How to share the brand stories of your craft business without losing your soul

It often feels like we spend a lot of time following the ‘we should be doing this or that‘ advice rather than listening to what our inner voices are telling us is right for our business. There is nothing wrong with seeking advice and guidance. However, the strategies offered are simply a starting point. At the end of the day, to make the advice work, you have to take what resonates and is relevant and adapt what you’ve learned to suit your individual circumstances. The brand stories of your craft business are there to promote your work, build customer connections, and help build trust.

By now, we all know that we ‘should’ share our craft business brand stories on our website, social media platforms, and in our newsletters, but how exactly do we do this in a way that is purposeful, impactful and genuine while not feeling like we’re oversharing?

There is no specific strategy for this; you are the strategy. You get to decide how you show up, what you choose to share and what you prefer to keep private. And that starts with being super clear about what you will and won’t share. If being seen as the face of your artisan business is a struggle, read: How to show up as the face of your craft business when you don’t like being in the spotlight.

To share the brand stories of your craft business without losing your soul:

1. Be yourself

Your stories are a communication vehicle through which your audiences can get to know and connect with your personality. Everyone’s personality is different. You don’t have to shout to be heard if that is not you. It’s ok if you’re shy, it’s ok to be selective. Equally, it’s ok if you’re bold or an open book. Whether you align with the former or the latter, sharing your stories requires an element of vulnerability, and for most of us, being vulnerable is never a comfortable space to be in. The trick is to be aware of the line between telling the stories that give your audience an insight into who you are and what you do, versus giving away every single detail. Unfold your Story, our signature storytelling course, guides you through the process of doing this.

2. Be selective

Sharing the stories of your craftwork and business without losing your soul requires setting boundaries by being selective about what you share and when, and how you share. To ensure you share the content you want to share, create a story bucket system of categories that you can refer back to, and keep you on track. Unfold your Story shows you exactly how to do this.

3. Be present

For your stories to have effect, you need to be present, not just by sharing them but by actively giving thought to how your storytelling strategy will unfold. Shut out the distractions and give yourself the time and space to truly connect to the purpose and impact your stories can have, and to appreciate why telling a particular story matters when it comes to promoting your business.

4. Be consistent

Consistency is an essential ingredient to being successful at almost anything. Consistency helps you get into a repetitive rhythm, repetition creates processes, which create ease. Again, this will look different for different personalities, working styles and circumstances. The question to answer is ‘what does consistency mean for you?’ because being ‘consistent’ by churning out content and posting multiple times a day, because that’s what you’ve been told to do, is not going to help.

Whether you are bubbly or reserved, the best way to share your stories is to do it your way. If you need help figuring out how to share the brand stories of your craft business without losing your soul, have a look at Unfold your Story, our expertly crafted storytelling masterclass for artisan businesses. Learn more here.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

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