“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin

I recently attended an event for small business, and one of the main points was about connecting with your target audience.  They encouraged us to ‘tell our story’ as that is what customers and potential customers want to hear.

Nowadays with everything being online, the majority of us miss a more personal connection to a business.  We prefer to know the history of a business we are working with, their values and who is leading their organisation.  As a recruiter, this story is imperative as we need to know the business we are selling to our candidates and at the level we recruit at, we need to know the drivers and aims of the business we are representing:  Why do they do what they do?  Where do they come from and where they are going?

Yes, we all have our ‘mission statement’ and list our ‘values’ but what really do we stand for?  What do we believe in?  Why are we in business and what drives our passion?

For me, Elite Executive was born out of the desire to change the perception of recruitment.  There are good and bad sides of recruitment and my goal was to be different, to stand out.  To provide a more personalised and focused service, second to none!  But how do I convey that to my target market?

If done correctly, a small business story has far reaching impact and offers excellent brand building benefits.  With hundreds of people out there vying for attention, you have to stand out, be unique and that’s where your story will make a difference.  We all love a good story much more than cold hard facts but how do you go about creating a truly impactful brand story?  Here are a few tips:

• Know your story (and tell it like a story complete with challenges and intrigue)

While you may know your story, do you know how to make it stand out?  It’s easy to state how your business was formed and what you do but that’s not really telling a story.  You need to tell people about what makes you unique, for example how you dealt with risk and what barriers have you overcome?  What lessons have you learnt?  This will help shape your brand and help people remember you better.

• Be succinct

It’s best to leave your audience wanting more, not wondering when you’ll stop talking.   Keep it succinct, simple and be honest; don’t ramble!  Show your true authentic self.  It’s helpful if your story is available across multiple channels where your target audience are:  social media, blogs, message platforms, etc.   A brief YouTube video of your story can be particularly effective.

• Evolve

The story doesn’t end there. As your business grows and evolves there are more chapters to be added to your story.  Not only will this keep refreshing the same story, but it will keep people updated as to what changes are happening with your service and product offerings.

Telling stories are a great way to make an emotional connection with your audience.  They will help people to associate with your brand and develop long term relationships with you.  This is the power of storytelling.

The End.

Eva Grabner
Managing Director
Elite Executive Pty Ltd