Business Storytelling

If you think about your favorite service or product there's a good chance that you first encountered it because of a story. It could have been the story of the product's founder or a customer's testimonial. It could have been an advertisement or social media post that told a story. Maybe you saw something on local or national news that inspired you to purchase a product or service.  

The point is, we are all connected to people, products, and services BECAUSE of stories. Stories are what we remember best and so telling a good story, even if it’s short, creates a better experience for people who are hearing you talk about what you are doing and why you’re doing it. 

As entrepreneurs, you have the chance to tell your business story all the time. You tell a story not just when you are talking to investors, but also when you are recruiting employees, motivating your staff, and selling to a potential customer. You even tell your story when you are asked about what you do by a friend or relative, or someone you don’t know.

Think about your business in the context of the issues we discuss and the questions that are raised throughout this session. At the end you can include them in our storytelling framework to get started on your business story.

What is Business Storytelling?

Business storytelling is the art of using narrative techniques (like character development, dialogue, and description) to communicate a business’s values, mission, and vision in a way that resonates, or makes an impression, with stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, and investors.

Unlike traditional marketing, which often focuses on features and benefits, storytelling engages emotions and creates connection, making the message more memorable and impactful.

Types of Business Stories

Here are a few common types of stories businesses might use for various purposes.

Brand Story: A brand story explains the essence of your business—who you are, what you stand for, and why you exist. It’s a story that communicates your brand’s mission, vision, and values.

Example: A well-known health supplement business might tell the story of how it was founded on the belief that everyone is an athlete, that everyone deserves to have access to the same nutrition as elite athletes, and that their product makes this possible. The story explains their core values and mission in a way that is inspiring to potential customers or investors. 

Founder/Business Owner Story: This is a story that gets personal, since this is the story about you, the entrepreneur! A founder story highlights the journey of the person/people who started the business, focusing on the challenges faced, the inspiration behind the business, and lessons learned along the way. It humanizes the brand and makes it more relatable.

Example: The founder of a food business might share the story of how their cherished recipe was developed by their great-great-great grandmother, passed down from generations, and across the world to bring a new and joyful culinary experience to the market.

Customer Story: A customer story showcases how your product or service has made a positive impact on a customer’s life or business. These stories often include testimonials and case studies that highlight real-world results.

Example: A personal training client might share a story of how working with their trainer not only helped them get stronger and in better health but also helped them build confidence to participate in new activities with friends and families. The story of transformation could reach a new customer who identifies with this customer’s story.

Explainer Story: An explainer story simplifies complex concepts or processes about your business so that your customers can easily navigate your product or service. It’s designed to educate and inform your audience in an engaging way, often answering common questions or addressing pain points.

Example: A financial advising firm might create an explainer video that tells the story of how their investment strategy works, making it easy for potential clients to understand the benefits.

These are a few examples of common business story types. Though there are many other examples of business storytelling, these can help you start to brainstorm the kind of stories you might want to tell about your business.

Storytelling and Business Outcomes

The impact of storytelling on business outcomes is twofold. First, stories engage customers, and they build connection through emotions. Second, engaged audiences who feel connected are more likely to take action, whether that’s sharing your content, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter.

Example: Coca-Cola frequently employs storytelling to evoke feelings of happiness, friendship, and connection. One of their famous campaigns, "Share a Coke," involved personalizing Coke bottles with popular names, encouraging consumers to find bottles with their names or the names of friends and family. This campaign was accompanied by advertisements showcasing joyful moments of people sharing a Coke together.

By tapping into personal connections and shared experiences, Coca-Cola created an emotional appeal that resonated with consumers. The campaign led to a significant increase in sales and social media engagement, as customers began sharing photos of their personalized bottles and their stories. This storytelling strategy effectively strengthened Coca-Cola's brand presence and fostered a sense of community among consumers.

The type of business story you choose to create for your business may also differ depending on your particular objective for that story. You may have more than one story if you have multiple objectives. 

For example, you might create a customer story to encourage more customers to try your product or service and share their own story as part of your fall marketing plan. You might also create a founder story to engage new investors or partners for your spring fundraiser.

