Sharing your story with your audience is a good way to build a following for your website and to stand out from the crowd. The tips I share here are applicable to a blog, a small business website or any other business.
Once people know about your background and experiences, it creates a sense of trust and comfort which reflect in their interaction with you and your site.
This result is natural. People don’t share their experiences and stories with everyone, and do not expect others will share their experiences with them. When you do, you immediately fall in a special group for your audience. They feel comfortable with you and feel like they know you personally.
Write your story in a way that is interesting to your target audience and leaves an impact on them.
What stories create an impact?
- Success despite the odds: Have you achieved something even when the odds were stacked against you? That is a story people will want to hear, share and experience themselves.
- Passion: How you got interested in what your website is about? How you are living your dream?
- Solving a problem: Have you helped someone by solving their problem. A story like this can help you come out as a hero.
But I don’t have a story!
You do, you just don’t realize it. May be it happened a few years ago, may be it happened when you were too young. You just have to think harder.
The story may not necessarily be something that happened to you, it can also be something that you have observed.
Finding your story
To find your own story, think on these lines:
- What decision you took to get to where you are currently?
- What makes you the person you are today?
- What are you passionate about?
- What are your goals and ambition?
Advantages of sharing your story
Get mind share: People will know more about you. The more they know about you the more they think about you. As you capture more mind share, it will be more difficult for your audience to forget you and your brand.
Strike a chord: When you share many details about yourself, often people will find some parts of the story that resonates with them, may be they have gone through a similar experience or know someone who has gone through a similar experience.
More sales and affiliate commissions: Once people know you, it’s like dealing with a friend. Your audience will feel more confident taking your recommendations or buying your products.
Easier to build connections: You can approach more people to build a network. People can see who you are and you have nothing to hide. They will be more willing to talk to you when you approach them.
Cause for change: If your story is one of achievement, success, or overcoming hardship; it will motivate your readers to take action and improve their lives.
Get more shares: It is more likely that someone will share your story rather than your product. People don’t share products as often as they share stories.
Word of caution
Only share what you are comfortable sharing. Once you put something online, it is for everyone to see (friends, family, employees, employers, and everyone else you don’t know now but will encounter in the future). Do not share things that can embarrass you in the future. Some questions to consider before sharing your story
- Is there any downside of telling this story?
- Would I hurt someone by sharing this story?
- If your story has an emotional aspect to it, have you recovered from it enough to share it?
- Will you feel ok if your mother knows about it? ( always a great question to ask)
If you are not sure about sharing something, do not share it.
Take action now
- Write your story and post it on your blog or company site.
- The ‘About” page is a good place to add your story. If you don’t have one, create one.
- Leave your story in the comments section of this article for others to see.