How to Market Your Startup Narrative for Sustainable Business Growth

How often do you as a start-up captivate your potential lead’s attention and convert them into a client? Let me guess three out of ten times maybe. But have you ever wondered why you could not resonate with them the other seven times even when your pitches were perfect on paper? I have an answer: your start-up might have failed to establish a personal connection with those customers.

After several years of running a start-up and existing in this dynamic market, I’ve learned that people don’t just buy your products and services, they are actually in search of stories that bring out the best personal connection resonating with their set of shared values. But as a budding startup, how does marketing through storytelling or building personal connections with your customers matter in the first place? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered we’ll uncover everything from why you are required to set up a narrative around marketing your startup to how you can effectively do so. Let’s get started!

Why Is Setting Up A Narrative Around Marketing Your Startup Important?

Imagine just sitting through a pitch or presentation where everybody just talks about facts, figures, numbers, and statistics. Sounds boring rather than being rhetoric, doesn’t it? But in the same scenario if I simply insert a layer of a story things would be so different.

Research conducted by the London School of Business found that information presented solely as statistics is retained at only 5% to 10% by the listeners. However, incorporating storytelling into the communication process can significantly enhance retention, with audiences remembering 65% to 70% of the information.

Wait this is not even the best part of setting up a narrative around marketing your startup there’s so much more to that, let’s discuss it one by one;

• Builds A Stronger Emotional Connection With The Audiences

Stories have the magic to transport the listener into a world of endless possibilities. When possibilities are numerous then your brand can easily build a strong emotional connection with the audience. You can easily persuade and impact the target audience by captivating their attention with effective storytelling. Thus, the more connected audiences will feel with your brand the more conversion rates you can expect.

Do you remember how effortlessly Starbucks built an emotional connection with its audiences worldwide by rewarding and acknowledging the efforts of its staff members on social media? That worked wonders for the brand trying to push the narrative that they “care” about their employees and started referring to them as their “partners” post the campaign.

• Acts Like A Differentiating Factor From The Competitors

When you associate your brand with compelling and thought-provoking stories your brand will automatically be considered far better than your competitors making it easier for your customers to differentiate.

Understand that in almost every business you’ll find competitors who are selling similar products/services then you have to project your marketing so well that your target audience reaches you rather than your competitors. And how do you do it? By associating your business/ brand with a story or narrative that resonates with your customers and brand value.

• Helps To Leave A Long-Term Impression

Weaving stories that resonate with your business and customers can significantly assist in leaving a lasting impression. This will increase the brand’s presence and loyalty amongst a greater number of potential customers and eventually bring in more customers.

Read Also: Start-Up Founders, Don’t Miss These Five Crucial Steps for Protecting Your Business

Ways To Go About Setting The Right Narrative For Your Start-Up

Craft A Story:

When you’re planning on creating an interesting narrative for your business, start by crafting a story in which you can play around with words and impact your audiences. Now, many people struggle to create a suitable story. Here’s a pro tip: if you’ve heard stories, you might have noticed a pattern. This pattern can be broken down into 5 easy steps;

1. There has to be a beginning of the story where you establish the main characters and the plot setting.
2. Then we have to introduce the problems, challenges, and struggles the characters are facing.
3. If the story doesn’t highlight the character development then it won’t be able to achieve the relatability factor.
4. When there’s a problem there has to be a solution. Thus, the next step is proposing the solutions.
5. Lastly, what everyone waits for is the overall impact and the winning glory of the character.

Understand Your Audience:

Then, put in effort to understand your audience. The better your understanding of your niche audiences the more impactful your strategy will be. Do you have any idea what will happen if you fail to know your audience, their interests, and preferences? Your marketing strategy to project yourself as a sustainable business will fall flat on your face and become irrelevant in no time.

Understand this concept with AirBnB’s example, which is a renowned company worldwide for its hotels and stay facilities. The company understood the preferences of their customers which were to feel belonged to the place they are currently visiting and hence they pushed the narrative for the same to become one of the most trusted companies for stays in the world.

Maximize The Potential Of Social Media:

Lastly, maximize the potential of social media platforms. This will help your brand story reach out to millions of people defying the boundaries of geographical locations. This is because social media platforms not only keep their users engaged but also and informed about the latest happenings.

Read Also: The Dual Nature of Social Media: A Platform for Growth or a Pitfall for Credibility?

Stay Cautious! These Mistakes Can Misfire Setting A Narrative For Your Brand

• Don’t Just Make It About Yourself:

Where most brand story’s misfire is when they solely focus on a one-man show and make it all about themselves. They also completely neglect the fact of how is the story going to be projected and perceived by the listeners. Try to focus on how and why will the audience be hooked to your stories and not their phone screens when they’re listening to your brand’s story.

• Don’t Overcomplicate The Story

Sometimes to incorporate every detail and nuance brands go overboard and stuff their stories with things that complicate the narrative. This doesn’t allow the listener/ potential customer to paint a picture of your brand in their minds as the things that are being told are either too reliant on the typical corporate language or on irrelevant details that don’t ease the work of the audiences much.

• Don’t Be Vague And Inconsistent:

When crafting a narrative for a brand, it’s important to keep the story consistent. As we’ve discussed, there is a universally accepted template for crafting a story that helps to keep it on track. So, remember that consistency is key to successfully marketing your narrative to the masses.

End Note:

Creating a narrative and marketing your brand through storytelling can be a powerful tool for establishing your brand’s image in the minds of your target audience. This approach can also contribute to the long-term sustainability and growth of your business. Thus, by using storytelling, you can connect with your potential customers on an emotional and intellectual level, which can lead to increased profitability.