Media
Which would you prefer? Do you want your audience on the edge of their seat, shouting, “Encore!”, or do you want to be another nondescript ad campaign that everyone ignores?
(Hint: it’s not a trick question.) The choice is obvious, easy, and effective!
Follow these tips on how to tell your brand story and your audience will be begging for the sequel!
For more tips, here are The 7 Best Social Media Management Tools for Small Businesses.
