Sarah Malcolm is the founder of Quiet Valor, an ad agency servicing companies within the tech, biotech and healthcare innovation space.
Inside every brand is a story waiting to be told. Some of the companies I’ve worked with think storytelling doesn’t apply to them, or it is just a marketing fad. However, after some digging, we find the most interesting stories that end up resonating with their audience in a new and authentic way.
Every business has a story, regardless of industry, size and work. How do you find those golden storytelling nuggets hiding inside your company?
1. Mine customer reviews.
Client feedback can be a treasure trove of story ideas. A small comment made to a front-facing service rep, an email or an online review could contain the thread that leads to a bigger story.
Not all customer feedback has storytelling opportunities. The key is to look for the reviews or feedback that mention how your product or service really improved things for them.
That hint of problem resolution signals there was a conflict, and we know conflict is essential for a good story.
If you’re not sure whether a review has storytelling potential, contact the customer. You don’t have to commit to using them for marketing. Call and thank them for their positive review and ask for more information. If the story is there, then ask for permission to use them and their story in your marketing. One-sentence customer feedback can turn into a case study, video testimonial or blog. Airbnb has a whole section dedicated to community stories told by its customers.
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2. Unlock your founding story.
Some companies have truly interesting foundation stories. A founding story is a series of evolutions that show how the company overcame a series of early challenges to create the company it is today.
Again, the best foundation stories have an obstacle that created a conflict or challenge to overcome.
Founding stories can be deeply personal, as with a nonprofit, in which case the story is best told by the founder(s). Companies with a long history often find their story is more of a journey where there are multiple characters.
For example, look to Warby Parker’s simply told, but empathetic, founding story. They acknowledge in the story how companies are founded to overcome problems. Another example is Ring, which failed to impress Shark Tank investors but was later acquired by Amazon for $1.2-$1.8 billion.
3. Understand what helps you deliver on tight deadlines.
Excellent stories have an element of tension, usually created by a conflict. Time — or the lack of it — is often a source of tension. If you work in a deadline-driven or fast-paced industry, a great story may be lurking inside your company.
Think about a time when the team almost didn’t make the deadline. There was a shared sense of urgency or extreme high stakes if the team failed to meet the deadline. The story lies in this tension and how the different pieces met the deadline or made that goal happen.
The vital element to sharing this kind of story so it resonates with the audience is in selling the deadline’s stakes. Leave them wondering if you’ll make the deadline, and they’ll be hooked.
4. Ask: ‘What is a challenge we are facing?’
Executives often believe the face their company presents should always be picture-perfect. The perfect company is a myth. People run companies. Not only are these individuals facing their personal challenges, but companies are constantly running experiments to see what works and what doesn’t work. It doesn’t matter if it’s an experiment with a workflow, marketing or a new service, there are internal challenges brands are always striving to overcome.
Consumers like transparency. Identify the challenges you are facing, whether it’s internally or within the industry. A story may lie in how your company is facing this adversity and addressing some of those personal challenges.
5. Answer: What is your reason for being a company?
The answer to this question often ties back to a conflict. Understanding why your brand exists in the first place and its mission can be a story. A great example is Bombas, the sock company with a campaign to donate socks to homeless shelters.
6. Have conversations with your people.
Your employees are overcoming challenges every single day, big and small. When asking your colleagues what they are working on, really listen. What is it they are experiencing? When you tune in and hear what they are tackling and why they are working on it, you may find a story gem.
Find stories for your brand.
Every brand has the potential to use storytelling to improve its brand awareness and marketing. Storytelling is how we engage our consumers in a dynamic and lasting way. It also humanizes the brand by revealing what our company has in common with our customers. Isn’t that the ultimate goal of marketing — to make connections with our clients?
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Author: Sarah Malcolm, Forbes Councils Member