A brand story is an ongoing conversation between a company and its customers. The phone number list brand story, on the other hand, is a foundation. It is the story of what preceded the successful blog or product. This is the story of why the company is what it is today. Compelling stories are the phone number list roots from which brand lore grows – a lesson I've learned as my (formerly pure SEO) team branched out into PR and phone number list content marketing projects. Some of our first non-link-building customers were exactly the ones you would imagine to be the first customers. They're not sexy on the face of it - not Coca-Cola, art galleries or tech companies. He is a roofing contractor, a manufacturing company, etc. Come back for the future The phone number list story of a well-known company can shape every aspect of content marketing strategy. It's easy to create a story around a multi-million dollar company that cures cancer with robots, but what can you say about one roofing contractor that sets him apart from all the phone number list other roofing contractors in his region? I popped the question before speaking with our client Ken Duval and understanding the beauty of the phone number list brand's backstory. Differentiate your brand A backstory tells potential customers who your key players are and why they are different from the phone number list men and women working for the competition. It gives your brand an organic personality. One of my favorite examples of a company that turned its backstory into a brand is New Belgium Brewing Co. Starting with a guy on a bike in Europe, this brewery has become the phone number list third largest craft brewery in the United States . But New Belgium's marketing, from its logo and social content to videos and live events, focuses on cycling, beer and quirky travel fun. New Belgium has developed its backstory into a culture bigger than beer. Define your mission Most entrepreneurs have more than making money in mind when starting a new business. (If you want to be assured of a good salary, starting a business may not be the phone number list way to go.) They are bothered by a problem that no one has solved; they see the world from a unique perspective. Bring marketing appeal Unless your founder is one of the phone number list incredibly lucky one-in-a-million entrepreneurs who has never seen failure, your story is dramatic. It had setbacks and lessons learned that brought the brand to where it is today, probably with a few quotes along the phone number list way. Especially for small family businesses (or businesses that started out as small family businesses), telling people's stories, their motivations, and their journeys is inherently interesting.