Hey you!

I have to ‘fess up. I was going to make my subject line Brand Storytelling for SMB’s but I was afraid you wouldn’t open it. But a lot of people have the wrong idea about SMBs.

Did you know that your business could generate more than $999,999,999 and still be considered a medium sized business! 🤯That’s mind blowing, isn’t it?

OK, here’s the question: Is Brand Storytelling a good strategy for SMBs?

And isn’t “SMB” kind of a crappy term to begin with?

Before we jump in let's get some misconceptions about SMBs out of the way. The reality is this: In the US, SMBs . . .

• make up 99% of all businesses in the US,
• contribute around 80% of all jobs in the US,
• and generate more than half of US GDP

Source: Investopedia

So if you have fewer than 1000 employees (a classic SMB), congratulations! You’re in good company.

Now the reality check, being in the 99% means you’ve got a lot of competition. So how do you differentiate yourself? Brand storytelling is the way, my friend.

So let’s explore what brand storytelling is, why it’s so effective for SMBs, and how to develop a brand storytelling strategy that resonates with your target audience and brings your customers closer than any big biz ever could.

Take that, enterprise biz!! 🥊

What is Brand Storytelling?

Have you ever felt drawn to a brand and wondered why? Chances are, that brand has mastered the art of brand storytelling.

In simple terms, brand storytelling is when a company or organization tells a story about how their brand fits into the customer’s life. By weaving together elements of your brand – such as your history, values, and culture – along with an insanely deep understanding of your customer’s journey, you create a cohesive and compelling narrative that pushes their emotional buttons (in a good way).

Brand storytelling is also a powerful way to build a resilient brand – one that can weather the ups and downs. A brand with a great story is more likely to enjoy a halo effect even when budgets get tight.

But a lot of us SMBs get the wrong idea about brand storytelling. It’s not surprising. The mistake is right there in the term. Brand + Storytelling = tell the story of the brand. Right?

Wrong.

Brand storytelling is really all about how your brand fits into the customer’s story. We need to change the paradigm from a simple equation to something more like a recipe.

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I’m not sure how far I can take this metaphor, but the idea is that great brand storytelling is really all about the customer’s story — the customer is the hero. Your product or service is merely the vehicle that enhances the customer’s journey and helps them along. And storytelling takes time.

The reason brand storytelling is so effective is that it helps prospects understand how your product or service will complement the journey that they are on.

And here's the best part. Brand storytelling isn't just for big companies! Small and medium-sized businesses (i.e. most of us!) can use brand storytelling to stand out from the competition and capture the attention of potential buyers without relying on the logical appeal of our product or service attributes alone.

Brand storytelling works well for businesses of all sizes because companies with strategically crafted stories tend to be seen as more unique, enabling them to stand out from the competition regardless of how big or small they are.

It’s especially effective for SMBs because it allows you to differentiate your brand from larger, more established competitors. By telling a unique and engaging story about how your smaller size enables you to be more personal and nimble, your SMB can capture the attention and loyalty of customers who are looking for something different than what the big players offer while creating a sense of community and belonging that is often lacking in larger, more impersonal businesses.

Embrace your size friends!! You have the potential to transform your business into more than just a company. You can transform it into a friend, an ally, and something special that customers can connect with.

I wrote an in-depth article about this that you can access over on our Insights Page. But in the meantime, here’s a simple framework to think through the bigger pieces of the process.

1. Clarify your brand’s identity: Clarify your brand’s values, mission, and purpose. Go deep. Your purpose is in there – you’ll know you’ve found it when it fires everyone in your company up and makes them glad they work there.
2. Narrow your target audience: Understand who your customers are and what they value. But avoid generic demographic groupings. No one says “I’m 25-54!!”.  But they might say “I want to retire in the next 3-5 years.” Where does your product or service fit into their story?
3. Craft your narrative: Develop a compelling story that aligns with your brand’s identity and also resonates with your target audience. You’ll know you’re onto something when you can crunch it down to an ‘elevator’ speech that gets an instant, “Tell me more.”
4. Choose your channels: Decide which channels and touchpoints are most effective for reaching your audience, such as social media, blogs, or videos. Where are your peeps? What are they doing when they are there?

I hope it helps, and that you don’t shy away from crafting your brand storytelling strategy because you think it will break the bank. If I can help, you know what to do. Just hit reply.

Three that have my brain buzzing this week:

• Unlocking the subconscious to build consumer trust (podcast)
• How to use your Enneagram to plan your work (I’m a 3, with a dash of 8) (podcast)
• FocusMate app to eat the frog (book a session to work with someone online to hold yourself accountable)

Thanks for reading to the end! Happy weekend.

Ginger