Storytelling for Your Business

As you begin to consider how to best utilize stories for your business, think about a business you admire. Identify which type of story or combination of stories (brand, founder, customer, or explainer) is most compelling for that business. Why is that story meaningful to you? Now think about your business. What type of story would you like to create for your business and what outcomes do you hope to achieve?

Identifying Your Target Audience

Now that you’ve learned about types of stories, it’s important to think about your intended audience. Hint: YOU are not your audience!

Your story’s effectiveness largely depends on how well it resonates with your audience. That starts with understanding their needs, challenges, and motivations. Once you identify those three characteristics you can begin to craft a story that resonates.

For example, if your business targets young parents, you might focus on highlighting the fact that your product is innovative and saves time. However, if your audience is older adults, you might focus on ease-of-use and reliability. Both are characteristics that are helpful in a product, yet they resonate differently with specific audiences.  

Let’s get specific and ask the following questions: 

What are the demographics (age, gender, location, etc.) of your target audience? 

• Understanding these basic demographic factors helps in crafting a story that appeals to specific groups. For instance, a story that resonates with Gen Z (born 1997 - 2013) may not work as well for Baby Boomers (born 1946 - 1964).

What are your audience’s psychographics (interests, values, lifestyle, etc.)?

• This is about going a little bit deeper. Your audience’s psychographics allow you to align your story with their beliefs and preferences. For example, a brand that promotes sustainability will want to focus on audiences that value environmental responsibility.

What is your audience’s behavioral segmentation (buying behavior, brand loyalty, etc.)?

• Analyzing how your audience interacts with your brand—whether they are first-time buyers, loyal customers, or lapsed users—can inform how you structure your narrative.

Example: A fitness gym that is trying to attract members might segment its audience into categories such as beginners, fitness enthusiasts, and professional athletes, tailoring stories to each group’s level of experience and goals.

MOBI’s Marketing session includes more information about market research and identifying and learning about your target audience.

Now that you’ve learned about the types of stories and how to identify your target audience, it’s time to define the pieces of the story that will help make it complete; and ultimately call people to act (purchase, hire you, donate, etc). This is also known as a “Call to Action.”

It’s a good idea to begin by creating a story outline and framework. Just like other stories, your story will include main characters, a conflict, and most importantly, an emotional connection that feels authentic to your audience. It’s also important to keep your story simple and straightforward. Don’t overcomplicate your story or you risk losing your audience.

The pieces of your story might include the following elements: Hook, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Conclusion. Below we describe each of these elements and provide an example.

The Story Framework in Business Storytelling

Almost every story starts and ends with a person. That’s how we connect the dots to our audience. So from the beginning of this brainstorm, think about the main character of your story. Who is it? What is unique about them? How do they resonate with your audiences?

Here’s an example of how you might use a framework to tell a customer story about your handmade jewelry business: 

Hook or Open: Introduce your jewelry business by emphasizing the personal and emotional connection people have to jewelry, inspired by a family heirloom, special moments, or a love of fashion.

Rising Action: Discuss the common challenge potential customers face in finding jewelry that feels personal and unique, highlighting your one-of-a-kind philosophy and pieces.

Climax: Present the business, Your Own Jewelry, as the solution where each handcrafted piece reflects the customer’s individuality, with custom designs like birthstone bracelets or nature-inspired earrings.

Falling Action: Illustrate the positive impact of the jewelry through a customer story or testimonial, where a piece crafted with personal significance brought joy and created a cherished memory.

Conclusion: Wrap up by reinforcing the idea that jewelry is not just an accessory but a personal statement, inviting the audience to engage with your business to create or discover jewelry that truly represents its wearer.

Authenticity and Emotional Connection

Authenticity is one of the most important elements of business storytelling. You want to make sure that the story connects to your audience’s emotions and has an authentic throughline, or central theme running throughout the narrative. 

In an era where information is at our fingertips and we are constantly being flooded with noise, consumers are increasingly becoming more skeptical of traditional advertising. This is why authenticity is more important than ever. An authentic story is one that is truthful, transparent, and reflective of your brand’s core values.

Authentic stories not only build trust with your audience, but they also show that your brand is genuine and cares about more than just making a profit.

Stories that evoke emotions are both memorable and impactful. They can create a deeper connection and that connection drives loyalty, word of mouth, and engagement. In essence, your audience can become a megaphone for your brand. 

