One of the challenges that comes with creating any sort of strategy (including Brand Story Strategy) is making the leap from strategy to implementation.

If you’ve taken the time to build a brand story strategy, the next step is making sure you’re taking action on it in your business. And this includes your marketing.

In this article, I’m sharing my top 5 ways to make brand story strategy show up in your marketing, so you can take your strategy and implement it in a powerful way that will help you build a memorable brand.

#1 Be consistent

Consistency is really, really important in building brand story.

Now while consistency does mean showing up at the same time in the same place to create a sense of expectation for your clients, consistency also means showing up consistently in the way you present your brand story in your marketing.

Make sure your tone of voice is on point, make sure your imagery is on point, make sure that wherever your brand appears, it looks and feels as it should.

And you really should be doing this at every touch point of brand delivery – not just in your marketing. It all works together to build brand story and what we do in our day-to-day actions is just as important as what we say in our marketing and communications.

#2 Always be looking for opportunities to show your brand values

When it comes to brand values, don’t go to the trouble of articulating them and then only having them as a page on your website.

Your values are actually a great source of content.

How can you get your customer testimonials to use language that connects to your brand values?

How can you create social media posts that demonstrate your brand values? For example, if you’re all about people, then posting about them on your socials is a great way to show that’s what you value without actually saying it.

How can you show your values in every customer touchpoint in your marketing?

For more on how to do this, check out this article on doing a Brand Values Audit for your business.

#3 Review your brand story strategy regularly

Your Brand Story Strategy isn’t useful to your marketing if you keep it in a drawer and never look at it.

It should be an integral part of the day-to-day running of your business, and you should make sure you review it at these key moments on your journey -

When your tribe changes
If something about them fundamentally changes, or you add a new customer persona, then a review is a worthwhile exercise to make sure that the elements of your brand story strategy are going to serve your new or changed tribe.

When your mission changes
You might also need to revisit your strategy if your brand mission changes.

If you’re delivering one way with one product and then you decide that you want to deliver your vision in a different way, then you might need to take a look at your mission and whether this needs an update.

Pro Tip: Remember that your vision is your why, and your mission is the how you’re going to deliver that why.

Once a year, as part of yearly planning
As a rule of thumb, I’d be reviewing your Brand Story Strategy once a year, at the same time as you review your business plan or marketing strategy, just to make sure that it still rings true.

But if you make your Brand Story Strategy it needs to be front and centre in your day-to-day it will become immediately apparent if your strategy needs an update, because it will start to feel out of sync with what you’re saying and doing.

Everything will start to feel disconnected – and that’s the complete opposite of what Brand Story Strategy is meant to do.

#4 Link Your Brand Story Strategy to Your Content Pillars

Finding ways for your brand story strategy to show up in your Content Pillars is a great way to make your story show up easily in your marketing.

Many brand values make excellent Content Pillars, creating a seamless link between your brand story and your content creation.

The brand value of Sustainability is a great example of this. Bringing this value across to your Content Strategy as a Content Pillar will have you creating plenty of content about sustainability that naturally tells the brand story.

#5 Be where your customers are

Small business owners are often expected to be everywhere, doing every type of marketing on every platform.

When really, what we should be doing is the marketing our customers expect us to do.

Do less, and obsess. Be in the right places with the right message and you’ll maximise the impact of your brand story and your marketing dollar.

And the best way to do the marketing your customers expect of you? Use the Tribe element of your Brand Story Strategy to guide your where you should be marketing (i.e. your marketing platforms) and when you should be marketing (how often and at what times to get maximum engagement).

Brand Story Strategy should be a day-to-day driver of your Marketing

Being consistent, communicating your brand values, regularly reviewing your strategy for new opportunities, linking your content to your brand story and making sure you show up for your customers in the right place on the right platforms, are all great ways to take your brand story strategy and implement it into your marketing.

And implementing your brand story into every customer touchpoint in your business will help you build a powerful, memorable and epic brand.

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5 Ways to Make Brand Story Strategy Show Up in Your Marketing