Storytelling is the art of giving shape and meaning to a piece of information that is otherwise dull. And boring.

Tell a good story, you have my attention. Tell me a great story, you have my business.

When it comes to social media, the goal is to tell the great story. If you can do this, your customer will learn your values and see your worth. The great story will inspire and create brand #loyalty.

Building a brand story is not easy. In fact, it can seem rather impossible. One thing that I have learned through my entrepreneurial journey is that you do not need millions of dollars to build a brand. All you need is some creativity. Some guidance. Some time. And a whole lotta story. So…let’s get to work.

CREATE YOUR OWN BRAND STORY

First step: Know the four foundational questions to storytelling.

What do you see?

What do you feel?

What are you selling?

Would you buy it?

Here, we are going to explore each question in depth. And, here’s the thing. You already have great content. You already post on a schedule. Your social media needs just a little tweak to bring your brand story to life. —TANYA N. GILL, O.D.

Q1: WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Post only clear, meaningful images. No exceptions. We are in the business of selling clarity, so if the photo is fuzzy or dark, it will be confusing to your customer. If the photo does not add meaning to your story, don’t use it.

A good example is when your customers model frames. If they are just trying them on, it doesn’t count. Post photos only of frames that have been purchased and dispensed. Authenticity adds meaning.

Q2: WHAT DO YOU FEEL?

Let your customers know what your brand values are with inspiring quotes. Once they feel in sync with your brand values, they will begin to trust and form an emotional connection to your story. This is what we want.

Here, you will want to create quotes that are authentic to your voice and values. It is vital that your quotes reflect the mood and experience once a customer walks through your door.

Q3: WHAT ARE YOU SELLING?

The most successful posts on social media are product posts. Start taking photos of frames when they arrive in your office. You can always edit and post them later. My goal is to have a customer walk in with a photo of the frame that they saw on our Instagram. I have four basic rules for product shots.

1. Showcase your most expensive frames.
2. Choose frames that will photograph well.
3. Pop out the demo lenses to reduce glare.
4. Choose the same background. It will provide visual rhythm.

Q4: WOULD YOU BUY IT?

This is the endgame question. With a great story, your customer will likely give your business a thumbs-up.

What we are trying to avoid here is the hard “no” or the “unfollow.” So, scroll through your own social media and view it through the eyes of a brutally honest customer. Would you shop here? Would you spend your dollars here?

THE SOCIAL MEDIA TWEAK

I’ve been asked by many ECPs to review their Instagram account and offer feedback. My feedback usually involves taking your good content and making small tweaks to make the story great—tighten a crop, change the camera angle, brighten the photo, etc. A small tweak can give you very effective results. Here are a few more common social media tweaks to improve your storytelling. Because, O.C.D.

THE PRODUCT LAYOUT

Improve this post by removing unnecessary elements to showcase your product and branding. Eliminate glare by removing demo lenses.

THE INTERIOR SHOT

With interior photos, crop the photo tight to highlight small details. This will create a deeper, more intimate narrative to your story.

STOP USING POP

Tell your brand story, not somebody else’s. Stop posting perfect stock images from frame vendors and create your own original content. This creates authenticity and establishes trust with the customer.