Grey deskmat background with pen and note pad and the message the power of storytelling

The Power of Storytelling: How to Use Your Brand’s Story to Attract Customers

by BlogEdmiston Group

Every small business has a unique story to tell. Whether it’s the inspiration behind your brand, the challenges you’ve overcome, or the passion that drives you, storytelling is a powerful way to connect with customers on a deeper level. A compelling brand narrative makes your business more relatable, builds trust, and ultimately drives sales. Here’s how to craft an engaging story that resonates with your audience.

Why Storytelling Matters in Marketing

Consumers today don’t just buy products or services—they invest in brands they connect with. A well-told story can:

  • Differentiate your business from competitors.
  • Create emotional connections that foster customer loyalty.
  • Make your brand more memorable and shareable.
  • Build trust and authenticity in an increasingly skeptical marketplace.

Tips for Crafting an Engaging Brand Narrative

  • Define Your “Why”
  • What inspired you to start your business?
  • What problem are you solving for your customers?
  • How do your values and mission shape your brand?

Make It Personal

  • Share real experiences, struggles, and triumphs that led to your success.
  • Use personal anecdotes to make your brand more human and relatable.
  • Feature key team members or customers who have played a role in your journey.

Keep It Authentic

  • Avoid over-polishing your story—customers appreciate honesty and transparency.
  • Don’t be afraid to highlight challenges and setbacks, as they make your success more inspiring.

Stay true to your brand’s voice and values.

  • Engage with Visuals
  • Use high-quality photos, videos, or behind-the-scenes content to bring your story to life.
  • Create short-form videos for social media that showcase your journey, process, or impact.
  • Feature before-and-after images if applicable to your business (e.g., a bakery showing cake transformations or a contractor showing home renovations).

Incorporate Storytelling Across Marketing Channels

  • Website: Have an “About Us” page that tells your brand’s story in an engaging way.
  • Social Media: Share customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes moments, and founder stories.
  • Email Marketing: Send storytelling-driven emails that highlight your journey, special milestones, or customer success stories.
  • Blog Content: Write detailed blog posts about how your business started, challenges you’ve overcome, or the impact you’re making.

Encourage Customers to Share Their Stories

  • Feature user-generated content and testimonials from happy customers.
  • Ask for and share customer success stories that align with your brand’s mission.
  • Run a social media campaign encouraging customers to share how your product or service has impacted them.

Storytelling isn’t just about marketing—it’s about creating meaningful connections with your audience. A well-crafted brand story can attract loyal customers, inspire engagement, and set your business apart. Start sharing your journey today, and watch how storytelling transforms your brand’s impact.

How do you use storytelling in your business?

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh-based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

personal branding - colorful sticky notes fanned on a cork background iwth Build Your Personal Brand on the top note

The Importance of Personal Branding for Business Owners

by BlogEdmiston Group

In today’s competitive business landscape, small business owners must do more than just promote their products or services—they need to market themselves. Personal branding helps establish credibility, build trust with your audience, and position you as an expert in your industry. How you operate in various aspects of life can be reflective in business as well. For example, if you’re always running late for appointments what does that say to the person on the other end that is left waiting time and time again. You’ve heard the phrase “they’re never on time”. What that means to others is you don’t value them or their time – you’re more important.

Here’s how you can develop a strong personal brand and use it to grow your business.

Why Personal Branding Matters

A strong personal brand sets you apart from competitors and makes your business more relatable. Customers want to buy from people they trust, and by sharing your knowledge and expertise, you build lasting relationships. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, consultant, or small business owner, your personal brand influences your professional success.

How to Position Yourself as an Expert

  • Find Speaking Opportunities
  • Offer to speak at local business events, industry conferences, or networking groups.
  • Join online webinars and podcasts as a guest expert.
  • Reach out to event organizers with a compelling pitch showcasing your expertise.

Start Blog Writing

  • Create valuable content that educates your audience on industry trends and best practices.
  • Share insights, case studies, and personal experiences to connect with readers.
  • Guest post on reputable industry blogs to expand your reach.

Participate in Industry Expert Panels

  • Join professional associations and industry groups to gain visibility.
  • Apply for panel discussions at trade shows, business summits, and online forums.
  • Engage in Q&A sessions and share your insights on trending topics.

Additional Tips for Strengthening Your Personal Brand

  • Be Consistent Across Platforms: Ensure your social media profiles, website, and LinkedIn presence reflect your expertise and brand message.
  • Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and share valuable content on social media.
  • Leverage Video Content: Use YouTube, Instagram Reels, and LinkedIn Live to showcase your expertise in a more personal and engaging way.
  • Network and Collaborate: Connect with other industry leaders, collaborate on projects, and exchange guest blog opportunities.

Personal branding is not just about self-promotion—it’s about building meaningful connections and establishing yourself as a trusted authority. By finding speaking opportunities, writing insightful blogs, and participating in industry panels, you can elevate your credibility and grow your business. Start developing your personal brand today, and watch your business thrive!

How are you building your personal brand? Share your thoughts.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh-based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

The word BRANDING on a white brick background, representing the importance of brand values.

Why Your Content Must Reflect Brand Values for Increased Customer Loyalty

by BlogEdmiston Group

Are your brand values reflected consistently in all the content you share? If not, you might be alienating prospects and customers alike. Incorporating your values on topics relevant to your audience helps build an important connection with prospects and customers. According to the article, The New Science of Customer Emotions in Harvard Business Review, customers who are fully connected to a brand are 52% more valuable than those highly satisfied but not fully connected.

Your content is often the first interaction your potential customers have with your brand. Your content also keeps your existing customers engaged. Therefore, it’s important that your brand values are shared authentically and consistently to support building this emotional connection.

