Building a brand is hard work, but it doesn't have to be so difficult if you know the right tools and techniques. Donald Miller's book, Building a StoryBrand will teach you how to build an amazing story that attracts customers, better than any other marketing technique out there!
Stories can help you make sense of things. You have been using stories since you were a child. In our brains, we are used to getting information from stories. When we read a new story, it is exciting and familiar at the same time. A story is like an invitation. It can feel like things are going to be exciting and interesting.
When you use stories to clarify your message, it invites your customer into a journey where they come out in the end as a changed and better individual, all thanks to your help. The book is more than just a good read, it's a great investment for brands who are looking to simplify their marketing. It takes you through the process behind creating that one-liner for your business that delivers a unique kick.
Building your brand's story is exactly what this book does. In this article, we will talk about how you can make the most out of Building a StoryBrand, what steps you can take to apply it to your business, and discover a new and improved way to tell a story that potential customers want to hear.
Customers Buy Solutions That Make Their Lives Easier
When you're building your brand, no matter what industry you're in, the story your client tells themselves about why they need your product is critical. Instead of focusing on features and benefits, focus on how the customer's problem makes their lives harder.
Help them avoid failure by telling them that they don't have to live with their problems. Clarify your message in such a way that tells them what their lives will be like when they choose your brand.
Make Your Message Predictable and Simple
Predictability is built into our brains by our need for systematizing.
Systematizing is the psychological process that helps us make sense of things by understanding how they are similar, vary, interact with each other and how new information can fit into this framework. It's comforting to think in a systematic framework even if there are variances because it helps clarify what we see or hear around us.
The problem with marketing messages that some try to make up as they go is that it's hard for the customer to put the message into a system that's already established in their brains. It doesn't clarify what you're offering, and if customers don't understand how your product works, they end up not buying it because they don't think it will solve their problem.
Plus, customers are smarter these days. They can sense useless content from a mile away. If they feel like the information in front of them has nothing worthwhile to offer, ignoring it is the most logical next step. If you feel like customers lose money every time they see your message, it's time to switch things up.
Sell Solutions Through Stories
At the core of Building a StoryBrand is the StoryBrand Framework. It's a 7-part roadmap inspired by common elements used in nearly every story. It walks the beaten path in your potential customers' minds so they can easily understand why they need your brand.
One good way to get your money's worth in this book is to understand the StoryBrand Framework. The StoryBrand Framework helps brands sell solutions through stories. All great stories follow a similar path:
There's a CHARACTER who encounters a PROBLEM. When they take the first step to try and solve it, they bump into a GUIDE who knows the way. The GUIDE then gives the CHARACTER a PLAN on how to get what they want and CALLS THEM TO ACTION. This action helps the CHARACTER AVOID FAILURE and then the story ends in the CHARACTER'S SUCCESS.
Take the exceptionally simple film The Karate Kid. If you haven't seen it yet, consider this your spoiler alert. But the bigger question is, have you been living under a rock?
In The Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, the new kid in town, gets picked on by bullies. To make matters worse, these bad dudes are really good at karate. Daniel, being the fighter that he is, began teaching himself karate. And then he discovers that he can find the guidance he needs from the caretaker of his apartment, Mr. Miyagi, a man of very few words who happens to be a karate grandmaster. Both the master and the student decide that they're going to settle the score with the bullies at the All-Valley Karate Championship Tournament.
While Daniel sought guidance from Mr. Miyagi, he learns that violence is a path to failure and the only way for Daniel to succeed is to teach his bullies what it truly means to be a warrior.
What a great story right? Now how can that help you get more customers?
In your brand's story, your customer is Danny LaRusso, the hero, the main CHARACTER. When your customers have a problem, they try to teach themselves how to solve their problem on their own before they decide to seek guidance from someone who actually knows how to solve it - this is where your brand steps in.
Your brand is the GUIDE that gives the CHARACTER a PLAN, the technique to help them vanquish the villains in their lives - wax on, wax off! After hearing about the PLAN, it's time for you to CALL THEM INTO ACTION - what's it going to be? Will you accept my help and succeed or do you want to continue living with your problem?
You can use the StoryBrand Framework to filter your brand's message and make it simpler. When you use this type of marketing messaging, it appeals to your customer's needs first, making it harder for them to ignore what you have to say. The book explains this framework clearly and it can certainly help your business make better marketing choices.
3 Mistakes Most Companies Tend to Commit
Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems. When you're hungry, you need food. In your customer's story, it can be that simple but because there are a million restaurants to choose from, you'll need to go farther than the external problem to stand out.
1. They Fail to Focus on What Will Help People Survive and Thrive
Let's take hunger as an example of a problem. On the outside, the customer just needs some food, but the internal problems they have bring more complications into the mix.
Preferences like taste, experience, and ambiance are just some of the internal problems that help customers narrow down their decision on where to eat.
To be the perfect choice for your potential customer, you need to identify what will help them survive and thrive. Solving the external problem is only the first part of your job. The other half needs to create the aspirational identity your customer wants to achieve.
One good way to get ahead of the competition is to go deeper into your customers' problems. Building A StoryBrand even helps you solve the philosophical side of your customer's problems, making sure you're streets ahead of the competition.
2. They Create Messages That Cause Confusion Rather Than Clarity
Building A StoryBrand also talks about the Story Gap, that space between your customer and what they want. The StoryBrand Framework helps your brand fill in this Story Gap by helping you identify what your customers want. But as what you often hear from G.I Joe, knowing is only half the battle. Your marketing materials need to fill this gap with clear messages and calls to action.
Your customers trust a guide who has a plan, but not just any plan, it has to be one that sounds easy to execute. The book outlines your mission to clarify your message and teaches you how to do it. If you've been having trouble reaching more customers, get a friend or better yet, an expert to look at your brand's messaging. If they don't get your offer the first time, you have some work to do.
3. They Focus on Flashiness Instead of Simple yet Effective Messaging
A direct call to action that communicates a clear message will always perform better than a flashy yet confusing website. Flashiness causes your customers to spend too many calories just to understand what you're trying to offer.
Building a StoryBrand calls us to stop losing sleep trying to impress clients with marketing material that looks awesome but has actually nothing to offer. Alleviate customers' confusion through clear and effective messages. The customers' mind already goes through a lot. When you give them a good story that helps them get what they want, it tells them that your brand is here to improve their customer's life.
Brands are failing to reach their target market because they're not focusing on the right things. They don't know how to tell a story that will engage their audience.
Most brands have lost sight of what's most important, and it's hurting them in ways they can't even see. The world is flooded with flashy marketing messages, but these tactics aren't working anymore. We need a new way forward for businesses if we want them to survive and thrive in today's marketplace!
Building A StoryBrand teaches you how to focus your brand message around helping people solve problems instead of just selling products or services. It uses stories as its main messaging method so that readers understand the importance of clarity when communicating with customers about your business offerings.
Apply The Principles of Building a StoryBrand to Your Business Today With The ROI Online PitStop
We created a coaching program designed for busy entrepreneurs to help them identify hurdles in the road so they can steer their business back on track and speed past the competition.
The ROI Online PitStop is an ongoing, interactive program designed to fit your business and budget. You will work one-on-one with a skilled, StoryBrand-certified marketing specialist who will dedicate his time to know business on a personal level.
You will learn how to plan, create, and execute a custom marketing strategy to bring your business' vision to reality.
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