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You’ve likely been there. Wanting to share your story with your audience as a business owner and thinking:
“This isn’t interesting enough, it’ll probably bore people to tears”,
“Nobody will care about this.”
And sometimes even making it personal by saying things like, “I’m just not interesting enough.”
But here’s the thing: your brand story doesn’t need to be packed with extraordinary moments. It just needs to be real and connect with people.
Your brand story is meant to help people understand why you started your business, the challenges you’ve faced, and what keeps you going now.
Remember, it’s common to undervalue our own experiences or feel overshadowed by more dramatic narratives we come across. Yet, it’s the genuine, everyday experiences and the lessons we’ve learned along the way that often strike a chord with others.
So here’s what you need to know to start sharing your story in a way that connects authentically with your dream clients:
1. Let’s Start By Accepting That Your Story Won’t Resonate With Everyone
Think about this: how often do you find yourself quickly scrolling past a post or a story on Facebook or Instagram? It’s not that you have anything against the person posting it, it’s just not your cup of tea, right?
It’s the same with sharing your own story. Just like you skip past some posts, some people might scroll past yours – and that’s totally fine. It doesn’t mean you’re boring or your story isn’t good enough.
It just means that your story isn’t for everyone.
2. Tell Multiple Stories and Stick With What Resonates Most
Cause we are complex human beings, each of us will have multiple stories to share cause we each have multiple life experiences. Some stories originate in childhood, others originate in college, and others when you work a corporate job. Let’s take the example of Alex who is a life coach:
Let’s Start with Story 1: In childhood, Alex grew up shy, always feeling on the outskirts of conversations and struggling to find her voice. Her coaching brand could be built around helping others find their voice, a story many introverts would find empowering.
Story 2: In college, Alex felt like she didn’t quite fit in. As a result, her brand could focus on helping people who feel out of place to find their unique path, resonating with anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong.
Story 3: Later, in the corporate world, Alex often felt overlooked. Later she learned how to amplify her voice and ideas. Her brand story could inspire those feeling unheard in their careers to speak up and take up more space so they can be more visible and climb up the corporate ladder.
So her story could resonate with people who either self-identify as introverts or rebels or people in the corporate world struggling to make their voices heard.
So jot down at least 3-5 different stories that have deeply impacted you and share each story until you find one that your audience seems to resonate with the most.
And how do you know people resonate with it? By how they respond to it. If you were to compare your stories, which one would get the most engagement from your audience?
3. Lead with the part that will make people feel seen and understood
The best way to grab your audience’s attention when telling your story is by leading with the parts they’ll resonate with most.
Let’s take Alex’s life story (the life coach that I just mentioned), for example:
Suppose Alex decides to post a video or a reel. Instead of opening with something technical like, “Let me start by talking about advanced coaching methodologies and the psychology of behavioural change theories I studied,” she could opt for a more personal approach.
She could start by saying: “I know what it’s like to pour your heart into a vision, only to feel like you’re shouting into the void. I’ve been there, in an office, feeling like just another cog in the machine, my ideas constantly drowned out. But I realized, my voice had power, and so does yours.”
Notice what Alex did there? She began with a statement that directly speaks to her audience’s experiences, instantly pulling them into her story.
Here are more examples to illustrate this approach:
- For a Fitness Trainer: Instead of starting with, “Today I’ll talk about advanced cardio techniques,” a fitness trainer could say, “Remember feeling out of breath just climbing a flight of stairs? Which I personally can relate to.”
- For a Small Business Owner: Rather than beginning with, “I want to discuss effective small business strategies,” they might start with, “Running a small business can feel like a constant uphill battle. I know the late nights, the endless to-do lists…”
- For a Therapist: Instead of beginning with, “Today we’ll discuss cognitive behavioural therapy techniques,” a therapist might start with, “Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your thoughts, as if they’re controlling your life? I see this often in my practice.”
In each of these cases, the speaker connects with their audience by leading with relatable, human experiences. By finding those parts of your story that others can relate to, you create an immediate connection that draws your audience in.
4. Invite your audience into your story
It’s crucial to remember that storytelling isn’t a one-way street. When you share your story, it’s essential to link it back to your audience’s lives and experiences.
Take the example of Alex where she said, “I know what it’s like to pour your heart into a vision, only to feel like you’re shouting into the void. I’ve been there, in an office, feeling like just another cog in the machine, my ideas constantly drowned out. But I realized, my voice had power, and so does yours.”
She started by sharing her own experiences of feeling unheard and overlooked. But the real turning point was when she said, “But I realized, my voice had power, and so does yours.”
In this line, Alex transitions from her personal story (”But I realized, my voice had power”) to directly addressing her audience (”and so does yours”).
By doing this, Alex is effectively saying, “I’ve been in your shoes, and I’ve found a way through. Let me help you do the same.” It’s an invitation for her audience to engage with her story.
Remember, the goal is to make your audience feel like an active part of your narrative. You’re not just sharing a story; you’re in a sense, starting a conversation.
5. Be Patient and Keep Experimenting
Finding the right way to tell your story takes time. In the beginning, it might feel awkward or forced. That’s normal.
See it as an ongoing process. Try different approaches, pay attention to how your audience responds and don’t worry about getting it perfect right away.
Because perfection isn’t the goal – connection is.
So experiment, experiment, experiment, and try different things until you find the story that your audience will resonate with.
6. Don’t be afraid to repeat the heck out of your story
Some people tell their stories once every blue moon but you want people to remember your story. So don’t worry about sounding like a broken record. Each repetition reinforces your message, making it more memorable.
Let’s stick with Alex’s story as an example. She has a wealth of experiences that many can identify with, and she can spin these into different content.
Here’s a few pieces of content Alex could create based on her story:
- “Your Guide to Growing Confidence in Your Professional Life” – This could turn into a blog post or video where Alex shares her personal journey from being overlooked to finding her confidence and offering tips along the way.
- “Overlooked in the office? Let’s talk about taking up space without needing to be the loudest in the room.” – She could create an Instagram Live or LinkedIn article discussing strategies for making your presence felt at work, drawing from her own experiences.
- “Your ideas matter. Here’s how to make sure they’re heard.” – This could become a series of tweets or a Facebook post offering actionable advice for getting your ideas recognized
In each of these, Alex isn’t just repeating her story; she’s also adapting it to different formats and angles to continually engage and inspire her audience.
In a rush? Here’s a guide that you can go through to help you create your brand story.
Now you might be in a rush and don’t have time to go through each of these points, or you’d prefer a guide that walks you through all of this, so that’s exactly what I created for you.
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