Understand the Importance of Brand Values

The core values of your brand have a direct connection to customer loyalty. There are several reasons for this. These values act as a compass, guiding you through your content creation, brand story, actions, behaviors, and business decisions. Managing a brand without the guidance of brand values often leaves customers confused and leads business decisions astray.

According to Consumer Goods Technology research, 82% of shoppers want to buy from brands aligned with their values. 

If your brand values are inauthentic, inconsistent, or not aligned with your business practices, your business is losing out on growth opportunities and on long-term customer loyalty.

Follow these 3 Steps to Improve Your Connection Between Brand Values and Customer Loyalty

STEP 1: Define Your Brand Values

Your core brand values are the foundation of your business’s identity. They represent the beliefs and principles that guide your business’s actions, decisions, and how you show up and interact with your customers. These values are what differentiates your brand from your peers. They are non-negotiable.

In today’s culture, it’s more important than ever to be authentic with your brand values. Think about the brands you engage with and support. Consumers want brands with a human element, not an idealized version of perfection.  

If you are looking for ideas as to what types of brand values have proven to be successful, you can find samples of core brand values at the bottom of this article by Brandfolder.

Step 2: Practice these 3 Key Aspects of Reflecting Brand Values in Your Content

Once you have fully defined your brand values, it’s critical that you incorporate them into your content in the following ways.

  • Authenticity. Authenticity builds trust. Use words that are aligned with your brand and that have meaning for your business. Write your content message to a single customer profile to build stronger connections. Avoid being opportunistic by jumping into conversations outside your values, such as social causes when you have no history of talking about. 
  • Be clear. Connecting with your audience requires your content to be relatable and easy to understand. 
  • Consistency. You want your customers and prospects to have a similar experience across all fronts when they engage with your brand. Therefore, it’s important to ensure consistency across all platforms. This includes your website, social media, blogs, email marketing, print articles, and ads. Confusion is not your friend when it comes to building brand loyalty. Consistency is.

Step 3: Strengthen (and continue to be consistent)

After defining your brand values and using them in a consistent, clear, and authentic manner across platforms, it’s time to strengthen your brand values even more.

  • Engage and listen to your audience. Listen to feedback from your audience to gain valuable insights into how your brand values are perceived. You can do this by monitoring social media, creating a survey, or simply talking with customers. Doing so allows you to adjust or fix issues by refining your content before there is a larger misperception or problem. 
  • Reward loyalty. By incorporating your brand values into your content, you’ll attract customers who are aligned with your brand. This plays towards creating a foundation of strength from the first interaction. It’s then up to you to continue nurturing relationships by following up with customers and showing appreciation such as through a rewards program. Like any relationship, appreciation goes a long way to extend the relationship.

Follow these steps in creating content that supports your brand values and you’ll enjoy the lasting benefits of sharing value-aligned content that attracts new customers, helps retain existing customers, and builds a sense of belonging, community, and connection. In other words, growing your business is also all about building relationships. And that’s a win for everyone involved.  

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh-based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Refresh Your Business 2 - printed paper on blue background with text Finding Original Creative Unique Solutions

3 Ways to Refresh Your Business

by BlogEdmiston Group
Refresh Your Business 2 - printed paper on blue background with text Finding Original Creative Unique Solutions

You’ve worked hard to build your business. But as with life, there are ups and downs. If sales have been slowing and you feel like you are losing touch with your customer base, now is the perfect time for a change! It’s time to “Refresh” your company brand, messaging, and/or product. Small changes can go a long way. To successfully refresh your brand, you need to rethink your approach to your product, story, marketing materials, and your messaging to your customers.

1. Refresh Your Brand

When a brand sells products, it’s selling a story. When consumers buy products, they are buying into this story. It is important to ensure your story stays current and relevant to the current marketplace. Keeping up with the latest trends will help you keep an edge over your competitors and show that your brand has the flexibility to better relate to your customers’ changing demands. For example, if your brand looks outdated, it is essential to review your marketing materials. 

Review your logo, graphics, fonts, flyers, and brochures. How do they look? Are they appealing in today’s business environment? Do they represent excitement or boredom? Is your messaging consistent throughout all of your branded material? (see point 2 below). You want all these items to inspire your customers while still staying loyal to your branding story.

2. Refresh Your Messaging

Your messaging is the direct connection between you and your audience. Over time, your messaging has built trust with your customers. In return, the customer will thank you by purchasing your product. It is essential to nurture your customers. By making them feel important and showing you understand their wants, needs, or expectations with your products. you strengthen your message with your audience. 

How do you do this? Ask yourself, “What are your customers or clients thinking? What are they feeling? What are they experiencing? What are they focused on right now?” 

By refreshing your messaging with the answers to these questions in mind, you can reinforce this relationship and help avoid losing a customer if your customer resonates more with your competitor.

3. Refresh your Product or Service

Do your current product offerings still solve the needs of your customers? If not, you are not fully serving your customer base. Your products need to provide solutions and customer satisfaction for where they are today. In this ever-changing business environment, your existing products might have fulfilled a niche for your company and customers for years. However, now might be the time for a new product to create additional value for your existing customers. Introducing new products is a way to bring new life to your business and allows your audience to decide which product is right for them. Introducing a new or updated product can also result in increasing your market share and your revenue streams. 

Refreshing your business is a way to show your customers that you care about them, are inspired by them, and that your company has their best interests at heart. 

If you are considering refreshing your business this spring, call the Edmiston Group at 724.612.0755. The Edmiston Group will help your business update or create a new voice and vision!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh-based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.