Your brand story is so much more than just what you do

I’ve seen a trend lately for new digital product sites to lead off with very straightforward statements. An example structure is:

We are a _____ that does _____.

Just click around the sites listed on Product Hunt to see what I mean.

This is a fine approach as long as you have a product that prospects immediately understand, and requires no explanation of how it helps them solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity. The trouble is, it’s a rare product that doesn’t need something more than a this-is-who-we-are approach.

It seems rather lazy and arrogant. As if to say, “You figure out why we’re valuable to you.” I’m guessing that the creators are so close to the new offering that it’s easy to forget that the rest of the world has no clue why they should care.

Why is that important? Well, when you think about it, that really should be the heart of your brand story - the one clear reason why your prospects should care.

Is it really that important? Go back to Product Hunt and look at how many new offerings are being launched. And here’s a sobering thought. It’s only going to keep accelerating. Which means more and more offerings vying for the attention of our prospects.

The bottom line is that we need to tell prospects more than what we are. We need to tell them why we matter in their lives. If we do that, we won’t just earn a place in their heads - we’ll earn a place in their hearts.