Related: Find Your Why and Tell Your Story: Lessons for Budding Entrepreneurs From Gerard Adams Still, if you neglect to show your journey to the public, you could be missing out on authentic connections that could help you build a brand people want to be a part of. How Amazon shows its journey to the public Take Amazon, for example. Showing that there are real, talented humans behind your brand makes it relatable. But there’s still plenty you can do to build sharing into your daily practice: 1. Turn your company blog into a scrapbook. The brand creates original, light-hearted posts, such as “Is It Bad to Pluck Nose Hairs With My Fingers?” that feature members of its team; and that makes customers feel that they're a part of a fun club. Depending on your audience, Instagram or YouTube might also be great options on which to focus your social media presence. They will be excited to be treated like a valued friend rather than a client. Take your company live. The key is to find out what aligns with your future goals.
You’re not Amazon, so you probably can’t afford to host a global contest. But there’s plenty you can do to share as a daily practice.
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You’re the leader of a startup, so your life is filled with endless tasks: crafting business plans, designing products, delegating assignments, nurturing opportunities, analyzing data, learning from mistakes. … Even with all that, you must also make money somehow.
So, the tasks you decide on and the decisions you make can mean the difference between success and failure. It’s a wonder you can sleep at night, let alone do anything else.
Related: Find Your Why and Tell Your Story: Lessons for Budding Entrepreneurs From Gerard Adams
Still, if you neglect to show your journey to the public, you could be missing out on authentic connections that could help you build a brand people want to be a part of.
How Amazon shows its journey to the public
Take Amazon, for example. At times, it seems like a massive machine that runs itself. However, it has a special way of encouraging consumers to lean in. The way the brand does this is that it keeps its journey visible to customers and involves them in important evolutionary changes.
Last year, for example, Amazon began a contest to find the perfect location for its new headquarters. The winning city will get the benefit of thousands of jobs, a boost in infrastructure and investments that could transform the community for years to come.
Determining this new location could have been an operation that took place entirely behind closed doors, but Amazon instead documented the contest, which led communities and customers to root for — and heavily promote — their locations and follow the journey closely.
Why documenting your early days is important
While you’re probably ready to be done with the crazy adolescent period of your company, this is actually the most fascinating time for potential customers to witness. People want to be a part of the story behind a brand — to see the blood, sweat and tears that went into building it from the ground up.
Showing that there are real, talented humans behind your brand makes it relatable. Customers can see your values, passions and personality firsthand, meaning that they can identify with your mission. And when people identify with something, they want to be a part of it.
When you connect with customers in this way, you’re providing them with key “emotional motivators,” such as the desire to belong and to feel secure. These emotionally connected customers are much more valuable for your business. They buy more products and recommend your brand to friends.
3 ways to start sharing your brand, even on your busiest days
Obviously, you’re not Amazon; you can’t afford to host a global contest right now. But there’s still plenty you can do to build sharing into your daily practice:
1. Turn your company blog into a scrapbook.
Your blog isn’t just an item to tick off the marketing checklist. It’s a blank canvas, a daily opportunity to show visitors who you are, what you care about….
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