How To Build Your Brand’s Social Narrative

Great brands tattoo your brain. They tell stories that pull you in and repeat messages directly and indirectly over and over again until you’ve formed a narrative in your head that represents a specific brand.

This is narrative building.

Narrative building is the ideas, values, and perceptions you want to imprint in your ideal customer’s mind. AND it’s the core of any effective content strategy. Because, remember, content is just communication at scale. So, anytime you create a piece of content - think of it as your opportunity to build a specific narrative in someone’s mind. Which is why every piece of content needs to serve a purpose. But more on that in the upcoming weeks.

It’s easy to start with larger brands to really grasp a concept. Nike’s narrative is “Just Do It”. Every piece of content amplifies this narrative.

But let me paint the picture and let’s start with a boring business to really illustrate this.

So, let’s say there are two car detailing companies in your area. The offers are the same. The price is the same. Even the buildings are the same. The only difference is the content marketing strategy.

Car Detailing Company A

They post before and after pictures of cars after the detailing. Their content doesn’t push any narrative, and they’re really just trying to push a service.

This is a company, not narrative building.

Car Detailing Company B

Now, company B’s narrative is “Ride With Confidence.” And every piece of content brings this to life. Imagine some of their content pillars are:

• Reaction videos + driving away in style
• A series where they ask the customer what song they’re going to play after getting their car detailed
• ASMR interior and exterior cleans
• POV Interior Clean series

See how each content pillar above cements the idea of “Ride With Confidence” without having to say it? That’s the goal.

So, How Do You Find Your Narrative?

Well, 99% of the time - it’s the intersection of:

• Your Mission
• What You Believe
• What People Will Rally Behind

Then it’s stated in 3-5 words.

Again - let’s look at the homies over at company B.

Mission - To help people feel alive when they drive their cars.

What You Believe - We believe everyone should feel comfortable and confident in whatever car they drive.

What People Will Rally Behind - There’s no feeling like the confidence booster of driving in a newly washed car.

State this in three words and you get: Ride With Confidence.

And this isn’t just some BS slogan you put out there. This is the purpose behind your content. It’s what your content amplifies. And it’s what you want current customers and prospective customers to associate your brand with.

And these brands are doing it second to none:

And why is it second to none?

Because it’s not just some slogan or message they’re screaming into the void hoping people care… But the purpose behind the content.

Instead, they’re making people care by communicating it daily through their content and evidently forming the narrative that people connect to.

That’s narrative building.

Do with this info as you please…