When you’re building a brand, it’s important to understand what your brand narrative is. Brand narrative, or your brand voice, is the story of your brand and it should be the north star of all your marketing initiatives. But how do we find this north star? And how can we use it to guide our marketing efforts in an authentic way? Below we’ve outlined five ways to establish your brand narrative and reflect that consistently across your business. 

Define your story.

Every company has a unique brand story. How you express that story through all mediums is your brand narrative. When you’re defining this story, you want to determine where your marketing needs (what you have to offer) meet your creative voice (how you tell that story) — or in other words, what you want to say about yourself and how you want others to perceive you. To find that, think about the following. What is your company’s mission? What value are you bringing to your customer’s life? It should also read like an authentic story and engage your audience in an inspiring way.

Know your audience.

As a brand, you should have a clear sense of your own narrative and tone. The best way to ensure that your brand remains consistent across all platforms, channels, mediums and touchpoints is to know who you are and what your audience needs. This can be done by using customer research, customer feedback and reviews, surveys or even data from other sources that relate to your product or service. As your brand narrative becomes more defined, you will be able to make decisions that are more in alignment with who you are and what you stand for. The more consistent you are with your brand narrative, the better you will be able to connect with your audience and build community.

Be authentic and consistent.

Your brand narrative should be consistent across all touchpoints (e.g., website copy, newsletters, emails, and social media). This consistency helps build trust with consumers because they can easily recognize your business when they see it elsewhere online or offline—which makes them feel more confident buying from there again in the future. However, being consistent doesn’t mean being the same old thing all the time—it means making sure that when someone interacts with your brand in any way they feel like they are talking to the same person. It also means being authentic: if it feels forced or inauthentic then people will pick up on this and trust will be broken immediately.

Don’t confuse brand narrative with content strategy.

The brand narrative is not to be confused with the content strategy. The brand narrative defines who you are as a brand and how you want to be perceived by your audience. It guides your content strategy. A content strategy is more tactical, focusing on how you will deliver this story over time through various channels—from websites to social media posts to emails.

Don’t be afraid of change.

If you started your company decades ago, you may be asking, how do I keep my brand story relevant as my audience changes. The answer is by taking an ingredient or two of your old story, and rehashing it into a tasty new dish. For example, when you founded your company, your audience might’ve been looking for the fastest and cheapest routes and that’s what you focused your marketing around. Today, safety and inclusion are top priorities. You can still take the core of your brand, a family-owned brand for 35 years that safely delivers your goods, on-time, from a diverse team of friendly drivers. This story is still authentic to your brand, but the slight pivot can help connect and resonate with your current audience. 

Your brand narrative should be a guiding light for all of your marketing efforts, empowering them with purpose and clarity. It’s not enough to have a good story; you need to tell it consistently across all mediums (social media profiles, website content, etc.). Remember, the more consistent your brand narrative is with your audience, the more they will trust and connect with you. It’s important to understand that your brand narrative is not just a marketing tool—it’s an extension of your company and your values. If you need help defining your brand narrative, reach out to KJ Media today.