One of the most powerful tools in communication is storytelling. This key communication tool can help elevate your brand and bring your business to the next level. When you think of your brand story you may jump to your past and think of how your brand came to be. Though some of your past may be essential to your brand story now, it is not where your story ends. 

I love saying, and you'll see this in the "my story" section of my website, "This isn't where my story ends, its where it began."

Your brand story is ever-evolving and it is happening every day. It includes your emotions and personality. Your story is not a sales ad or a quick marketing scheme. Brand stories come from the heart and you are probably already telling them, but you could be telling them more effectively. 

Susan Gunelius in her Forbes article has the best description of this:

"Brand stories are not marketing materials. They are not ads, and they are not sales pitches. Brand stories should be told with the brand persona and the writer’s personality at center stage. Boring stories won’t attract and retain readers, but stories brimming with personality can."

Now I know you probably are saying to yourself. "That's great, but I don't have a story that people want to hear." The odds are that you are already telling it and we just need to dig a little deeper and focus on it. Everyone has a story and it is specifically unique to you and your brand. To find your story ask yourself these questions:

• Who are you talking to? Pinpoint your audience and speak directly to that person.
• What motivates your team or your brand?
• What values does your brand have?
• How (or why) was your product or business created?
• What emotion does your brand carry? Creating an emotional attachment to your brand will help others connect with it. For example, if you create a template for others to use, it creates the emotion of stress-free and making people's lives easier. 

Now that you have your story how do you do tell it?

• Be real. You are human and others crave that human connection, even if it is through a screen.
• Have a clear vision. Remain consistent. You don't need to sell yourself, your audience will fall in love with you, your brand, and your story on their own. 
• Be authentic. Be true to your story, personality, and brand.
• Keep it simple. You don't need a complicated story. Simplify and focus on the emotional ties to your brand. 

Show them, don't just tell them! A picture truly is worth a thousand words.

So how do you show your brand stories? Brand photography will make telling your story a whole lot easier. I have created a story session system that allows us to walk through the different processes of your brand that allow you to connect with your audience. What stories can you tell with images? All of them!

For example:

• Your behind the scenes - Creating your product, working at your desk, or meeting with a client.
• Action shots of you at work - You doing what you do best!
• A daily routine you have - Walks on your lunch break where you think up your greatest ideas or your morning cup of tea.
• Community Outreach - Volunteer work that you are involved with.
• Your Team - Images of your team in action allow your audience to get to know your experts, this also allows their friends to connect with your brand.