Telling your ag company's story online will enable you to better connect with your audience, show off what makes you unique, and eventually become the go-to company for your customers' needs. 

Brand stories are what solidify your company as an important figure within your niche. They're what makes your company trustworthy and authentic, making it easier for your audience to think of you first when they’re looking for a company to work with. 

Today we're going to go through everything you need to know about telling your company's story online.

What is brand storytelling?

Brand storytelling is conversational selling. It's where you market your business positively towards your audience without directly selling to them. Any agricultural business that can tell their stories and connect with their audience successfully will get more sales and more clients.

Storytelling is an effective marketing strategy and works wonders for advertisements and digital marketing campaigns. Your audience wants to relate to the companies they're working with, which is why telling your story is an excellent way to attract more clients. 

Your brand story is so much more than just a piece of writing. It's the true uniqueness (and the heart) of your company. It's the reason why you do what you do, why you started your company, and why you want to keep doing more for the industry. 

When you compose the perfect brand story, even those who aren't your clients yet will know  what your company is all about. Show them a positive brand story and highlight the real experiences behind the company and they'll be eager to work with you. 

How do you sell your brand through storytelling?

A good story creates a link between your brand and your audience. A well-written story appeals to the reader's emotions so much that they begin to put themselves in the story. They begin to see themselves working with you.

In other words, a great brand story can convince people to work with you without any second thoughts. 

Here are five ways you can sell your agricultural business's brand through storytelling:

1. Figure out who you are

This is the first and most crucial step - you can't tell a story if you don't know what the story is about.

If you want to connect with people using your words and your brand story, then you're going to have to tell your story coherently. This means you have to avoid any inconsistencies, be sincere, and tell the truth. 

Your audience will know if you're lying about who you are, so before you start writing, take time to discover what you stand for and who your company is. 

Figure out what the company stands for by asking yourself questions like:

• What inspired you to get started? 
• Why do you do what you do? 
• Who do you do these things for? 
• What drives you to continue?
• How did you get where you are today?
• What struggles did you go through?
• What lessons have you learned?
• What makes your company unique now?

When you've answered these questions, you'll be able to start writing your story and authentically show your audience what you're all about. 

2. Know your audience

Learning about who you are is only one side of the coin. You also have to figure out who you're talking to. What is your audience looking for when it comes to your services or products? What can you provide them with, and how can you connect with them?

Find out all the necessary information you can like:

• What do they enjoy?
• Where do they live?
• What do they do?
• How old are they?
• How do they consume your content? 
• Where do they hang out online? 

By building a detailed customer persona, you'll be able to know who you're talking to at all times. 

The more information you can discover about your audience, the more you'll be able to write your story for them. 

3. Position your brand correctly

Do you want to be seen as a company that's full of compassion and always puts customers first? Do you want to be seen as a reliable authority? Are you an up-and-coming brand people need to know about?

Whatever you choose, position yourself as this from day one. 

4. Be your authentic self

We know that at times it might be tempting to position your brand as a flawless company. To create a persona for your business that shows you as a business that's incapable of mistakes. But this isn't your authentic self, and it never will be, because everybody makes mistakes. 

Your audience will be able to sense any lies or unauthentic comments immediately. This will only make them not trust what you have to say. 86% of people say that authenticity is key when working with a company and 81% of people say they need to trust a company before they work with them. So if you’re not authentic you won’t gain any trust from your customers. 

It's important to always talk about yourself positively, but you must be authentic to build trust with your customers and show them that you're human. This will help them relate more to your company and feel more comfortable doing work with you. 

After all, what's a good story without a character to relate to? You have to become a relatable character to encourage your audience to work with you.

The best way to become authentic is to talk about your business from the start. Talk about how you were founded and how it grew into the company it is today. 

Continue with all the things your customers like about your work, and don't forget to highlight your uniqueness. 

Summarize what value you present to your target audience and why they should choose you over your competitors.

5. Make your story human

Make your story more appealing to your audience by making it more human. Humans run your business, but it isn't human itself, so people are less likely to care about its wellbeing. 

But, by showing that you're just like your audience, you'll be able to motivate them to see that you're more than just the services or products you offer. You have talented people working hard behind your business. 

Doing this will create an emotional connection between you and your customers. The more they learn about the real you, the more they'll feel comfortable working with you. 

Show them what you're passionate about and show the challenges your business had to overcome to become the brand you are today. You can also add case studies and employee stories to help your audience see that there's more to your business than just a corporate exterior. 

Have you learned a thing or two about telling your company’s story online?

If you need some help figuring out the best ways to tell your agricultural business’s story online, then we want to help. 

Here at Agtivation, we help ag businesses thrive online. So get in touch with our team and we’ll start helping you tell your brand’s story today.