Brand Story Masterclass : Lesson 5 - Sharing your story
This episode is the final part of my special Brand Story Masterclass dedicated to getting your brand story written once and for all and giving you the confidence and know-how to get out there and tell it.
If you get your brand story straight, you'll have a whole heap of content ready to go. It's perfect for your website - a refreshing change to an About Me page. Check out Lucy and Yak for a great - and highly creative - example.
Your values also hold exciting content to show others what the experience of working with you or buying your products would look and feel like them. Bring this to live on your website or social media. Oatly is bloomin' brilliant at this.
But beyond just your website or social media bio, where else can you use your story?
Introducing yourself at a networking group. No more scrabbling around for the right words to say; your brand story drips effortlessly off your tongue.
Entering your brilliant self for an award or pitching yourself to journalists or investors? Your brand story makes for a much more interesting that'll catch their eye and make you more memorable.
Sharing real-life stories of when you went above and beyond to help someone. Or when you responded to a social, political or environmental issue that's part of your story that highlights your values.
Bringing your vision to life creatively by painting a picture with words of your future-inspired world.
Sharing your journey and how you ended up doing what you're doing now. Don't forget to include what you learned along the way (good and bad) and how this helps you now solve your customer's problems.
If you'd like more ideas, grab a copy of my workbook - How to tell Business Stories, which includes ten story templates you can customise and make your own.
Do you want to continue the conversation or get extra support with telling your story?
Find me:
On Instagram: @22storiesandme
On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hilarysalzman
Online: www.22-stories.com
The brilliant Suzi @story_publishing produces this podcast.
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4:12
Brand Story Masterclass : Lesson 4 - Your values
Ok, this is simple. We, as people, look to work with others or buy from brands that share the same values. If you don't talk about your values, how will we ever know what you stand for? It sounds like a lost opportunity to me…
As a brand, your values are the principles that guide you in everything you do. And, if you have people working for you or plan to bring them on board in the future, they also suggest what you expect from others.
Here are my top tips for thinking about your values.
Be true to yourself. Don't say what you think others want to or expect to hear.
Don't discuss a value, like sustainability or diversity, just because you see everyone else doing it. It will trip you up in the future.
Dig deeper beyond the obvious. Being honest, transparent, fun or working with integrity are all fine, but what do those words mean to you personally?
Think about how you can say what you mean with different, more creative words in line with your brand style. You can have fun with it too.
Don't forget to tell your audience what these values mean to do them. How do they impact the experience of working with you, and how do they 'add value' (excuse the pun) to their sense of right and wrong?
Do you want to continue the conversation or get extra support with telling your story?
Find me:
On Instagram: @22storiesandme
On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hilarysalzman
Online: www.22-stories.com
The brilliant Suzi @story_publishing produces this podcast.
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4:24
Brand Story Masterclass : Lesson 3 - Your mission
If your vision is where you'd like to get to one day, your mission is what you're going to do every day to achieve it.
It describes how you'll act on purpose to deliver your vision and - most importantly - imparts a whole heap of handy information to your audience to attract them to you in the first place and get them to hang around for longer too.
If you listened to my last episode, you're hopefully already figuring out your vision (if not, it's worth stopping and going back to).
So now it's time to get your mission statement sorted. And to make it super easy - which is what The Everyday Storyteller is all about, here's a simple framework for you:
Explain your product and service offering (make it short and sweet)
Identify the problem you're solving and for who
Connect how your offering solves the problem and the value of this back to your vision
Condense these three statements into one - making sure it's clear, concise and free of fluff.
For women with something to say, The Everyday Storyteller is a podcast about making your voice matter, one day at a time.
5 Star ratings and reviews help other women discover the show and learn how they can make sure their voice matters too. So please, don't forget to leave one.
Do you want to continue the conversation or get extra support with telling your story?
Find me:
On Instagram: @22storiesandme
On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hilarysalzman
Online: www.22-stories.com
The brilliant Suzi @story_publishing produces this podcast.
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4:32
Brand Story Masterclass : Lesson 2 - Your vision
If you want to feel confident, you know where you're heading and be motivated to keep going, even on a bad day.
Or if you want to feel fulfilled and understand why you get out of bed every day. If you wish to stop chasing every brand new sparkly thing that comes your way, then, my dear friends, it's time to figure out your vision.
In the last episode, we examined your purpose - why you do what you do. This time, we'll explore your vision with five questions you can ask yourself.
What are the hopes and dreams for your business?
What is the problem you're solving for the greater good, and what impact will this have on others?
Who or what are you aspiring to change with what you do? (If you've worked on your purpose already - think about the villain in your world or the people/things you're against - how do you impact/change them?)
How do you want your vision to make people feel? What do you hope it will make them do or think?
What motivates you to achieve your vision? What thoughts or beliefs will keep you going, even when times are hard?
For women with something to say, The Everyday Storyteller is a podcast about making your voice matter, one day at a time.
5 Star ratings and reviews help other women discover the show and learn how they can make sure their voice matters too. So please, don't forget to leave one.
Do you want to continue the conversation or get extra support with telling your story?
Find me:
On Instagram: @22storiesandme
On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hilarysalzman
Online: www.22-stories.com
The brilliant Suzi @story_publishing produces this podcast.
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3:44
Brand Story Masterclass: Lesson 1 - Your purpose
When outdoor clothing company Patagonia say, 'we're in business to save our home planet', wow, do they mean it. They epitomise what it means to be a purpose-led brand and demonstrate it relentlessly.
You may not be a multi-national brand (yet), but in the words of Patagonia's founder Yvon, when figuring out your purpose, "you have to start right from the beginning."
I share three questions to help you think about your purpose as part of your brand story.
How and why did you start your business? What was happening in your life? What problem did you need to solve? Did you have a deep-rooted belief in something which guided your path?
What do you stand for? Or maybe if it's easier, what do you stand against - who is the villain in your world?
What are you setting out to do? It can be as simple as bringing joy to others, enabling connection, inspiring new experiences, evoking pride and confidence (that's my one) or impacting society, whatever that might look like for you.
You can also read more about why we could all learn something from Patagonia's purpose here.
For women with something to say, The Everyday Storyteller is a podcast about making your voice matter, one day at a time.
5 Star ratings and reviews help other women discover the show and learn how they can make sure their voice matters too. So please, don't forget to leave one.
Do you want to continue the conversation or get extra support with telling your story?
Find me:
On Instagram: @22storiesandme
On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hilarysalzman
Online: www.22-stories.com
The brilliant Suzi @story_publishing produces this podcast.
For women with something to say, The Everyday Storyteller, hosted by Hilary Salzman, is a podcast about making your voice matter, one day at a time.
In each episode, I will share one thing you can do, write or think about to help you grow confident in your voice and create the daily habits and mindset you need to be your own everyday storyteller.
Together we'll break down the barriers that stop you from using our voice and telling your stories to achieve what you deserve in your lives, business, career and relationship.
Ireland