The importance of personal branding: a reminder on National Twin Day

Brand storytelling brings your brand to life evoking emotion that connects your brand to consumers.

Businesses can learn a lot about highlighting their uniqueness and humanizing the brand by studying twins. While some twins embrace the mystique of being indistinguishable, most thrive by making themselves known as individuals-embracing their own personal brands. They recognize early on that while they may look like someone else, there are special qualities that they alone can bring to the table that resonates with themselves and others.

As a twin myself, I learned early in my life how easy - and occasionally frustrating - it is to be frequently compared to someone else with few recognizing the subtle differences and personality cues that truly make us unique. This resulted in a researched focus and amplification of special skills and talents that I alone could bring to the world.

The same challenge exists for many businesses that, upon initial glance, look identical to their competition.

So, how do we stand out in a compelling way as experts and as organizations? Storytelling.

Stories grab attention in today’s crowded landscape. They bring your brand story to life while highlighting unique differentiators for buyers making your business up to twenty two times more memorable. The best stories are authentic- tell your own story and emotionally connect with your audience. Simple engaging stories told from the lens of the customer help convey your culture/values and can be a powerful way to have influence, teach and inspire.

Today’s buyers are more discerning. They aren’t just buying from anyone, rather they want to feel emotionally engaged and connect with a brand. Stories are a fundamental human experience that unites people and drives stronger connections. Your audience wants to feel something, especially after the past two years. Chic-fil-A pivoted with the times reaching customers with it's recent red couch and #thelittlethings campaign, but has also used humor to resonate with their audience.

Geico and Allstate are examples of brand storytelling at its best. Both are selling similar services, but they have embraced different approaches in telling those stories connecting with their audiences in award-winning ways. Look at how Nike and Apple tell their stories for inspiration.

What makes your brand unforgettable? What story are you telling that’s helping your brand stand out? Are you prioritizing what your customer truly wants or needs to hear?

The better we are at telling stories in business and in life, the better we are at setting ourselves apart.

For twins, perhaps we tell our story visually through individual personas, personalized wardrobe selection, different haircuts or by messaging that highlights personalities and skill sets.

For businesses, it could be repurposing your story through targeted speaking engagements, your CEO's social media presence, or compelling thought leadership that makes your company stand out in a crowded marketplace.

My twin and I are both storytellers. She’s a successful songwriter with a gift for melodies and lyrics, while I build powerful brands for corporations and trusted personal brands for executives. Though we're in different industries, we both took our childhood learnings and focused on how to reach our audiences with intentionally chosen words and images in the stories we tell in our careers.

Now more than ever before customers are looking for organizations that stand above the noise with a clear story that illustrates how they will help them overcome challenges and grow.

Take some time to celebrate the unique gifts you bring to the table. We all have a story to tell😊!