Here are a few ways to build authentic and emotional connection: 

• Relatability: Create stories that allow your audience to see themselves in them. The more they relate to the characters or situation, the more likely they are to feel connected.
• Vulnerability: Don’t be afraid to show vulnerability in your stories. Sharing struggles, challenges, and sometimes imperfect moments can make your brand more relatable and human.
• Inspiration: Stories that inspire can leave a lasting impression. Highlighting stories of triumph, innovation, positive change, and collective impact can motivate your audience to take action. This is a key to telling your story!

Defining Your Messages and Purpose

Before crafting your story, it’s really important to identify your key messages and the purpose. 

What Are Your Key Messages?

Identifying your key messages will help ensure that all your story elements support your key ideas and goals. It’s a good idea to have three to five key messages for any activity. You might have one key message that’s about your business or your brand, a message that is consistent for any activities you do. Then you might have another key message that’s about your vision, or your mission. Then you might have a few key messages about the particular subject matter of this story. 

For example, if Nike were creating a story to promote a new pickleball shoe, there would be a key message about Nike the brand, a key message about how Nike inspires action with its “Just Do It’ campaign, and then there might be key messages about the rise in pickleball popularity, a key message about the ways this new shoe supports the particular movements pickleball requires, and a key message about comfort or design.

What Is Your Story’s Purpose?

Are you creating your pitch, a concise story for potential investors, clients, partners, or employees about your business idea, its value proposition, and the benefits of investing or collaborating? Are you building your presence, either online or through other marketing channels? Are you supporting promotional activities, such as an advertising campaign or media opportunities through public relations? The story you create will depend on its purpose.

Defining the purpose will also help you define a theme. The theme is the foundation of your story. It should include the core message you want to convey. For example a theme could be “innovation,”  “community,” or  “sustainability.”

Your Pitch

When you tell people about your business it can be very helpful to have a pitch ready to go. People often talk about two kinds of pitches, an elevator pitch and a business pitch.

An elevator pitch and a business pitch serve similar purposes, but they differ in length, depth, and context. Here’s how they compare:

Elevator Pitch: An elevator pitch is typically very brief, usually lasting about 30 seconds to one minute. The idea is to convey your message quickly and succinctly, as if you were in an elevator with someone and had only a short time to make an impression.

• Focus: It focuses on the core idea of your business, your unique value proposition, and a quick overview of what you do. It aims to spark interest and prompt further conversation.
• Context: Used in informal settings, networking events, or initial meetings where you have limited time to capture someone's attention.

Business Pitch: A business pitch is usually more detailed and can last several minutes to even half an hour or more, depending on the audience and purpose. It allows for a comprehensive explanation of the business idea.

• Focus: It covers multiple elements, including business concept, target market, financial overview, operational plan, and future goals. It’s designed to provide a thorough understanding of the business and can be used to attract investors, partners, or customers. The business pitch is often the formal presentation of a business plan.
• Context: Often presented in formal settings, such as meetings with potential investors, at pitch competitions, or during business presentations.

While both pitches aim to communicate the essence of a business, an elevator pitch is a quick, attention-grabbing summary meant for initial interactions, while a business pitch provides a deeper exploration of the business model and strategy for more engaged audiences.

Either pitch could be a good match for a founder story, a customer story, or an explainer story. 

Your Presence

As you pursue marketing efforts, whether traditional (logo, signage, uniforms, business cards, etc.) or digital (website, social media, review sites, etc.), you will be building your business presence and your brand.

When it comes to building your presence, you want to be sure your stories all relate to your business’s mission and values. In this way your stories are cohesive, they all fit together. Since you will be building your presence across many different channels and platforms, you can choose a variety of story types depending on how and where you will distribute them. Founder, brand, customer, and explainer stories can all contribute to your market presence. For example, you may use a founder or brand story for your website; a customer story for your social media activities or in a Success Stories section of your website; and an explainer story in blog posts, case studies, brochures, or white papers. (White papers are reports that provide an explanation of a product, solution, technology, or process.)

