Everyone, gather around. It’s storytime!
Being able to tell your story as a business owner is an important part of marketing your business.
It helps potential clients know where you came from, where you’re going, and how you can help them.
“If you own a small company, knowing how to tell your business story needs to be a crucial part of your operations. A brand story has a strategic purpose aimed towards drawing people in.” – Forbes
Today we’re going to be talking about three types of business stories:
- The Where It Started Story – aka the Origin Story
- The How It’s Going Story Story
- Where It’s Heading Story
In each section, we’ll cover tips on how to create your story and what to do with them once they’ve been created. Take a look.
The Where It Started Story – aka The Origin Story
The origin story of your business can go in a lot of different directions – and all of them might be successful. The business origin stories that are the MOST successful are the ones that explain the WHY behind the whole brand. What does the business stand for? What is the passion or reason behind this particular business?
How to Create Your Origin Story
Answer the following questions and try to get as specific as you can.
- Why did you start your business?
- Why was that important to you?
- What challenges were you facing prior to starting your business?
- What challenges did you face while starting your business?
- What did you want to achieve for others?
- What did you want to achieve for yourself?
- What do you want people to know about you?
- How does your product/service stand out?
Once you’ve answered those questions, then you can start editing and piece together a beginning, middle, and end. When crafting your final draft, make sure that your story isn’t a run-on sentence and take out any unnecessary information. We want the story to be clear, concise, poignant, and impactful. Less is definitely more in this case.
Also in your story, you can include who your business is here to serve.
Ask yourself, who is my ideal client?
Is your ideal client a busy mom looking for some kitchen life hacks and you have just the thing? Is your ideal client another ambitious business owner and you provide B2B services for them?
Whoever your ideal client is, talk directly to them. Explain to them why and how you understand them, how you support their needs, and how – because of your story – you have created something to help them.
Side Note: You might ask, “Well, what about the other people in the world? Aren’t I trying to sell to them?”
Well, that depends on how wide-scale your business is.
If your business is niched down, then your story should also be niched down. If your ideal client is a large range of people, then your story will probably reflect that as well.
Click here to our story and our why at Haven Collective for some inspo.
Where to Share Your Origin Story
Now that you have your story, what do you do with it?
- It can be formatted into a few paragraphs and explained on your About Page on your website.
- You can put it on a landing page or a sales page as a strategy to sell your service or product.
- You can split it up into multiple social media posts while adding some photos or graphics to accompany it.
- If you have email subscribers, creating a Welcome email sequence that tells a story about your business offers great engagement.
- Include it in any branding opportunities.
The How It’s Going Story
These are going to be stories to use on a pretty regular basis and offer a way to have continued engagement with ongoing or potential customers. It’s a way to show your community that “Hey, we’re still here doing great things! Check us out!” Or can even be used as a way to say, “Hey there, come back and see us!”
How It’s Going Stories can cover the following:
- Look what new products just came in
- Customer / Client success stories – (be sure to get approval from the said party)
- Introducing new team members
- Stories about individual products/services and why they are great
- Stories about how your products/services help other people
- Behind the scenes
- The list goes on – this is your chance to get really creative
Pro Tip: Have your phone handy at all times and create a setting that allows you to access your camera ASAP. While we mean this jokingly, there is some truth to this. Sometimes you just never know when fun moments will arise that need to be documented and shared.
Where to Share Your How’s It’s Going Story
The most popular way to use a How It’s Going Story is through social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. Whether it’s as posts, reels, videos, photos, or in your stories, regular, creative storytelling online is a powerful tool for customer engagement.
However, it’s also great to add them to your website, a sales landing page, and incorporate them into your email blasts and blogs.
The Where It’s Heading Story
These stories are necessary only when big changes are happening in your business.
It is a great way for your community to not only stay updated, but through the art of storytelling, you can explain to your people why the changes are happening.
Perhaps you have a change of heart about what matters to you, or inspiration to try something new, or you’ve outgrown your current space and need to upgrade, or you’re introducing a new offering you have been working towards.
Whatever reason is behind the new changes, giving your audience a story to help them connect with solidifies them following you along for the ride.
Where It’s Going Stories can cover the following:
- Changes in location or workspace
- We’re changing direction with our products or offerings
- We’re changing direction with our branding/mission statement
- New philanthropist directions or new ways you are giving back to the community
- Any other changes that are going on in your business
Where to Share Your Where It’s Heading Story
Similar to sharing your How It’s Going Story, the most popular way to use a Where It’s Heading Story is through social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. Whether it’s as posts, reels, videos, photos, or in your stories, regular, creative storytelling online is a powerful tool for customer engagement.
However, it’s also great to add them to your website, a sales landing page, and incorporate them into your email blasts and blog.
Looking to build your business through creative marketing?
Let Haven help.
Want to know another great way to tell your story as a business owner? Join a coworking space, like Haven Collective.
By joining a coworking space, you will have access to lots of resources that can help you develop your story and keep them coming. Whether it’s picking the brains of other business owners or connecting with a marketing professional, there are tons of opportunities to help you focus on this important aspect of your business.
At Haven, we have curated a diverse, supportive, and successful community of business owners, freelancers, and solopreneurs.
Through Monthly Signature Events, Peer Mastermind Groups, and flexible memberships, connecting with other like-minded people has never been easier at Haven Collective.
If you are looking to build your business AND increase customer engagement, click below to see if Haven Collective is the next step for you.