The Best Platforms To Tell Your Brand Story
The way your brand shows up online is key to growing sales and building your community. In our How To Build Your Brand Masterclass, branding and creative expert Scott Ohene-Nyako showed us why your brand story is best told on platforms that cater to your niche.
“There are different types of founders, says Scott, “There may be a need or an uncomfortable push towards platforms they may not feel comfortable on. It’s sometimes quite important to understand which platforms allow us to do things that will still amplify our brands.”
If you’ve defined your mission, purpose, values and audience, here’s how to identify the best online channel to connect with your budding community.
Dynamic content
If your brand story leans towards dynamic, short-form content, Scott identifies TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat as the best arenas for this. Here you can create attention-grabbing posts that have the potential for virality.
With these platforms being highly visual, aim to craft content that elicits the most emotive responses - whether it’s laughter-inducing memes, or awe-inspiring aesthetics. The most share-worthy posts connect with the core of your customer’s identity.
Finally, most of these platforms are video-first, making it an opportunity for you to candidly present yourself and your business to the world; allow your followers to get to know you in a casual way and build authentic relationships.
This content is particularly resonant with B2C customers, but B2B businesses have their place here too, as long as the content is relevant. After all, there are humans behind the businesses, meaning all B2B is ultimately B2C.
Considered content
If your storytelling strategy is data-driven, educational, or leans into your opinions and experiences as a business owner, try platforms that encourage more long-form content - “considered” content, as Scott calls it. He recommends Linkedin and Medium, forums where you can generate a following and become a thought leader. These platforms are particularly valuable with B2B businesses.
You can also build a newsletter community and connect to your customers via email marketing , as well as publishing pieces on your own website. “Optimised articles [can] be answers to some of the queries that your customers are Googling”, says Scott. “If your article content can be found as the answer, that's fantastic for brand awareness.”
Beyond written pieces experiment with podcasting on Spotify or Youtube - either as a host or guest. Invite your customers to engage in the conversation and get to know you, the person behind the business.
Value-Add Content
Value-adds build serious brand loyalty, so make sure to tap into the ways you provide your community with value without asking for anything in return. Webinars and regular newsletters are ways to impart valuable knowledge while acting act your brand values, which you should feel free to reinforce at every touchpoint. The way you engage your community through these value-adds will endorse your storytelling.
The ideal mix
There’s value in mixing dynamic and considered content - if that’s appropriate for your brand. For Scott, the ideal platforms that enable you to share short- and long-form posting include LinkedIn, Instagram, Youtube and, increasingly, TikTok. Experiment with what garners the most engagement to determine your long-term strategy.
Finally, own your content
Scott emphasises the importance of your website over all social media channels: if all social media disappears tomorrow, your website is the only platform you have true control over. Limit your dependency on external platforms to tell your brand story and host your core content on channels you own.
As mentioned above, your website is also the ideal place to publish articles and build your SEO relevance, improving your brand awareness across search engines.
