Writing Brand Stories That Align With Customer Expectations

Want to see brand storytelling done right? Etsy’s 20th anniversary "What it Takes"  campaign reminds us that being original, human-centric, and true to your values builds trust *and* stands out. Let's break it down... Devoid of traditional (and expected) branded flair, the campaign shifts attention to the creators—the users—and what it takes to produce the one-of-a-kind items that fill the marketplace. Instead of focusing on the highly-visual products, this quiet tribute celebrates the power of originally, the need for human connection, and the richness of craft through telling the stories of three makers. As Etsy CMO Brad Minor put it, this is about “celebrating originality” in a world that often prioritizes convenience. I often advise that content should educate, inspire, or entertain. This hits all three. Through a mix of in-person events, social video, and UGC, the campaign (by Orchard) successfully humanizes an otherwise intangible online space. In a great breakdown for DesignRush, Roberto Orosa surfaces three key lessons: 1. As mass production and AI-generated products grow more common, shoppers are increasingly drawn to brands that feel human and handmade. 2. By showing the hard work behind creativity, the platform shifts the narrative from product to process. 3. It’s one of the cleanest examples of how brand storytelling can focus not on what’s being sold, but on why it matters. 🌟 Takeaway: As trust becomes the biggest currency in brand-building, stories about your people, your purpose, and your process ensure you’ll never run out of original ideas. See the Etsy “What it Takes” campaign in action: https://lnkd.in/gSE4HYJ2 Full article via DesignRush: https://lnkd.in/gmFTzYDz Video credit: https://lnkd.in/g4rtY_cw

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 🔵 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀. 🔵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘱, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵. The biggest brands don’t just sell stuff — they stand for something bigger. They shape conversations, change perspectives, and spark real-world change. So, how do you craft a story that doesn’t just connect but ignites a movement? 𝟭. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲. Not just making money, but a cause worth fighting for. Look at Patagonia. They don’t just sell outdoor gear. They’re fighting for the environment. Your brand’s “big why” should connect to a universal problem people really care about. 𝟮. 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹. People don’t buy from companies. They buy from the people behind those companies. Share your stories — the struggles, the wins, the moments that shaped your mission. When Yvon Chouinard launched Patagonia, it wasn’t about clothes. It was about protecting the planet he loved to explore. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. Words aren’t enough. Actions matter more. Align your practices, partnerships, and initiatives with your mission. Show people you’re committed — not just talk. 𝟰. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻, 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. A movement isn’t a monologue. It’s a conversation. How can they get involved? What actions can they take today? Create spaces for dialogue, participation, and advocacy. 𝟱. 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱. Use visuals, real customer stories, and data that inspires. Make your message shareable — because inspired people share things that matter. 𝟲. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. Movements don’t happen overnight. They’re like a snowball rolling downhill — gaining speed and size. If you stay true to your message and keep pushing forward, your movement will grow. Trust takes time, but it’s the only way real change sticks. My final thought? Brands that create real impact don’t just sell products — they shift mindsets and spark action. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a start-up or a giant. Your brand can lead the next big movement. Are you ready to make it happen? Because the world’s waiting for your story.

Buyers don't care about your customer stories unless they can clearly see themselves in the story. Here's the thing: spending months (sometimes even quarters) working on a single marquee name case study might feel great internally, but it's a waste if it doesn't hit home with your audience. Last fall, we saw this loud and clear in our first original research report, The Evidence Gap. Buyers overwhelmingly told us that industry relevance is the most important factor in customer stories (70%). They also said credibility matters big time, with 59% wanting real customer data to back things up. Over half (54%) want examples that match their use case. The flashy, big-brand logo approach isn't working like it used to. Buyers don't want to be impressed. They want to relate. It's all about having a variety of stories that feel real and relevant, not just one or two trophy examples. Shorter, more relatable stories backed by actual evidence. That's how you win trust today. If your stories aren't hitting close to home, they're just noise. Relevance always wins.

If your brand’s story doesn’t move people, it won’t move markets. For years, I focused on value props and feature lists. We had a better product. More reliable. Faster. Objectively superior. But we still kept losing deals. Until one day, a prospect told me the hard truth: “You’re telling me what it does. But I need to feel why it matters.” That line hit like a freight train. So we stopped leading with logic and started telling stories. Real ones: ➤ About a founder who built our product to solve a problem she lived through. ➤ About a customer who cried on a Zoom call because we saved their launch. ➤ About the fear, doubt, and triumph that don’t show up in case studies. Here’s what happened next: 🔹 Engagement tripled. People didn’t just “like”, they reached out. 🔹 Positioning got clearer. Story gave context to our value. 🔹 We stopped selling. Customers started believing. Because facts inform. But stories transform. If you want your brand to stick in someone’s head or their heart, you can’t just show up smart. You’ve got to show up human. So ask yourself: What story are you telling? And more importantly, who feels seen when you tell it? Curious? Read the full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/dq-CiYVM

Here’s why your “Tips” videos aren’t converting into paying clients You're missing an overarching story/narrative. Your audience is getting tips, insights, and advice (And that’s great) but you’ve not yet connected it to a broader brand story that really connect with your dream clients. So here’s what you’re gonna do to fix this: → Define your brand story and ensure YOUR CUSTOMER is the hero. → Define the villain (the challenge or problem standing in their way) and really start pushing back on this in the content. → Get clear on how you (The guide) helps them overcome obstacles and achieve greatness. 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽: To really do this well, you need a unique POV/offering that is actually different than 99% of the market. Why is this narrative so important for conversion? Here’s a personal example: My content carries a common narrative: Stop outsourcing your content to an agency and focus on building your own team. Whether it’s why you should do it, or how to improve your team’s content, that story is woven into everything I do. And guess what? When potential clients recognize themselves in this narrative, that’s when the magic happens. They're inspired to be the hero in their story and build their own content team and take control of their brand. Even your client success stories and testimonials should follow this storyline (As ours DO). They aren't just stories—they're TRANSFORMATIONS. Got questions on this--hit me in the comments and I’ll answer em! ❤️ABS Alex B Sheridan #contentmarketing #linkedinmarketing #storybrand