Why consistent narratives drive community trust

What started as a weekend hack has become a growing platform and services business. Today, Corio surpassed one million impressions. Whilst we consistently maintain that impressions and likes aren't the measure of success, this milestone offers valuable lessons about what truly engages audiences when sharing an authentic position. Our journey to one million impressions has increased our conviction about what resonates in today's crowded and competitive digital landscape: • Connection stories dominate: Personal experiences and authentic journeys averaged 50% higher than other types of content. • First-person narrative matters: 95% of our top-performing posts used first-person storytelling, creating an immediate sense of authenticity and relatability. • Questions engage: 65% of the highest-performing content included questions, inviting dialogue rather than broadcasting information. • Length isn't a barrier: While conventional wisdom suggests keeping content brief, longer-form content (200-300 words) performed exceptionally well, achieving 70% more impressions. Analysing our most successful content reveals clear patterns in what makes a story travel: 1. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵: Our highest-engagement posts weren't polished or corporate - they were human. One engineering post with the opening line "I spend my time guessing..." captured the authentic reality of professional life, generating massive engagement by expressing what makes that organisation special. 2. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: When we shared concrete examples rather than abstract ideas, engagement increased measurably. Stories with real journeys - challenges and outcomes - resonated deeply. 3. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Regardless of length, well-structured content kept readers engaged and helped positioning resonate. 4. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Months with regular posting showed significantly higher performance. The flywheel effect of showing up consistently drives significant growth. True impact happens beyond metrics. The real value comes when: • The right prospect sees your positioning at their moment of need • They recognise their situation in your narrative and reach out • Your consistent presence builds trust • Your in-person interactions are amplified by what people see online It's this last one that matters most. You need to get out of the building and talk to people - prospects, customers, friends, colleagues - anyone who will listen to you and your ideas. When you couple this with a willingness to share and learn, it becomes a force multiplier. Authentic positioning creates connections that drive business results. People are watching, whether they interact or not. When your message connects, they'll find you. Keep showing up - authentically and consistently. When you do, you will become the obvious choice for the people you are trying to serve.

People don’t trust your words. They trust your patterns. You can promise change. You can talk about doing good. But if your past actions show the opposite, people will remember that first. That’s the reality in life. And it’s the same in design. A product doesn’t earn trust with a shiny new update. It earns trust through consistent experiences over time. Think about it: If an app keeps crashing, will one bug fix rebuild confidence? If a brand keeps overpromising, will one new feature restore loyalty? No. Trust isn’t built overnight. It’s built in patterns, not promises. This is a principle I emphasize when I speak with students and professionals: Consistency is the real credibility. Because in careers, in design, in leadership — people don’t remember what you said. They remember what you repeatedly did.

A lot of people in Web3 aren’t skeptical. They’re exhausted They’ve been rugged. Overpromised. Ignored by projects that launched with hype and vanished without a trace. So when someone sees your post or joins your community, they’re not just evaluating your product. They’re asking: “Can I trust these people?” And that trust? It doesn’t come from a slick landing page or a bold mission statement. It comes from the quiet, consistent signals: ✅ Do you respond when people ask real questions? ✅ Are you still present when engagement slows down? ✅ Do you admit when something breaks—and fix it quickly? That’s what I’ve focused on at AyaHQ (Techstars '23)—not just during the big launches, but in the everyday work of building and managing the community. From handling comms during programs and events, to creating content that reflects real-time sentiment, to showing up for the community even when things are quiet, I’ve seen how trust directly fuels growth. The space is built on: "Can I trust this project?" In Web3, trust isn’t earned in launch week, it’s earned in the weeks after. You don’t need a louder launch. You need a consistent presence that builds confidence over time. Trust is slow but it’s the real growth engine.

