If I’m a storyteller does that mean I just make things up? And if so, does that make me a liar?

Three years ago, my intro headline in my LinkedIn profile read: “I create stories.” Recently, I completely changed it because literally EVERYONE in marketing is claiming the title of storyteller. It’s the new keyword for the modern marketing employee. When I introduce myself as an expert at differentiation, I can’t credibly make that claim and then use a buzzword that every other marketer is currently touting! Do you have the goods to back up your claim?

If you work in brand marketing then I hope you do tell stories – it’s literally your job to craft the story around your brand. This is not a new idea. What is new are the channels through which the marketer can communicate these stories. If you don’t have a branding background, this article might provide a new perspective on today’s favorite buzzword: storytelling.

Stories are a brand’s emotional touchpoint

Brand marketing and agencies have been crafting stories for decades. These narratives serve a purpose – they connect a brand to its target audience, evoking the necessary emotion required to create a lasting connection. They bring the :30 ad to life regardless of where it is viewed: online, via DVR, live TV or in an airport. Stories are sticky and provide instant connection to a brand’s benefit, raison d’etre and lasting value. Crafting a story, verbally and visually, has always been a foundational element of branding. Consider what comes to mind when you think of:

· “Milk’s favorite cookie”

· Mr. Whipple squeezing the Charmin – now evolved to Charmin and the bear family

· Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Jobs’ parents’ garage – evolving into Apple’s continuous innovation story

· Disney, the ultimate storyteller, has parlayed their tales into a universe of consumer connection points

How to think about storytelling

For B2B brands, some of the best stories to use in marketing center around problem solving attributes, sharing customer success stories and business impact. #Ecolab and their acquisition of #NalcoWater not only helps them shift the organization’s long term focus, it also delivers the story of how a chemical company is evolving into an ecologically conscious, forward thinking, preserver of the planet.

For B2C brands, allowing target consumers to imagine themselves as part of the story - the star of the commercial - makes for great storytelling. The bank’s president knows me by name, #SpireCreditUnion. Or, instant sex appeal even if you are a self-described nerd, #OldSpice. Or a smart, thrifty customer of #Harrys who appreciates convenience.

It’s amazing to me how many organizations don’t do this, they simply pick up the accepted industry jargon and apply it to their own messages. This lack of insight into their brands translates into lost sales. Marketing provides reasons to buy and should answer the “why” in the customer’s mind. Today, a list of product features is no longer sufficient – brands must answer the “why” for their customers.

How to craft your own compelling story or pressure test your current story

Creating a story takes effort, and I don’t just mean creativity. The best stories are rooted in history and fact. Up front, there’s a good deal of detective work that starts with in-depth research across various constituencies (customers, salespeople, competition, suppliers). Taking a hard look at the brand’s milestones and studying forecasted trends that might impact the customer are important steps. All these data points are then fed into the brand marketer’s brain to analyze and interpret.

Analysis delves intowhat’s really distinctive about the brand: Comparisons with the competition, revisiting conversations with customers both pro and con, meeting with those along the supply chain and listening, all help to shape this framework. From these interactions come the seeds of a great story.

Where is the emotional tug? This is where the creativity needs to spark. Your brand’s emotional link may not be a tear-jerker, it may instead be a moment of innovation that saves consumers time delivering satisfaction, or a dedicated focus on sending 10% of pre-tax profits to a global charity. This work is the fun part of storytelling, don’t overlook it. It’s not easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it well.

You have the story, now tell it and stick with it

B2B organizations can effectively communicate online, but the sales force is your true front line to communicating with your customer. Train them. Get them comfortable with the story – they have to believe it to sell it. If you did your prework correctly, you’ve already talked to them during the data gathering phase and kept them in the loop as you refined the message along the way. Now is the time to build evangelism across your sales force. It goes without saying that all of your public relations efforts and marketing materials should also reflect this story. Going to a trade show? All pre-conference marketing efforts and in-show activity should be built around this story.

B2C organizations already know how to advertise and reach consumers. Ensure that all messaging consistently builds off the story you now want to tell. Inconsistency is the enemy of branding so don’t undermine all your hard work. Advertising must be reviewed and updated, from paid search to display to your website. Consider traditional channels like print and public relations to enhance your digital effort where it makes sense. Do you have an agency to support your social media marketing or do you keep that in-house? If it’s in-house and not living next to your brand managers, you should consider training those folks just like you train your salespeople. Social channels lend themselves to storytelling and are here to stay – get your story out there.

Whether working in B2B or B2C channels, resist the temptation to change your story simply because you are bored with it. The story is an extension of the brand. Over time it can shift and grow, but its essence remains the same. Otherwise, that storytelling is not truth and your customers will never buy into it.

Branding is fun, and with a strong foundation stories emerge. By no means have I described every option available to the brand marketer in shaping the story. But I hope that I’ve sparked interest and ideas in either revisiting how you talk about your brands, or in how to start formulating that story. Want to talk more about this? Send me some feedback or ask a question. I’m happy to respond.