How to Use Storytelling to BIG UP Your Personal Brand on Social Media

What does a great story do?

A great story...

• is memorable
• connects people
• builds loyalty
• helps us relate
• stands out

How can we use stories to build our personal brand?

We asked Ahna Hendrix, CEO of ARCH Digital Agency, to discuss this with us on #ViralChat.

Ahna has a natural gift for storytelling -- and she's proven it by growing her brand to over 16,000 followers.

You can read about it on her blog as well as on her Facebook page. Each week she shares a video, tells her stories and speaks from her heart.

And her appearance on #ViralChat was a huge success! Over 239 people contributed 1788 tweets during the chat. Those tweets had a reach of 2.6 million and received 130 million impressions!

So what did we want to learn from Ahna Hendrix this week? Well, we wanted to know:

• Why storytelling is receiving so much attention recently
• How storytelling has changed in the past 5 years
• How we can use storytelling to make our own writing stand out

Here’s a summary of the conversation. At the end, there's an Infographic you can print, PIN and share.

How to Use Storytelling to BIG UP Your Personal Brand on Social Media

Q1 : What’s storytelling? Why is it beginning to attract lots of attention?

Storytelling is something we do everyday, in almost every situation. No reason to overthink it because it comes naturally :) @ahnahendrix

Stories can set the tone within our business and professional relationships, turning a warm lead into a client for life. @RebekahRadice

Storytelling creates an emotional connection with Your audience, by creating a visual landscape, out of Your content. @StephenCaggiano

Q2: What's the role of storytelling in building a personal brand?

Storytelling is everything in the creation of my personal brand. Our stories make us unique, make us who we are. @ahnahendrix

Everyone has a story, but few breathe that into their branding while keeping it authentic. @Ross_Quintana

Storytelling shows people that U R REAL. People like REAL. It makes a connection faster & strengthens one's personal brand. @LaneyLiner

Q3: How did storytelling change now compared to 5 years ago?

It's tough to build brand loyalty or make people fall in love with your brand unless you're sharing your story. @ahnahendrix

Social media has allowed people to tell stories at SCALE. @askaaronlee

It's less brand focused now. It's evolved to consumer-centric, the people BEHIND the brands are who we want stories about. @LUCYrk78

Q4: How can we use storytelling telling to stand out? Any tips?

We stand out when we're personal, when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable - in a purposeful way. @ahnahendrix

Be memorable,whether it is how u relate, visual u add, or personality make sure it will resonate w/ audience u r tryin 2 reach. @JoelRRenner

Story must be compelling so that others can relate to it. Be authentic with your stories. @johnlusher

Q5: How do we know what stories to tell and connect with our audience?

It's important to take the audience into account first - what will draw them out? What will they relate to? Then plan. @ahnahenrix

Know who your audience is and listen listen and again listen. @husamerciyes

Tell powerfully transformational stories about life-changing enlightenment & how the burning #fire was lit! @jeremypmurphy

Q6: How does storytelling help people or brands build their audience in the long run?

For personal brands, storytelling offers the opportunity to let people get to know us, to learn who we are and relate to us. @ahnahendrix

A story is a journey, it develops like us, like a business. Story is a pattern that's universal and relatable. @brainwavemedi

Loyalty lies in relationships @MrsMAFoodie

Summary: How To Grow Your Personal Brand One Story at a Time

This #ViralChat went by way too quickly!! We had amazing responses from so many who participated. So much so, we couldn't fit it all in the infographic.

Everyone contributed their story and it played a role in growing ours here. We thank you for that.

Missed the chat?

Don't worry about it, #ViralChat happens weekly, every Thursday at 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific. Each week we’ll invite the most knowledgeable and influential mentors on planet Earth to come and share ideas that can help you take care of business!

Don't forget to share and pin the infographic! :)