Branding doesn’t stop at your imagery: Imagery and photos juxtapose with clever copy to make this yin and yang that is good storytelling. Sometimes I feel like the dictionary and pen-wielding prophet over here in an Instagram world, shoutin’ about how words matter to back up visuals. Like Lauren Hooker often cites, 90% of information we take in is visual.

That means solid photography and icons bear the brunt of clear communications.

But after that? If your branding words fall flat, you’re toast.

However, you darling, are no white-bread toast, and today, I’m going to give you a crash course in 3 reasons why brand storytelling with words is important.

It’s been a “ communications best practice” since the world began.

We were storytellers before we were even farmers as a species, and our brains spend 30% of their time daydreaming. In fact, when our brains are “off” and in sleep mode, what are we doing? Dreaming. More stories.

It’s scientific.

Also, clarity attracts. Confusion doesn’t. I’ve said it before, but our brains are wired to keep the house lights on: if we don’t understand something, we don’t buy. Look at how simple Apple is. iPhones, iPads, computers. Maybe watches. Silver. Black. Easy. Pretty. Smart word branding can help you say goodbye to confused copy, and hello to clarified storytelling.

It communicates trust.

“Customers don’t buy a product, they buy a result,” Char NAME said recently. Y’all, we don’t want more stuff. We want hope. We want to trust what we buy — for this reason, being unique totally used to matter in marketing. Now? Shoot. You can Etsy and Google and Society6 your way through a zillion people kinda doing the same thing.

People narrow down purchases based on trust and connection. Storytelling matters because powerful story triggers and action or an investment. Think of it this way, if I visit your website and see that your story alligns with my worldview, I believe we have something to discuss.