Your marketing isn’t failing—it’s just missing a story. Here’s why storytelling is the secret ingredient for captivating your audience. 1. Stories Connect Stories create emotional connections that traditional marketing can’t match. • Emotions drive decision-making. • Stories make your brand relatable. • People remember stories, not facts. 2. Make Your Audience the Hero Your customers want to see themselves in your story. Make them the hero. • Highlight their challenges and aspirations. • Show how your product solves their problems. • Create a narrative where they emerge victorious. 3. Authenticity Resonates Authentic stories build trust and credibility. Be genuine in your storytelling. • Share real experiences and testimonials. • Be transparent about your journey and values. • Authenticity fosters loyalty and engagement. 4. Simplicity Wins Keep your story simple and clear. Complexity confuses and alienates your audience. • Focus on one clear message. • Use straightforward language. • Ensure your story is easy to follow and remember. 5. Engage the Senses Great stories engage the senses, making your marketing more memorable. • Use vivid imagery and descriptions. • Incorporate visuals, videos, and sound. • Create a multi-sensory experience for your audience. 6. Consistency is Key A consistent narrative strengthens your brand identity. Maintain consistency across all channels. • Ensure your story aligns with your brand values. • Keep your messaging uniform across platforms. • Consistency builds recognition and trust. 7. Build Suspense Create anticipation and curiosity. Keep your audience wanting more. • Use cliffhangers and teasers. • Release your story in parts or chapters. • Make your audience eager to see what happens next. 8. Share Your Journey People love following a journey. Share your brand’s evolution and milestones. • Document your progress and growth. • Celebrate achievements and lessons learned. • Invite your audience to be part of your journey. 9. Inspire Action Your story should motivate your audience to take action. Inspire them to act. • Include a clear call to action. • Show the benefits of engaging with your brand. • Inspire your audience to be part of your story. 10. Never Stop Telling Stories Storytelling is a continuous process. Keep crafting and sharing stories that resonate. • Regularly update your narrative. • Stay attuned to your audience’s evolving needs. • Use storytelling as a dynamic tool for connection. Your marketing isn’t failing—it’s just missing a story. Start telling yours today.

The rise of creator-led brands and the lessons for marketers... For decades, the sequence was simple: 1️⃣ Build a producct 2️⃣ Build an audience 3️⃣ Market it In 2025, the order has flipped. Creators are building an audience first, then monetising it with products, launching with a ready-made distribution channel and built-in trust. Homegrown UK examples leading the way: SULT™ – Milly G. & Henry Porpora built hype through content before launch, priming an audience months in advance…giving ‘building in public’ a whole new meaning! P Louise – Paige turned her beauty tutorial following into a multimillion-pound cosmetics business through constant, community-led launches. TALA – Grace Beverley leveraged her fitness and entrepreneurship community to build a sustainable activewear brand that scaled fast (and since 2 more businesses) Simmer – built momentum through daily TikTok recipe content and repeating the brands origin story in various different ways Why this works: 1) Always-on beats “big bang” – creators keep audiences engaged year-round so every launch lands with a primed, receptive base. 2) Content frequency drives adoption – More touchpoints mean greater mental availability. Consistent, distinctive content keeps the brand top of mind until purchase. 3) Familiarity builds trust – Creator-led brands use influence, community and storytelling to create an instant sense of connection. 4) Community first – Brand that are winning prioritise depth with a niche audience over mass reach, knowing loyalty compounds faster than virality. The takeaway: Even if you’re not launching a skincare line or a matcha brand, you can still apply the playbook.... Build trust and recognition before you sell. Keep your audience warm with consistent, valuable content. And make your marketing an ongoing conversation, not just a launch day announcement. #contentmarketing

Who is telling your story? In the rush to "be on social media," it's easy to fall into the quantity trap—posting just to post, chasing trends, and adding to the noise. Your audience doesn't want more noise. They want a clear, compelling narrative. When your social media is handled with intention, it stops being a chore and starts becoming your most powerful asset. It's not about just filling a calendar; it's about building trust and authority, one high-quality post at a time. Getting your story right and telling it consistently is what separates brands that get noticed from those that get lost. It's the difference between just being active and actually GETTING RESULTS. So, what does a powerful storytelling engine actually look like in action? It means every piece of your strategy is working together: ✅ Your narrative is deeply personal and on-brand. Every post, comment, and image sounds and feels like you, building an authentic connection. ✅ Your content is strategic and consistent. A thoughtful plan of 20+ monthly posts ensures your story unfolds cohesively, rather than in random bursts. ✅ Your voice is native to each platform. You're not just cross-posting; you're speaking the unique language of LinkedIn, Instagram, or wherever your audience lives. ✅ Your ideal audience can actually find you. Integrated social SEO and keywords put your story in front of the people who need to hear it most. ✅ Every post is optimized to perform. From the hook in the first line to the alt-text on the image, every detail is crafted for maximum impact. ✅ Your strategy evolves with data, not guesses. Monthly performance reports show you what’s resonating so you can double down on what works. ✅ You’re not alone. You're part of an exclusive network, creating opportunities for synergy and collaboration. ✅ You’re always in control. A secure setup means you retain 100% ownership of your accounts and your brand's voice. Ultimately, a consistent storyteller always has the advantage. According to Forbes , brands that are consistently presented are 3 to 4 times more likely to experience brand visibility and Calls To Action. #BrandStorytelling #SocialMediaStrategy #ContentMarketing #PersonalBranding #DigitalMarketing #GetResults #MarketingTips #YourStoryMatters

