“Those who tell the stories rule the world.”
-Hopi Proverb
I think I came out of the womb spinning stories.
My calling in life should’ve been obvious from the start when the journal-hoarding began early. Even in the privacy of my young diaries, I would speak to my reader with all the confidence of a tiny Hemingway.
Eventually, I started infusing my storytelling with new mediums (making montage movies, shooting & developing photos, dabbling in graphics and collage)
&
experimenting with new platforms (where my MySpace Millenials at? Xanga kids? Livejournal lovers?)
You can probably guess where this is going, right? Yeah, I enthusiastically became a blogger as soon as I possibly could. The natural next step was curating social media.
As life online became more essential, I evolved right along with it.
I got my first big break as a communications coordinator for a small non-profit that brings sports programs to underserved areas. Specifically, their disc golf program.
I served as the event photographer at most functions and produced assets for branding, social media, and the website. I also managed the social media accounts, updated the website, made graphics + sent out the newsletter each month.
I even went with them to Costa Rica to document the installation of a 9-hole disc golf course in San Jose.
My most successful post ever for Eagles Wings garnered over a million views, and over a thousand engagements from users on almost every continent. How did I accomplish such a feat seamlessly from conception to execution? A little elbow grease and Facebook Ads. The budget? $10.
You read that right. Ten bucks and tireless grit. That’s who I am. A scrappy visionary who isn’t afraid to try to accomplish more with less. And I’ve been reverently (earnestly) honing my craft for three decades.
I fell in love with marketing because it blends psychology, business, and creativity… a few of my favorite things. But more than that, because at its core, marketing is storytelling with a capital S.
It’s Professional Storytelling.
And that is exactly what I told the marketing agency I went on to work for, where I spent the last two years cutting my teeth in agency life.
I produced copy for some illustrious clients based on keyword research, learned about SEO/content strategy from a wunderkind, and ghostwrote articles for the Founder that were published on Forbes + INC. (Articles are shared in my portfolio with permission.)
Most importantly, I learned the value of Performance Storytelling, doing persona work, and getting to know your audience so that you know exactly how to speak to them.
So, how can you make yourself stand out as a brand in an era of endless noise?
You guessed it… Storytelling!
People have an innate desire for stories. It’s hardcoded into our DNA. The art of storytelling has the extraordinary ability to forge connections and establish trust.
By tapping into this fundamental human quality, your messaging can resonate with your customers on a deeper level, inspiring action + stronger brand loyalty.
“Stories [are] up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone.”
Jennifer Aaker, Professor of Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business
People shop with their emotions.
They’ll remember how you made them feel before anything else.
Infusing storytelling with a data-driven approach will captivate your audience and optimize your marketing spend.
I can help your brand stand out and make an impact by sharing your story in a captivating way that speaks directly to your target audience.
Ready to share your story?
Bernard
Dembe (Dem-Bae)
