Social media platforms have become a focal point for people to communicate with others. Simultaneously, businesses are using these platforms to reach new customers. As more brands are vying for the attention of social media users, it is becoming harder to stand out.

Being seen on social media requires a solid strategy and regular communication, among other factors. However, being seen is not enough. To harness the power of social media and stand out as a person or a business, you need to connect to your audience and be remembered.

Perhaps you believe you are already doing everything right on your chosen social media platforms. You follow expert guidance by posting regularly, using images, and selecting suitable hashtags. However, your audience barely engages with your content. Granted, some people like your posts, but few comment or share them. What is the problem?

The problem is simple: you are not sharing your brand story. Storytelling is as old as humanity. The earliest humans shared stories by drawing on the walls of caves, for example. Native American tribes have a strong tradition of oral narratives. And so it continues.

Storytelling is the key to a successful, high-performing social media presence. Sharing your brand story means you do more than talk about products or services. Rather than selling, you are building connections between your brand and your audience by telling your brand story.

Effective brand storytelling can take many different forms, and there are some traits that memorable stories have in common. No matter how your story unfolds, make sure to customise it to your audience, use a variety of formats, and allow different voices to be heard.

 

I _ Understand your audience

Picture this: you are sharing your adventures of the past weekend. As it happens, that weekend included sky diving, a steak dinner followed by a somewhat messy pub crawl, and a bit of clubbing with university friends. Would you tell your parents the same story as your best friend? Of course not!

Successful storytellers understand their audience and craft stories with them in mind. Most brands have a clearly defined target audience; however, it is worth fleshing out the demographics into a full-fledged person to create powerful social media stories. Think beyond factors like age and disposable income and consider the emotional side of that person.

Your audience or customers amount to more than a handful of demographics could ever express. What would make them stop and pay attention? Why are they interested in your brand, and how can your brand meet their needs?

Whenever you are creating content, you imagine sharing it with them. Just like telling your best friend about your weekend, you are simply telling them your story. With that person in your mind, brand storytelling becomes easier. This approach breaks down barriers and builds true connections that run deeper than product or service information ever could.

 

II _ Allow different voices to be heard

Social media storytelling is an excellent way to connect your team to your audience. Giving several team members a voice on your platforms creates a stronger connection between your audience and your brand. Your brand is no longer faceless.

If your audience is diverse and it is tricky to define just one persona, consider defining several personas. You can then use different team members within your organisation to connect to other parts of your audience.

Choosing the most powerful voices does not need to be complicated. You will likely already know the individuals you think would elicit the strongest emotional reaction from your audience. Let them tell your brand story on your social media platforms and watch your engagement rise.

 

III _ Use a variety of formats

Social media platforms allow you to share your brand story in many different ways. Text, images, GIFs, and videos all have their place on your social media feed.

They all contribute to telling your brand story in a multi-faceted manner. Plus, they allow you to reach different parts of your audience. But does that work with creating content for a specific persona? Absolutely.

Assuming you have fleshed out the persona to whom you are telling your story, now imagine their daily routine. They have days when they have time to read an entire blog post. On other days, a stunning image catches their attention and encourages a reaction. Or perhaps they have already read a blog post covering a topic but need to see a video with a practical demonstration.

As a rule, still and moving images grab people’s attention. That does not mean you cannot share a simple, text-based tweet or Facebook post. But in many cases, an illustrated post connects more closely and performs better.

Many brands find that their audience enjoys two or three different types of brand storytelling. Deciding which format works best to share your brand story will involve experimentation. Pay attention to which format performs best for you and select that format as your main storytelling vehicle.

Storytelling has the power to transform the performance of your social media content. No matter the nature of your brand, products, and services, any business can benefit from putting stories at the heart of its social media posts.

Social media was created to foster connections between individuals and customers to businesses. Stories have been told for centuries to build the same connections. They have helped humans connect to others, their future and their past.

Today, social media storytelling can help you share your brand story with a broader audience. Understanding your audience, utilising different formats, and allowing different voices to share your story will enable you to create strong, long-lasting connections. Sales will follow suit.