The marketplace is changing. Price and convenience may not be as important as they once were as a trend towards spending money locally with businesses you know and trust is emerging. The connection you make with your customers is more important than ever. How do you, the small business owner, leverage this emerging trend? By telling your story.
Leveraging your story as a marketing tool goes a long way towards building relationships with your existing customers, creating a connection with potential ones and establishing you as an expert in your field. I am certain that most of my customers know the story behind Fizz Bath Shop. Not everyone may know the whole story but almost everyone knows a part of it. I blogged the story, I made a video about my story and I always shared a part of my story when someone new came into the shop. As a result, my customers developed a sense of loyalty and trust in me. The were doing business with the person behind the business not necessarily the business.
People become invested in your success because of their relationship with you. Telling your story must go beyond the origination of your business idea. It means telling stories about you, some personal and some business, but all with your voice and your personality. You need to provide a complete picture into your life, not just as a business owner but highlight your involvement in the community, your hobbies, your likes and your dislikes. Build a complete story, not just the story you think people will want to hear. Share the moments of your day: the light bulb ones, the bang your head against the wall ones and the ones that make you grateful. All of these work towards creating a compelling story that will establish an engaged community in support of you and your business.
Think about what your story is telling your customers. Is it enough to get them to invest in you? Is it evolving daily? If not, it is time for you to create your complete story and start sharing it!
Need help creating your story? Project Bullhorn is launching The 30-Day Create Your Story Challenge. It is designed to help small business owners create their own compelling story to effectively market their business. It’s free to participate and everyone is welcome. You can find more information on The 30-Day Create Your Story Challenge at Project Bullhorn.
Kim Yuhl owned Flagstaff Express (now Arizona Shuttle) and Fizz Bath Shop, located in downtown Flagstaff, AZ before launching Project Bullhorn. Project Bullhorn focuses on social media strategies for small businesses. For more information on Project Bullhorn and how it can help your small business, go to ProjectBullhorn.com.