Customers don’t buy your results, they buy the story about the difference those results will make. So have amazing ideas, make great things but remember to tell unforgettable true stories.

1. Name and claim a new category.

2. Clearly articulate what you do, without being boring.

3. Give people a great back story that explains why you exist on your about page, bio, profiles and in marketing materials.

4. Back up the story by doing great work.

5. Concentrate on speaking to customers with a particular worldview.

6. Paint a picture of the world as it is.

7. Then show your audience the world as it could be.

8. Uncover the essence of a problem and tell the story about how you solve that.

9. Appeal to all the senses. Stories aren’t just written, spoken or directed.

10. Use a variety of media to convey your message, show and tell.

11. Have a singular purpose and make yourself known for that. This doesn’t mean getting stuck in a box. Missions can work across products and industries.

12. Consider what one person says to another to recommend your ‘thing’. Make it easy to share.

13. Speak to your customer’s heart not just their head.

14. Optimise your website for visitors who you care to return, not just traffic that’s passing through.

15. Tell people how and why you are different.

16. Avoid using jargon. Simple language works, write as you would speak.

17. Don’t smooth away all the rough edges, be human and authentic. Honesty travels further than perfection.

18. Be consistent. Everyone in your company must understand your mission and the story you want to tell.

19. Give your customers the opportunity to tell the story and feel a part of it too.

20. Don’t try to be the ‘next blank’. A flawed original is better than a perfect imitation.

Brand storytelling in action

The Virgin Brand Story ~ We hate being ripped off by big expensive airlines and [insert industry here]. More people must feel like us, there must be a better way. Let’s be the better way.

Apple’s Brand Story ~ Technology can be beautiful as well as functional. Everything single interaction with our product must make people fall in love with it.

Chris Guillebeau’s Brand Story ~ Ever thought there must be more to life than this? Don’t want to work for the man? Me neither! This is how I do it, come join me to see how you can too.

The Epipheo Brand Story ~ We don’t create animated videos. We create epiphanies using great animation.

If you want to see a great brand story in action, check out Epipheo’s story in this video.

Image by rytc.