More and more consumers buy from brands that tell a story about why they are in business — brands that have a clear message and invite people into a narrative.

With so many businesses offering similar services in similar price ranges, the differentiating factor is offering something no other brand can do — your company’s story. Depending on your business model a brand story can be a personal story of your experiences and how your business began, a mission-driven narrative, or even stories around particular products or services.

Storytelling allows a brand to talk and relate to its audience on an equal level — to speak the language of its people and to do so with an authenticity and realness in all shades of the Black voice.

When crafting your story, there are 4 questions a good story answers:

What problem does your business fix?

All businesses solve a problem. Tell your audience about an experience that inspired the business; the moment where you said: “Hey, this is something that I can fix”. What is it about this particular problem that meant something to you? Tie it directly to your life and your experiences. Why are you the person to fix this?

Who does the business represent?

Who is your customer? What do you think and feel? What are their desires? What drives them? Who does your brand create an exceptional experience for? You want to speak directly to your kinfolk so they can identify your product or service as their solution.

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What do you believe?

This is what sets you apart from everyone else on the planet that does what you do. When you tell people what you believe in terms of your values and your principles, you give them insight into who you are and then they can determine whether your values and principles match with theirs. This is how you create raving fans.

How do you create heroes?

What does success look like after someone comes in contact with your product or service? How does your product or service make people's lives better? How do you guide your target audience into becoming the hero in their lives once they have used your product or service? How does your brand fit into their lives? You have to give your customer the win so they can see how their lives are made better with your brand.

Black consumers are multi-faceted and savvy consumers. Storytelling gives you an edge. A good brand story attracts your customer. It makes marketing easier and it helps build a foundation of the brand experience.

The Black dollar is powerful and influential as Black consumers support brands that tell them a story about themselves, either reaffirming a belief, showing them who they are or confirming who they wish to be.

Build customer loyalty with storytelling, but shaping a narrative that allows the consumer to see themselves in your brand.

Reesy Floyd-Thompson

Writing since February 2019 · 1 story contributed