As the head of a woman-owned business, you may find yourself facing various hurdles: navigating a male-dominated industry, wrestling with a fear of failure, or setting yourself apart in a saturated and competitive market. But if you can give yourself an effective platform, you have the potential to cultivate trust and build long-lasting relationships with your target audience.
Storytelling is a uniquely human experience. It allows us to make sense of the world around us, and to create purpose in places that desperately need it. Whether you’re in the early stages of launching your company or in desperate need of a brand refresh, it’s the perfect opportunity to craft a story that sparks innovation and drives action.
However, the thought of writing and sharing a compelling brand story can be daunting—especially as a woman-owned business establishing its own voice. How can you reach people who genuinely care about you and your mission? What narrative must you tell to disrupt the status quo of your industry, while also driving tangible growth for your business?
Your brand story takes audiences on a journey.
Simply put, your brand story provides a glimpse into your company’s history and the factors that continue to fuel your success. It demonstrates the passion that had compelled you to start your business in the first place, along with the vision that propels you forward.
Your brand story should follow a clear arc:
- Beginning: You noticed a recurring or time-consuming pattern or process that needed fixing. You were displeased with its impact on your industry, and you want to make a change.
- Middle: You pinpointed the problem and began to draw a roadmap to a potential solution. You may have faced a few roadblocks along the way, but you persevered and learned valuable lessons in the process.
- End: Through numerous trials, you finally discovered an answer that could benefit others and transform lives. You refined it until it became something you could proudly share with the world.
Take MarketSmiths’ mission, for example. Our website highlights a clear issue within the copywriting industry and its real world ramifications:
Culturally, our association with the written word is perhaps now more tenuous than ever. Wide-ranging disconnects have led to vast polarization, as hype, hyperbole, and fake news systematically deprive everyone of shared categories of meaning.
Then, it presents a remedy:
To inspire, brands must channel needed empathy and build bridges. In essence, they must return to the search for our common soul. This carves an unprecedented opportunity for enterprises to reacquaint their audiences with joy, hope, delight, and renewal. Rediscovered language — alive with connection — can stand in contrast to a monotone, joyless, and superficial cadence of corporate communication.
If the solution to soulless, dispirited writing is authentic human connection, MarketSmiths promises to deliver a powerful antidote through its copywriting services. (We also emphasize that we’re a woman-owned business making big strides in our field.)
Women-and minority-founded and led, MarketSmiths works on this directly by enabling companies to find and claim the human wavelength. In the hands of our copywriting and content agency, the products and services one normally takes for granted are brought to vivid life, as crisp engines of connection and collaboration.
Your brand story is just that: a story. It takes the reader on a fulfilling adventure, revealing how you came out the other side—and how you plan to help you overcome similar obstacles. It’s an effective method to reach and compel others, sparking just enough curiosity for them to see what you’re about.
An authentic personality enhances your brand.
Think about your favorite brands and what makes them stand out from the others. Aside from their offerings, it’s probably their distinct tone. Are they quietly confident and traditional, or unapologetically spunky and bold?
You can set your brand apart by incorporating a unique personality. Create a voice that differentiates you from your competitors while forging a real connection with your audience. People can detect insincerity from a mile away—but authenticity woven into the DNA of your brand story will draw them in.
Emotions are a strength, not a weakness.
Emotional storytelling grounds readers in their humanity, encouraging them to attach a wide range of emotions to your narrative: empathy, inspiration, excitement, or anticipation. Without emotion, your brand story can quickly lose momentum, becoming a disconnected jumble of words that fail to make an impact.
With that said, consider the emotions that you want to invoke in your audience. For instance, as a corporate woman-owned business, you may want to hit a chord with other women entrepreneurs and leaders. Color your brand story with relatable anecdotes and future aspirations and invite people to be an active part of your journey.
Bring it all together with your ultimate why.
Every company has its why, a collection of values, beliefs, and personal experiences that drive key decision-making. By placing that “why” at the core of your brand story, you can solidify a strong identity and demonstrate your passion for transforming your industry—and potentially others.
So, while you flesh out your why and incorporate it into your messaging, don’t be afraid to exude confidence. You know your product or service best, and if anyone can make a brand story come alive, it’s you.
As a team of seasoned copywriting experts, MarketSmiths can be your partner in capturing the soul of your brand. If you’re interested in breathing life into your story, get in touch.
