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– Consumer engagement heightens brand awareness – and publicity can drive engagement whether it’s positive or negative.
– Brands can take advantage of consumer attention to spread the word about their values, ideals, and goals.
– Conversation is crucial, and your brand needs to be involved. Once the attention is on you, it’s the perfect time to change the narrative. How? Your story, told your way…
There’s more than one way to stack an egg. Or is it crack an egg? Anyway, the point is this: if it’s broken eggs you want, it’s up to you as to how you’ll get it done. Building a successful brand is no different – there are a lot of different tactics that can help you get there. Which route will you take?
If you want your brand to catch fire, there’s no Golden Ticket straight to the chocolate factory. It takes real work, from collecting social media followers to creating partnerships with influencers and crafting campaigns that are so good they go viral.
Yet, here’s something most brands don’t put nearly enough work into: telling their own stories.
Why did you start? What do you stand for? How can you (how will you) make the world better? Your audience demands to know the answers to these questions – and only you can tell them.
Unless your brand was founded a thousand years ago, chances are it’s still working hard at cementing its reputation. These things don’t happen overnight!
We can’t please every consumer, of course. But don’t let negativity shake you. In fact, negative press can actually help your brand if you know how to handle it.
Think about it: people who are angry with you are already talking about you online.
And if they’re spending time and energy complaining about your brand, they’re also spending time and energy promoting your brand. In other words, your brand’s name is online – and on their minds.
So instead of fighting back against negative comments and reviews, why not take advantage of this free advertisement?
What Does The Phrase ‘There’s No Such Thing As Bad Publicity’ Mean?
Even a negative can lead to a positive. Many brands have come to this conclusion – drawing on negativity to drive engagement.
People have to be told what to play, what to consume, and what to think – and the mass media has always been extremely important in this process.
Yet, your breakthrough will come as you understand this: to sell a product to the public, it’s not enough to put information about it in the media. It has to be the right information – in the right way. Even today, these words are as true as ever.
What If You Could Get The Good Kind Of Publicity?
A good brand story is built on the foundation of a great brand. Good publicity is built on the foundation of a great news story. See the connection?
People want to talk about brands and companies they care about. If you do something that gets people talking about your brand (never mind what they’re saying), then you’ve succeeded in putting yourself into the conversation. Think of it this way; people are always going to talk about what happened – so why not make sure they’re telling your side while they’re at it?
You’ve Got To Be Part Of The Conversation
You’re not always going to be beckoned into the conversation with open arms – it’s your move. This means that every time someone mentions your brand, you need to respond.
There are a few key ways to do this…
- Be authentic and genuine
- Be consistent
- Be relevant
- Be timely
As you improve at telling your brand’s story, the number of eager listeners will skyrocket. But how do you create a compelling, personal narrative? What’s the big secret that will make audiences listen?
Top Brands Tell Stories To Build Trust And Engagement
Word of mouth has always helped consumers decide which products and services to buy.
Today, Google has made the decision even easier.
Your brand needs to craft content and share it with customers through multiple channels. More than anything else, your relationship with customers has to be authentic – and your story has to evoke trust.
Want an example? Consider how Southwest Airlines manages it.
- Instead of trying too hard with clever quips or funny videos like most airlines do online (failing miserably in the process!), Southwest simply sticks with what they do best: being friendly!
The reason they’ve built up such a strong reputation over time is that they’re genuine when interacting with customers online – even when responding publicly to angry passengers over canceled flights…
How Telling Your Own Story Helps Brands Thrive
Your brand wants to win the marketing game – but simply buying ads and hoping for the best isn’t the way to go. It requires authenticity, relevance and timeliness – and storytelling is a river that runs straight to them.
By telling your own story, you’re telling people about the values that are important to you. You’re also showing them what kind of business you are and why they should do business with you.
After all, telling a story is doing what brands have always done through advertising: selling a product or service and building brand loyalty. For instance:
- Dove wanted to share its message about beauty being “for women of all shapes and sizes.” They didn’t just buy an ad on television or in magazines, though – they created a video campaign demonstrating how perceptions of real beauty differ from person to person. The result? One of the most watched and shared online ads of all time! Now that’s going viral.
- Airbnb grew tired of hearing about how their service was ruining neighborhoods all around the world. In response, their video ads showcased how welcoming locals were when hosting travelers from all over the globe – promoting international friendship in turn.
Give People What They Want – Exactly When They Want It
If people are already following your brand, you’re probably no stranger to the idea of creating content. This could be anything from blog posts and news articles or videos on YouTube to Facebook posts – you name it!
Yet, if you want your fanbase to grow – and your fans to stay loyal – then your fans will want something too. If you can figure out what that “something” is, you’re onto something else…
Consumer interest isn’t automatic – your brand has to actively tell a story. Do you have a story to tell? Then you’ve already won half the battle. Of course, it can’t just be any old tired yarn. You have to tailor the story to your specific audience. Whatever they’re yearning for, they need to see in your brand.
Remember, you have to tell your own story. Not someone else’s. Telling the truth is the best way to stay consistent, don’t you think? A consistent message is more trustworthy. When people trust you, they’ll be more inclined to buy from you. It’s that simple.
You don’t want your audience to tune out. That means you have to focus on the things that matter most:
- consistency in delivery
- authenticity in content
- being true to yourself at all times
Your brand’s name is on the line: you can either tell your own story or leave it up to the public to tell your stories for you. But when you choose to create content that shares your own story, values, and identity, you get an opportunity to connect with people. That’s how brands work better – and that’s where Amps come in handy.