Every founder has a good story, what they lack is a narrative system.   A story is what you tell once. A narrative is what compounds over time. And without a narrative, your positioning never scales. So what exactly is a brand narrative? It’s the communication system through which you hold, cement, and scale your positioning. Here’s the journey to building it: ↳Discover Before you can define anything, you need clarity. → What are your objectives? → What’s been your personal journey? → What traits define you? → What are your core competencies? → Who’s your target audience? → What perceptions do you want to build? → What truly makes you happy? [This will help you define your why] ↳Define Now you refine. → What’s your “why”? → How will you achieve it? → What values drive you? → What’s your unique positioning? → What unique value do you bring to your audience? This is where positioning is locked in. ↳Build Your Narrative Now comes the system. →How do you communicate your positioning in a way that builds a loyal community around you? →How do you ensure your audience not only understands your value, but feels it? →And how do you scale that communication so you never run out of ways to reinforce it? That’s your brand narrative: the repeatable, scalable way of embedding your positioning into the market’s memory. Without a clear narrative, founders fall into two traps: → They tell disconnected stories that don’t add up to anything memorable. → Or they run out of things to say, because the y don’t have a system that scales. That’s why so many brands fail.   Not because they lack substance, but because they lack narrative structure. A brand without a narrative is has done the homework but never got to communicate it in a timeless, scalable way. A brand with a proper narrative has the means and mechanisms to become unforgettable. Something to think about: if someone followed your brand for six months, would they hear random stories or a consistent narrative that cements your positioning?

📌 Storytelling is one of the best techniques in writing theories of change and describing program results in impact and outcome evaluations. But there's more to storytelling in M&E practice. Stories work wonders in routine monitoring and data collection too. Let me share a personal experience. Recently, I led a small team to complete a community mapping exercise. One of my lessons during the exercise is how selling outcomes rather than incentives increases the chances of voluntary participation in surveys and other data collection methods by almost 100%. You'll find more here:https://lnkd.in/dST4apJQ As we moved from one community to another and engaged community members, we took turns telling the story behind our data collection efforts. Simply put, the best narrators adapted their stories to each community unique characteristics leading to better participation outcomes. How a team member tells the community members about our theory of change influenced the level of cooperation we enjoyed. This is why most surveys have an introduction note, including those on mobile data collection tools. This note sells the justification for the data collection. As simple as this may appear in most surveys, it can either help or hinder data collection efforts. When participants understand how their participation and data contribute to positive change, it influences their consent, trust, and attitude toward providing the required data. Therefore, as you engage the project team and beneficiaries, take some time to curate and rehearse a solid narrative arc and story that will help them understand your intent and provide the highest standards of cooperation. Also, be sensitive to what story and narrative will best appeal to different persons and places. Know your project TOC as an excellent, personable and persuasive story. Good morning, friends. Let's connect with Ngwoke Ifeanyi for more M&E insights. Welcome to a new week!

I have over a decade of experience in the blockchain industry. People often ask me what is the secret to long-term business success. It's #consistency. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every day. But you do need to show up. Regularly. Why? Because consistency builds trust. Every time you post, email, or share something valuable, you're making a deposit into the "trust account" with your audience. Over time, those deposits grow into: • Credibility • Loyalty • Momentum And once you have momentum, it’s hard for anyone to stop you. Consistency shows you care. Think about the brands you admire. Are they the ones that show up randomly? Or the ones that deliver value, like clockwork? Your audience deserves the same reliability. Because when you’re consistent, you're telling your audience: "I’m here for you." Consistency compounds like interest. The results stack over time. One post might not change your business. But one post, every day, for a year? That’s 365 chances to: • Attract the right audience • Close more sales • Position yourself as a leader in your space The #KEY point? Consistency isn’t just a strategy. It’s a mindset. If you're serious about growth, let consistency be your superpower.