Written by Devin Partida
From family gatherings to public speeches, the power of a good story transcends the audience. Companies that want to connect to their customers on a personal level must develop a clear identity and share it frequently with them. Those who know a business’s values well are likelier to remain loyal and engage with social media posts. Brand storytelling should be one of the largest parts of content marketing for e-commerce startups for various reasons.
Know the User
The simple piece of advice to know customers well gets repeated quite frequently. However, it is crucial to understand the audience before choosing a style to tell the brand story. The better the marketing department understands who they’re speaking to, the more powerful the messaging will be.
Google looks at user intent and how well the content matches what the person searching intended. The better marketing writes to what the people want to know, the higher the content will rank in search engines.
Craft Stories That Stand Out
Retail e-commerce sales are about $6.3 trillion annually and hold 20.1% of the global retail market. Writing stories that stand out from the competition gives companies an edge because it shows why like-minded consumers should choose them over another brand.
Marketers should start by searching for the best keywords based on competition and relevance to their brand message. Once they’d narrowed the options to a few topics, they should look at the top-ranking articles for that phrase. Brands must pay attention to ways the current articles are alike and if any gaps need to be filled.
Striving to write something that hasn’t yet been covered allows the brand to show its expertise and make a mark as having unique content. The goal is to have users bookmark the site and use it as an ongoing resource.
Maintain Consistency Across Channels
Brand personality and story consistency are crucial to gaining a loyal following. Marketing professionals should start with authenticity and develop an easily recognizable brand voice.
Readers who encounter content on Facebook should recognize a similar post on the company’s blog when they read it. Leadership can outline the company persona in its style guide, ensuring that anyone who works on content maintains the same attitude, language and look.
Highlight Excellent Customer Experience
Stories should include testimonials and case studies about excellent customer experience to draw users in and create loyalty. Consumers must know the brand stands behind its product and service and puts them first.
Around 61% of people say they will go to a competitor after a single bad experience with a brand. Convince newcomers they should give the company a chance because current customers are pleased.
Share Their Story
Marketers should also tell the story that matters to their audiences. Instead of focusing on the company, its employees and new product lines constantly, consider what is helpful to the user. What types of content make a difference in their lives and solve their pain points? Sharing the right stories to tap into people’s needs goes back to knowing the audience and understanding their problems.
Develop a Strong Image
The brand image must tie into all content and interaction with others. Around 75% of people say they can recognize a brand by its logo. The more they see the logo and engage with it, the more likely they’ll remember a company when it’s time for them to buy the product it offers.
Add the logo to the profile image on social media so comments where managers engage with users showcase it. Ensure the logo is at the top of every blog post page. Add it to newsletters, mailing packages and invoices. The more people see the emblem, the more likely they’ll tie it to the startup and remember it well enough to share with others.
Resonate With Target Audiences
The better the topics and tone resonate with a brand’s target audience, the more likely people will purchase something and become loyal customers for life. E-commerce stores can gain the trust of users and drive sales through consistency. Fostering brand loyalty in a competitive field like online retail sales requires a unique outlook and determined effort to create engaging content.
About the Author
Devin Partida is the Editor-in-Chief of ReHack.com, and is especially interested in writing about business and BizTech. Devin’s work has been featured on Entrepreneur, Forbes and Nasdaq.
