Every brand has an origin story for how they got started, and your potential customers want to hear it. Today’s consumers have plenty of options in nearly every product and service category, so trying to stand out by your selection or pricing is difficult to manage. However, your unique story gives you a way to form an emotional connection that’s excellent for developing a loyal customer base. Here’s how to tell your brand story.

How to Tell Your Brand Story

The major thing to keep in mind when you tell your story is to be authentic. The Millennial buyer market, in particular, overwhelmingly wants to see authenticity out of the brands they do business with. A full 90 percent look for this characteristic. Gen X and Boomers aren’t far behind, however, at 85 percent and 80 percent respectively.

Consider your ideal customer. You’re writing this story to appeal to them, so have an extensive profile available containing their demographics, life stage, typical career, interests, likes and dislikes and other identifying details. This information guides what you include in the brand story and what elements should remain unshared.

Brand heroes can play an important role in the storytelling process. This person becomes the public face of your company, which allows potential customers to feel a human-to-human connection. Brand heroes may not work well for all markets, however, so pay attention to what your competitors are doing and determine whether this technique is relevant to your goals.

Examples of Excellent Brand Stories

Some companies go above and beyond with their brand stories. Here are a few that are excellent at tying their storytelling to their products, services and marketing messaging.

Tortuga

Tortuga is a travel backpack company that got its start due to the founders being disgruntled with the lack of suitable backpacks on the market. They wanted a product that was appropriate for traveling through European cities, so they decided to make it themselves. Their mission is “Our mission is to help you live, work and travel on your terms” and they accomplish this through a best-in-class line of travel products and extensive resources for their target market.

Airbnb

Airbnb started when the founders rented out air mattresses on their apartment floor to attendees from a local tech conference. The idea took off from there, and the brand story is front and center in the company’s name. They act as a marketplace to connect people looking for lodging to those offering it, and the brand’s story is conveyed the same way. Airbnb spends a lot of resources in promoting the tales from travelers and hosts using the platform, rather than talking themselves up.

Your competitors may be identical to you with their products, prices and services, but your brand story is your own. Seek out opportunities to work your origin story into your marketing messages and in the way you engage with your potential customers. The right approach for you is as unique as your story, and the buyers it brings in makes it well worth the effort.