Everyone loves to say “storytelling.” Fewer know how to actually do it. A lot of brands end up telling the wrong story, or worse, no story at all.
Here are the top five mistakes I see all the time — and how to avoid them.
We get it. You worked hard. You care deeply. But if your story starts and ends with you, your audience checks out.
Make your customer the main character. You’re the guide, not the hero.
“Empowering innovation at scale.” Cool. That’s a tagline, not a story. If your brand’s “story” fits neatly on a bumper sticker, it’s not doing the heavy lifting.
A real story has setup, conflict, and resolution. Show the problem, the tension, and how you help resolve it.
Your website says one thing, your social says another, your emails sound like a different brand entirely. That’s not storytelling — that’s whiplash.
Lock down your brand voice and key messages. Every channel should feel like the same narrator.
Memes, buzzwords, TikTok dances — if you’re forcing them, people can tell. A story built on trends gets old fast.
Start with what’s timeless about your brand. Then decide which trends amplify it (and which ones just make you look desperate).
Too many brands set up a story but never land the plane. They talk about the problem, show off their values, but never make the audience feel the payoff.
Always close with the “so what.” Why does it matter? What’s the outcome for your audience if they join your story?
Brand storytelling isn’t about spinning a fairy tale. It’s about clarity, consistency, and meaning.
Avoid these five mistakes, and your story stops being another pitch — it becomes something people actually want to retell.
