As a business owner, you know that marketing is essential to your success. But what if you're not sure how to creatively develop marketing materials? One strategy you can use is the story gap.
Donald Miller, the New York Times Bestselling author of the book, Building a StoryBrand tells us about the importance of the Story Gap.
Story gap is the space between what your customer and what they want in life. It's the distance between where they are and where you want them to be. By using a story gap in your marketing material, you can create an aspiration within your customers that will encourage them to take action.
When it comes to marketing, the goal of many successful business leaders is simple - do your best to clarify your message and make your marketing material as concise as possible. Otherwise, you risk boring potential customers and losing them before they've taken action.
Start by giving a brief overview of what you do and how it benefits the customer. Then narrow down that clear message into a specific call to action, such as visiting your website or signing up for a free trial. Include another call to action at the end to encourage your reader to take further steps. For instance, ask them to share their email address if they want more information about becoming an avid user of your product or service.
Donald Miller and The Story Gap Strategy
Donald Miller has written multiple books about marketing and creating effective materials. It goes without saying that Miller has deeply influenced leaders in business and sales teams across the world. In his book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, he discusses the story gap and how it can be used to increase sales. Miller also talks about the use of a Story Gap in his book, Building a StoryBrand.
Miller explains that by utilizing story gaps you'll create what's known as "an experience" with your business. Instead of boring potential customers, you'll draw them in with an exciting event or product that will make them want to take action and reach out for more information.
Miller says that using a story gap in your marketing materials is similar to a movie preview or a television show's trailer before an episode or season premiere. By giving just enough information to pique a customer's interest, you'll encourage them to seek out more details from you instead of someone else. And don't worry about revealing too much – most customers don't want spoilers when deciding whether or not they should engage with your business!
In Other Words
A story gap is a simple way for business owners to engage with potential customers and create stories that will make them want to take action. Whether they visit your website, download a white paper, or create an account for your product, don't be afraid to get creative with the story gap. The more you give, the more customers will expect from you – which is great for business!
Why Business Leaders Use Stories These Days
A story is a sequence of events that occurs in the order it's told. It often includes characters, dialogue, and plots or sub-plots. Everyone has an individual story to tell and we use stories to connect with others and share our experiences. Stories are timeless and effective because we can visualize them in our minds.
It's easy for people to relate and imagine themselves in someone else's shoes when they hear a good story. People also enjoy hearing stories about others' experiences or their successes--especially if there was struggle involved along the way.
A story gap refers to the space between your personal narrative (the product) and how it will solve your customer's problem (needs). Every company has a story, but a story gap is a difference between what you say and what your customer hears. This applies to the marketing copy, press releases, interviews, and speeches.
Thousands of businesses every year improve their marketing message through stories, particularly, the StoryBrand Framework created by Donald Miller. Customers love to hear their own story as told by the brands they're looking for because it makes them feel understood, and this builds trust.
Many successful business leaders these days use the power of the story structure because a story is a sense-making device. It conveys information in such an engaging way that we don't have to do a lot of thinking to figure out where the message is going. In short, it's predictable, reliable, and clear.
Your customers deserve better things and that's the reason why our brand exists. When we show up with a clear story that they want to hear, your brand gets the chance to build trust and we get to invite them into a story that's all about themselves.
How To Use Story Gap in Your Brand Message
A story about how you came up with an idea for a new product is great content that tells people more about who you are as a business leader--but it doesn't tell them more about your business or why they should buy from you. In other words, there's a big disconnection between what your customers hear from you and their own experience.
Having a goal-oriented approach will help bridge this gap so that your customers can relate to and understand how your product benefits their lives. Think of your customer's problem and then think about how your product/service solves that problem.
It is important to tell people what you do, but it is even more important to tell them why they should care. Why does your business exist? What are the goals or benefits of providing this service/product?
Demonstrate in words what you sell so they can visualize themselves using it.
When explaining who you are as a company, be like informative speakers and avoid jargon. Avoid too many details that take more than a year to process--stick with the main points of why your business came into existence.
Story Gap Template Example: a Real-Life Example of How to Use Story Gap in Marketing Materials
"We came up with the idea for this business because we saw a need for something like it. Our goal is to provide customers with high-quality products at competitive prices. Our team is composed of experienced business leaders that are passionate about what they do."
"This company was started by three friends who were all looking for ways to cut down on their own household expenses while staying loyal to companies that provided them with excellent service. They wanted to find a better way of doing things and decided that the best way was through building a company from scratch."
So far, so good, right? Here's where it gets tricky: there's still not enough information being provided about the product or service that's being sold. This is where people start thinking, "Okay, I get the idea--but I still don't know what they're actually selling."
"By starting a business together, we have been able to provide people with better shipping rates and faster delivery times, as well as top-quality products at competitive prices."
Now it starts to sound a little bit more interesting because there is a clear connection between the product/service and what benefits it provides for the customer. The challenge now becomes to fill in all of those blanks about what's being sold that hasn't been said yet.
"We are passionate about providing world-class customer service and ensuring that everyone gets exactly what they want. We take pride in our business and love what we do--which is why we are so passionate about how great it feels to serve others."
It may seem like there's still some missing information, but the thing about marketing material is that you only have a very small window to get your point across. First impressions are everything, and it takes less time to explain something than it does for people to lose interest.
"Our business strategies are aimed towards making this world a better place by helping other businesses grow through providing excellent service at affordable prices. Our goal is to provide not just an e-commerce experience but also an emotional one--we want our customers to feel valued."
Now you know how to use story gap in your business strategy to make it more interesting and give customers a better idea of what the business is all about. Later that day, you should send them a story gap email and then begin the process of following up with those leads as they become customers. The first time they see your company will be your best chance at making an impression on them--make sure it's one that sticks!
"We know how hard it can be to run a small business as well as we do, which is why we don't just want to help you sell products online--we also want to help you grow. It's our goal to provide both tangible and intangible benefits, helping you manage your own company without having to worry about managing all these other things at the same time."
Don't be afraid to use your own story to relate to customers. You don't have to open up about personal details, but being relatable goes a long way in building trust with potential leads--and that's exactly what you need for them to become paying customers.
"We don't want to just sell people products, we want to provide an experience that will keep them coming back for more. We believe in a world where everybody wins and customers don't have to feel cheated or deceived by the service they receive. We don't even mind going above and beyond--we treat every single customer like a friend because we don't see you as numbers on our sales sheet. You're people who matter and whose business matters to us."
This is your chance at achieving something great! Don't be afraid to use these resources in order to take your marketing strategy from good to great when it comes time for you to start thinking about what story gap email subject lines will work best for you.
Learn How You Can Apply The Story Gap for Your Business
Join the next StoryBrand Workshop and start improving your brand's message.
In this interactive two-day workshop, you get to work with StoryBrand Certified Guides so you can start simplifying your message, create a story that engages your customers, and start empowering them to spread the word about your brand.
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