It’s one thing to have a great product to sell. And another to have a true brand story to make it sell.

In an environment oversaturated with ads, finding a way to speak to those who will dig your brand and make others do it too is like finding the Holy Grail. But it surely helps to have fellow knights while you take on the quest. So how do you have a tête-à-tête with your audience?

Well, remember that content marketing is a relationship-building tool? Since brand storytelling is an exquisite subset of content marketing, it also carries this ability to create bonds with consumers.

Only it’s so much stronger that you’d think it’s on steroids.

But first things first…

What is audience building all about?

It’s no secret that building an audience resembles the ever more valuable art of making friends. Social skills are a must for hiring an employee; they are of the same importance in people choosing to buy a product or service from you. And now the need to relate to others truthfully and meaningfully has been simply amplified by the abundance of social channels.

Tapping into the stream of emotional decisions that people make may seem like no easy task. Naturally, there is a sea of rich resources out there that can take you closer. From the tech aspects such as awesome user experience and appropriate personalization to timeliness and authenticity of your content creation efforts, it’s all about creating the right scope of perceived benefits that push people’s emotional buttons.

And let’s not forget that making friends is a lot about talking to people. The more approachable, open and socially involved your brand is, the easier it will be to relate to it. This means that you should have a strong and steady voice on social media and that you become friends with people who have many friends, namely, influencers. Applying some basic social skills online goes a long way.

And audience building fits in brand marketing efforts…how?

Content marketing is about creating value for people, which can be a direct benefit or indirect, such as providing them with useful information or just giving them the right tool they need. In this sense, it’s based on gratitude and relationship-building that goes beyond a single purchase.

Audience building involves knowing what and how to say, aligned with good timing. It’s about understanding people and providing them with the information they need, which would lead them to appreciate your knowledge sharing. From free courses and white papers to great content and social games, the sky’s the limit in your offer to people. That’s how you thread the bumpy road to thought leadership.

Building audiences through gratifying content marketing efforts makes for more lasting relationships with people. This sets the ground for inspiring them about your brand and for inviting them to be its self-appointed speakers.

Here is how a brand story gets you a faithful audience

Although rather young, content marketing has developed a sea of potential opportunities for brands to attract and convert people into brand advocates. One of its powerful methods to do that is storytelling.

Why stories? Because they are better suited to give a more complete sensory experience, which people need in order to… commit in their relationship with a brand. A strong narrative contains such a variety of information that it naturally stimulates our brains in a wholesome way. Stories also match the way people operate. It’s easier for them to relate to human characters rather than to fictional brand units. Personal elements and tangible human beings help us understand situations and experiences better.

What’s more, stories better answer people’s innate suspicion about unknown products. They carry an authentic feeling, so they directly reveal to people your message and values, which creates a deeper connection and understanding in a natural way. Ultimately, this makes audience building easier because it creates a foundation of trust that is so needed for effective marketing.

How is your brand story doing?

Is it in need of polishing? .