Marketing guru Seth Godin has said that selling is less about your products and more about the stories you tell. He’s right. Humans are hardwired to crave stories, and when told well, they move us in a way that raw data and facts can’t. Storytelling’s power to create connections with consumers is especially important for brands, and the ones who can wield it well are guaranteed to stay a step (or two) ahead of the competition.A well-told brand story builds affinity and drives sales. Your story should span all of your customer touchpoints, including, of course, Amazon. Thankfully, there a number of tools and tactics that third party (3P) sellers on Amazon can use to tell their brand story with their Amazon Brand Store. Below are five that you should consider taking advantage of.

Make Every Word Count

Clear, concise writing and keyword optimization should be a key consideration when building your Amazon Brand Store, but your brand story should influence your choices as well. For example, a brand whose story is rooted in the ethos of mountain climbing should sound markedly different on Amazon then one focused on scientific research. Whether it’s copy in your brand store or just the bullet points on a standard product page, the style and tone should complement your brand story and never feel at odds with it. If you don’t already have one, consider creating a style guide to assist your copywriters with maintaining a consistent voice across all of your brand’s communications.

Choose Images That Do More than Look Good

The images on your product pages or in your Amazon store should also reinforce your brand story. It’s not just a matter of what these images depict but how. Professionally shot and art directed images––by people fully briefed on your brand narrative––will help ensure your images do more than just look good but say something too. From the hero image at the top of your brand store to the images in your slideshows and galleries, the choices of subject matter, angle, lighting, color, etc. should be influenced by your brand story.

Tap into the Power of Video

Nothing packs a storytelling punch quite like video. The rise of YouTube and all the streaming video services make that point crystal clear. As you plan out your Amazon Brand Store, lean on video’s particular power to engage people emotionally to showcase your brand story and stand out. When vetting video firms to help you create content, be sure that they have proven storytelling chops. Not all video scriptwriters, directors and producers can deliver on this critical front.

Test the Clarity and Impact of Your Story

An effective way to test just how well your brand story is coming across on Amazon is to host a few focus groups of consumers not familiar with your brand. Show them your amazon content but with your brand name and other key identifiers stripped out. Ask the participants what impressions, ideas and feelings they take away from the content. How well does their feedback align with your brand story? Are you hearing words, phrases and sensing emotions that capture the essence of your brand story? If so, congratulations. If not, use the feedback to adjust your content accordingly.

Make Sure Your Navigation Is Rooted in Consumer Insight

Now that you are telling a compelling brand story with your copy, images, and videos––make sure your customers can easily shop your brand store and discover the right products for their needs. Your navigation should be set up similar to your DTC site and be rooted in how consumers shop your products. We recommend setting up the navigation by need or “job-to-be-done.” For example, Craft Sports starts their navigation with “Shop by Sport” to get customers to the most relevant sub-category.Brand storytelling on Amazon is part art and part science. If you’re looking for help standing out from the competition, we’d be happy to chat about the many ways we can help you boost your brand story—and your sales. Reach out here.