How to Become Your Company's Storyteller Biographies, product histories and compelling anecdotes can lend a personal touch to any brand--and this resonates with consumers. Here's how to tell your tale.

Piles of credit card debt. Sleeping in parents' basements. David-and-Goliath showdowns. These are just some of the popular elements of startup mythology that show up on the "About Us" pages of company websites--and with good reason.

There was a time when a company's "About Us" page didn't matter quite so much: A short bio, a mission statement and boom, done. These days, corporate-weary consumers care more and more about buying locally, supporting independent businesses and owning products that are made sustainably and responsibly. They want to know the story of what they're buying, who is selling it and what causes it may support. In a business landscape where success hinges on establishing a personal connection with customers and investors, the "About Us" page has become prime real estate.

Michael Antonorsi, co-founder and master chef of Carlsbad, Calif.-based Chuao Chocolatier, knows this firsthand. "Storytelling is huge for business," he says.