Your Promotion

While there is overlap between your presence and your promotion, you can think of promotion as the proactive advertising, media-focused (public relations or PR), and social media activities you create and distribute. Again, several story types work for these activities. For example, customer stories can be very powerful for advertising campaigns and media relations activities because they bring “proof points” and credibility to your product or solution. Brand and founder stories are also very common in promotional activities. Explainer stories can work well for contributed articles, blogs, case studies, or media interviews. You might create a newsletter that features a variety of story types in every issue!

As you can see there is a lot of overlap when it comes to the type of story and the purpose. When you develop your stories, ensure each one is designed for its particular purpose and audience.

The Power of Visual Storytelling

Oftentimes the best way to share your story is through visual storytelling. Whether through photos, videos, or graphics, your audience can begin to associate your story with your brand. Not only that, but visuals can enhance your narrative, making it more engaging and memorable. 

Visuals are a powerful tool for enhancing your story. They evoke emotions, clarify complex ideas, and make your story more engaging. People are more likely to remember information presented visually than through text alone. Here are some of the ways you can visually tell your story: 

Video: Videos can bring your story to life, allowing you to showcase your brand in action. This could include product demonstrations, customer testimonials, or behind-the-scenes footage. Incorporating music, sound effects, and voiceover can also help enhance your video. 

Images: High-quality images reinforce your story’s message and make it more relatable. Use images that reflect your brand’s identity and the emotions you want to evoke.

Design Elements: Design elements like color schemes, typography, and layouts can enhance the overall aesthetic of your story, making it more appealing and easier to follow.

Best Practices for Using Video

Keep it Concise: Attention spans are short, so keep your videos concise and to the point. Focus on delivering your key message within the first few seconds to hook your audience.

Show and Tell: Ensure your video has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Even short videos should follow a narrative structure to maintain engagement.

Use Authentic Content: Generally speaking, avoid overly staged or scripted content. Authentic, behind-the-scenes footage or customer testimonials often resonate more with audiences.

Clear Audio: If your video has audio, make sure the audio is clear (with no background noise) and the volume level is appropriate. If your audience can’t hear it, they will keep moving. 

Captions: Speaking of audio, did you know that many people watch videos without audio? This is why including captions can increase your engagement. In addition, it makes your video more accessible to anyone in your audience who is hard of hearing. 

Best Practices for Using Images and Design

Consistency Is Key: Ensure that all visual elements are consistent with your brand’s identity. This includes color schemes, fonts, and overall style.

Use High-Quality Images: Always use high-resolution images that are clear and professional. Poor-quality visuals can detract from your story’s credibility.

Incorporate Infographics: Infographics can be a great way to present data or complex information in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format.

Now that you’ve put together your story, it’s important to test it. Don’t assume your story will resonate and achieve your desired goals just because you find it compelling. Remember, YOU are not the audience. Identify key stakeholders to review your story and provide honest, constructive feedback. It might feel frustrating to take time and resources for story testing, but the cost of a poorly received story would likely have a greater impact on your business.

Ways to Deliver Your Story

When you are comfortable with the results of your story testing, where should you deliver your story? There are many ways including: in-person presentations, online platforms, and multimedia platforms. 

In-Person Presentations: When telling your story in person, such as in a meeting or at an event, it’s important to engage with your audience directly. Use eye contact, gestures, and movement to keep your audience involved.

Example: A small business owner might present a brand story at a panel discussion or business event using visuals on a large screen, move around the stage, and interact with the audience to make the story more dynamic.

Online Platforms: Online storytelling can take many forms, including webinars, social media posts, website embedding of videos and blogs. It’s crucial to tailor your delivery to the platform’s strengths and the audience’s expectations.

Example: A business might use a series of Instagram Stories to narrate a behind-the-scenes look at a product launch, using a mix of videos, images, and text overlays.

Multimedia Presentations: Multimedia presentations combine various elements, such as video, images, and audio, to tell a richer and more immersive story. Ensure that each element complements the others and reinforces the central message.

Example: A nonprofit organization might create a multimedia presentation for potential donors, combining video testimonials, impactful statistics, and emotional music to create a compelling narrative.

Distribution is different from delivery (the previous section) because distribution can live online and in places that don’t require you to physically be present. Distributed stories can be used across various marketing channels, including social media, content marketing, and sales and advertising, to engage your audience and build a stronger brand presence.

