Clear messaging is the first (and arguably most important) element of the Business GrowthStack, and for good reason! If your message isn’t clear, your customers will have to exert more brainpower to decipher what you do and why they should care. Which they won’t do, because ain’t nobody got time for that.
But how can you actually use clear messaging? While the idea makes sense, the actual application can seem overwhelming—especially if you don’t consider yourself a writer.
Fortunately, there are little tweaks you can make to different aspects of your business to ensure your message stays crystal clear. These are simple ways you can apply clear messaging to your website, sales process, videos, and more!
1. Your Website
This one should be a no-brainer if you’ve read “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller. When it comes to clarifying your message, the first place to start is your website. (I know, I know. Your website is just a golden toilet. But hear me out! It’s still worth considering).
Your website will be the first place people visit to get to know you more. It’s where they’ll vet your company and decide whether to take that next step. For this reason, it’s essential to have crystal clear content on every website page you create.
StoryBrand is, of course, one of the easiest ways to do this. By applying the StoryBrand framework to each page you create, you’ll build a cohesive, easy-to-navigate website that drives customers to act.
The key here is to use StoryBrand on every page you create, including landing pages and thank-you pages. Many business owners focus on applying their BrandScript to their homepage but leave the other interior pages as-is. This leads to an inconsistent experience for the customers, which could send them running for the hills like the Von Trapp Family.
Instead, incorporate your BrandScript into every aspect of your website, from your contact page and chatbot to your service page and online shop. Your customers—and bottom line—will thank you.
2.Your Sales Materials
Now that we’ve gotten the website out of the way, it’s time to focus on one of the most important aspects of a successful business: the sales process. It doesn’t matter how snazzy your website looks. If you have a disjointed, muddy sales process, leads won’t convert into customers. And that’s the entire point of it all!
So how can you ensure your sales process seals the deal? Create a solid sales process and stick to it. Then use clear messaging in all your sales materials.
Take pieces of your BrandScript, such as the failure and the successful ending, and weave them into the emails you send. Try to establish empathy with the customer in the first communication. Then, after you’ve gained a deeper understanding of their pain point, offer your solution as a way to relieve it.
StoryBrand fits nicely with sales brochures, presentations, speeches, and email sequences. Don’t limit its success by only applying it to your website content. By clarifying your sales message, you’ll be able to build deeper relationships with potential customers, all while persuading them to take the plunge and buy your product.
READ: Easy Ways To Connect Storytelling Marketing With Your Sales Process
3. Your Social Media Posts
Social media is all about sharing content. So why do so many businesses forget to use clear messaging in their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter posts? It’s a question I still wrestle with today, just like why footballs are the only balls that aren’t round.
Social media is an excellent place to connect with potential customers, which makes it a prime location for showing off your StoryBrand know-how. When you create a post, don’t say something like, “Check this out!” or “Loving it at the office today.” Instead, put a little more thought into your post.
Space is limited, so you need to be strategic when choosing content for a post. Determine which bucket from your BrandScript fits the best with the content you’re sharing out. For example, blog posts often tie into an internal problem, while a picture of your team members hard at work fits better with authority.
By working these pieces of your BrandScript into your social posts, you’ll create a cohesive experience for customers across all of your platforms. And you’re more likely to get those likes and shares!
4. Your Videos
For many business owners, the thought of creating a video is either exhilarating or terrifying. And I totally get it. A lot goes into creating an effective promotional video. There’s the production, the editing, the promotion—all of which are time-consuming and intricate. However, the results you can get can outweigh the pain of creating the video. Videos are more engaging, more effective, and more enjoyable. Hands down.
The most important aspect of your video is the one too often overlooked: the script. If you don’t have a solid script, your video will fall flat. I’ve seen this happen with million-dollar production pieces during the Super Bowl and small local commercials that run during the 5 o’clock news. It’s frustrating, but that’s the way it works.
So don’t rush through it. Instead, apply StoryBrand to your video script to ensure you tell your brand’s story in the best way possible. When creating video scripts, I always follow this formula:
- Establish the problem. Explain the external problem and some internal problems that arise as a result of it.
- Raise the stakes. Focusing on the failure ending, explain briefly why it is so important to resolve this problem.
- Introduce the solution. Work in your business as an empathetic but authoritative guide to help solve the problem.
- Tease the happy ending. Now, dig into how much better life will be after they use your product or service.
This formula ensures that your scripts are clear and engaging, all while connecting with your existing BrandScript content. Easy peasy!
5. Your Promotional Emails
In 2020, email is where it’s at. And by it, I mean “sales ads.” I can’t count the number of spammy emails that flood my inbox every morning, all shouting about “big savings!” and “best deals of the year.” Strange, considering I just got an email last month that said the same thing. If you have incredible deals all the time, are they really that incredible?
While sales ads are an important part of retail businesses, there’s something you need to keep in mind: just because you’re promoting a sale doesn’t mean you don’t need to incorporate the StoryBrand Framework. You can still use your BrandScript to create an engaging story with your email—one that keeps it out of the spam folder and prevents unsubscribes.
Like peanut butter and bananas, StoryBrand and sales work together to create a delicious combo. You can use StoryBrand to establish your company as a compassionate yet skilled guide, the perfect person to help them achieve their goals. You might be tempted to keep your sales emails short, but that email will be more impactful if you use that valuable real estate to focus on the client, not what you offer.
When creating a promotional email, focus on the internal problems the sale will help them solve. Are they frustrated with their spring wardrobe and desperate for a change? Is their unfinished bathroom causing tension within the family?
If you can create content that digs into the heart of why they buy (rather than just telling them to do it), your emails will be more effective and more enjoyable to read. And your readers will certainly appreciate the refreshing change in pace from the typical “Buy now!” spammy specials.
6. Your Graphic Design
Yep, you read that right! Clear messaging can, in fact, apply to your image selections. A picture tells a story. Your goal should be to make sure that the story is the same as the one you tell in your content and not a conflicting one.
Think of it this way. If you have a visual brain, your BrandScript should draw up pictures in your mind of where the hero is emotionally in each bucket. Here’s how this might look:
- In the problem section, they’ll probably be frustrated, sitting with their head in their heads or looking forlorn out a window.
- In the guide section, they’re talking with a driven guide, and you can see the relief on their face.
- In the plan section, they’re applying your product and service, and they’re dripping with confidence.
- In the successful ending, they’re living life to the fullest, and the problem that plagued them is ancient history.
So when you write website content, emails, social media posts, or anything else using these pieces of the BrandScript, you want to incorporate imagery that matches these visual images. Pick a photo that perfectly captures where your customers are or where they want to be. Keep it simple but relatable.
So How The Heck Do I Do All Of This?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Tackling clear messaging while your plate is already overflowing with responsibility can be a challenge. Fortunately, we can handle it for you!
We have helped dozens of small businesses clarify their message and create a holistic marketing system based on the 4 crucial elements of the Business GrowthStack. By combining StoryBrand with the functionality of HubSpot, we’ll set your business up for success so you can focus on being the leader you are.
Ready to get started? Schedule a free strategy session by clicking the link below!
