the business buzz:

storytelling and branding

2025 Edition

ISSUE #2

happy coffee break week! ☕

This Friday, we’re diving deep into storytelling and how it can transform your business. Whether you're growing a brand, marketing a service, or just trying to connect better with customers.. stories sell! And the best part? You already have a great story to tell.

Before we get into this week’s updates, here’s what’s happening at Coffee Break Chattanooga on March 14:

🎤 Storytelling Panel Featuring:

• Madison McCann (SpeakEasy Productions)

• Josh Davis (Human Powered)

• Brandon Clift (ManKind Podcast)

🎶 Live Music: Eric Kirkendoll of Waxing & Waning (Spotify)🎨 Featured Artist: Lauren Paints Rainbows (Instagram)🚴 Non-Profit Spotlight: White Oak Bicycle Co-op (Website)📍 Venue: Hawthorne at The W (329 Broomsedge Trail, Chattanooga, TN)

what’s the buzz?

The Instagram algorithm is now favoring longer videos:

About a year ago, Meta introduced 90-second Reels, but they didn’t perform well.

Now, in an effort to compete with YouTube, Instagram has shifted its algorithm to favor longer videos, extending Reels to three minutes.

This is frustrating because we’re always told that algorithms respond to user behavior—but this change feels hardcoded by Meta rather than driven by audience demand.

Do Instagram users actually want three-minute videos? Maybe.Does Instagram want you to think they do? Absolutely.

The takeaway: As we focus on storytelling in our brands, we can use this shift to our advantage. While short-form content is still king, three-minute videos give us more room to share our brand’s story.

Maybe we’ll even get our attention spans back.

storytelling is your brand’s greatest asset

We don’t typically look up to brands because of the products they put out. I like to think about Toms.

Remember Toms?? The canvas slip-ons that made you feel like a humanitarian while absolutely obliterating your arches?

Toms had an amazing story—buy a pair, give a pair—and people loved them for it. But let’s be honest, the shoes themselves? Not exactly something to write home about.

The point? A great story can make people love your brand, even if your product isn’t life-changing.

Every small business has their own unique journey, and customers connect with brands that tell theirs. We can get there in a very simple way:

• Your “Why” matters - why are you doing what you are doing?

• Always document and show the processes

• Stay engaged with your audience always

I want us to get there together, so I have some homework for you. This week, post a story-driven piece of content on your Instagram (doesn’t have to be 3 minutes long unless you want algorithmic favor), then tag @socialsbydillan or @hivethink. We will be sure to share and engage.

a culture insight you can impress your friends with

I was reading the New York Times this Monday (original, right?) and saw a really interesting article about culture. I always like to learn something culturally relevant every week as it makes content virality a bit easier.

But the article talked about how Gen-Z is becoming exhausted with microtrends, which I believe goes to all generations.

What was hot today can be “so over” the next week, there are thousands of different types of “cores” and TikTok now feels like a never-ending ad campaign for TikTok Shop products. But there is a way to still stand out here and give folks a break.

• Authenticity wins. Consumers are craving real stories.

• Slow is the new fast. Long-term brand building beats trend-chasing.

what’s happening in the ‘noog?

Do people actually call Chattanooga "The ‘Noog"? I’ve lived here my whole life and always said it in my head, but never out loud. Now I have. Is this a thing? Should it be? Let me know.

Anyway, NoogaToday put out an article, “18 Murals Around Chattanooga,” and it got me thinking—our city is covered in incredible art, and we should all be taking advantage of it.

I know things feel uncertain right now, but sometimes noticing the little things, like a great mural on your morning drive, makes everything feel a little better.

Thanks for reading! 

I’m Dillan—one of the HiveThink guys and a founder of Coffee Break Chattanooga. I got my start working for one of Gary Vee’s companies, where I learned a lot about people—and even more about social. Now, I’m bringing that knowledge to Chattanooga to help small businesses grow through content, branding, and digital strategy.

Want to connect or grab a coffee? Click that big button below.

~ See you in the next edition! 🐝

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