Distributing Stories for Social Media Platforms

Different social media platforms have unique formats and audience expectations. Tailor your story to fit the platform’s style while staying true to your brand’s voice. You can do some research online to see what works best for the social media platforms on which you plan to distribute your story.

Storytelling in Content Marketing

Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves creating, publishing, and distributing informative or entertaining content, such as articles, blogs, videos, infographics, social media posts, etc. Here are some common types of content marketing and examples of ways you can incorporate your business stories.

Blogging and Long-Form Content: Use your blog to share detailed stories about your brand’s journey, customer success stories, or industry insights. Long-form content allows you to delve deeper into a narrative, providing value to your audience while reinforcing your brand message.

Whitepapers and Ebooks: Create downloadable content that tells a story while educating your audience on a specific topic. This can help establish your brand as an authority in your industry.

Newsletters: Incorporate storytelling into your email newsletters to keep your subscribers engaged. Share behind-the-scenes stories, customer testimonials, or upcoming events in a narrative format.

Distribution of Storytelling in Sales: Ads

Even in short-form advertisements, storytelling can make a significant impact. Use a clear, concise narrative that quickly engages the viewer and communicates the key message.

Types of Ads for Storytelling:

• Video Ads: Use video to tell a compelling story that showcases your product or service in action. Video ads are particularly effective on platforms like YouTube and social media.
• Banner and Display Ads: While space is limited, a well-crafted tagline or image can tell a story in itself. Focus on visual elements that quickly convey the essence of your narrative.
• Print Ads: Use imagery and concise copy to tell a story that aligns with the visual identity of your brand. Print ads can be used in magazines, newspapers, or billboards.

Use storytelling to build trust with potential clients. Sharing success stories, customer testimonials, and case studies can help establish your credibility and demonstrate the value of your product or service. The value of an engaged audience cannot be overstated, so be sure to follow up, respond to feedback, and continue the conversation. Your follow-up engagement will make the relationship even stronger.

For more information on how to incorporate this into your overall marketing plan, visit MOBI’s Marketing and Advanced Digital Marketing sessions.

THE TOP 10 DO'S

1. Define your purpose before crafting your story. 
2. Understand your audience and tailor your story to the specific needs, challenges, and motivations of your target audience. 
3. Craft a clear story. Ensure your story has a clear beginning, middle, and end. 
4. Emphasize authenticity. Be truthful and transparent in your storytelling. 
5. Use emotional connection. Evoke emotions in your audience by sharing relatable stories, showing vulnerability, and highlighting inspiring moments. 
6. Incorporate visual storytelling by using visuals like videos, images, and design elements to enhance your narrative. 
7. Leverage multiple channels, and tailor your story to fit the strengths of each platform.
8. Highlight key characters, whether it’s the founder, a customer, or even your brand itself. 
9. Keep it concise. Whether in video or written form, keep your story concise and to the point. 
10. End your story with a clear call to action.

THE TOP 10 DON'TS

1. Make it all about you. Ensure your story resonates with your audience by addressing their needs and challenges.
2. Ignore your audience's preferences by using a one-size-fits-all approach. 
3. Overcomplicate the story.
4. Be afraid to show vulnerability to make your brand more relatable and human.
5. Use poor-quality visuals. Low-resolution images or poorly produced videos can undermine your story’s credibility. 
6. Forget to test your story. Don’t assume your story will resonate just because you find it compelling. 
7. Overload with information. Focus on 3 to 5 key messages.
8. Be inconsistent in tone, message, or visual elements, which can confuse your audience and weaken your story. 
9. Neglect follow-up. After distributing your story, don’t leave your audience hanging. Engage with them, respond to their feedback, and continue the conversation to build a stronger relationship.
10. Skip the emotional and visual elements, focusing solely on the facts or the message can make your story dry.

Here are some Key Takeaways from this session that you can download for quick reference:

• Best Practices for Using Images and Design (PDF)

If you are currently writing or have developed a business plan, consider taking a moment now to include any information about your business related to this session. As a reminder, MOBI’s free Business Plan Template and any worksheets, checklists, and templates from this course are available for you to download. Just visit the list of MOBI Resource Documents on the Resources & Tools page of our website.

Here are some key terms and definitions used in this session or related to this session: