Many business leaders have one-liners in their marketing material. You've heard them all before, "the best agency in the marketing business", "we offer one of the greatest business cards available today", etc. While one-liners are often great shortcuts to convey a message quickly, they can also be pretty tricky. It's so easy for you to overdo it to the point that you're just flexing, you're no longer expressing how your brand can truly bring the solutions your ideal customers want to hear.
A one-liner can be a game-changer. It enabled our company to help clients create quality websites, come up with more cohesive campaigns, and strengthen their brand message overall. In all our years in the marketing business, we can say with confidence that having something as punchy and captivating as a one-liner can be really effective.
Everyone uses one-liners because one-liners are easy to remember and better than writing a story loop. They sound good, so many business owners tend to use them again and again. But what happens when everyone is using one-liners? Think back to all of the marketing materials you've ever seen.
What Exactly Is a One-Liner?
A StoryBrand One-Liner is an impressively concise introduction to your business. It should be between 2 and 3 statements, but not too much more than that - too much would be too complicated and oh so easy to ignore!
Brands and businesses can use this technique by creating a short pitch that tells them about what they do without having any confusing details. A one-liner should resonate with a pain point in a customer's life. It should talk about the solution they need from you.
Whenever your customer bumps into your copy on social media or lands on your website, your brand needs to deliver a marketing message that drives it home. It doesn't need to be super convincing that their money will start popping out of their pockets in awesome disbelief, but it should hit a pain point that tells customers that you have what they need.
You can start creating yours with one swift sentence: "I'm ____, and we do ___." If filling in those blanks doesn't come easy for you, then check out these examples from our recent clients:
"We showcase your property's uniqueness so buyers can recognize its value immediately."
—Turner & Rudd Group
"We provide cost-effective, FDA-approved treatments to help you live the life you've always wanted."
—The Resurge Clinic
"We provide your business with the programs and resources needed to create persuasive marketing and experiences that are scientifically designed to compel your customers to buy."
—Mindstate® Group
"We help you find the ideal home for your lifestyle and your budget."
—IPS Amarillo Homes
What's So Special About a StoryBrand One-Liner?
A StoryBrand one-liner is a simple but powerful tool for your business. It gives you a simple, clear, and memorable way to tell potential customers what you do and, more importantly, explain how “what you do” benefits them. It helps you develop simple sentences that speak to the heart of their target audience and their product or service. A StoryBrand one-liner focuses on three equally important parts:
- The Problem
- The Solution
- The Reward
In a nutshell, unlike other business one-liners, a StoryBrand one-liner helps businesses clarify their message with simple sentences that resonate with their clients. It will explain how your service solves their problem, and how you can bring the desired end result.
What It Teaches Business Professionals
The StoryBrand marketing roadmap prioritizes clear messaging. When your marketing materials look and sound clear, you can speak directly to pain points. Remember, customers listen more when you speak directly to their problems, and you don't need to pull a grand marketing stunt to do that.
When it comes down to it, the client wants to work with a business with the best elevator pitch. StoryBrand offers a framework you can follow so you can connect with customers better than your competition.
The Problem
"What problem do you solve?"
It's a simple question, but it is one that many business owners struggle with. It's not just because it seems so simple but because answering this question requires you to figure out the external, internal, and philosophical problems your business solves. When you write your StoryBrand one-liner, start by answering the question above.
Let's take this example from one of our previous clients, Turner & Rudd Group:
"Instead of passively posting and hoping, we passionately showcase your home to more buyers than anyone else through our UPSell® Platform."
This elevator pitch hits it right. Without the use of specialized platforms that put your house in front of people who are willing to buy, you can only passively post marketing materials and hope for the best. A good StoryBrand one-liner focuses on the problem of the customers with empathy and authority.
We understand how frustrating it is to take a shot in the dark, hoping for a good buyer to pass by your company's message. We've helped lots of clients through our passionate showcasing in the UPSell® Platform. That is what this one-liner is saying.
The Solution
This is where you get to tell your customer what you really do. When you write one-liners for your brand, make sure to clearly state how you can help your customer. Let's look back at this example from one of our clients, Mindstate® Group:
"We provide your business with the programs and resources needed to create persuasive marketing and experiences that are scientifically designed to compel your customers to buy."
What we love about this one-liner is the fact that it narrows its solution down to the ideal customer that would find its business perfect. It's also helpful if you'd include one line there that would make your business unique. Like if you have an entire team of experts willing to solve your customer's problem at a drop of a hat, make sure you include that as well.
StoryBrand founder Donald Miller tells us to create a tagline that clearly states what we do. You can put your one-liner on your email signature, in your business establishment, in your social media profiles, and anywhere new clients get to see your business.
The Reward
At this point in the conversation is where you get to share with customers the success they can expect when they choose your brand. Here's where you tell your customers what kind of person they can be after choosing to work with your business.
Customers want more than just a solution. Whenever they bump into your website, they are looking for that one solution that will solve tons of problems for them. When your customer wants to make a quarter-inch hole in their wall, they don't need one. They want the drill bit.
If you look further into this solution, what they actually want is to put up a shelf. And then there's one more layer into this solution, which tells us that what they actually want is the feeling of satisfaction that they have a shelf where they can put photos of people that are special to them. This is one good exercise to look at whenever you're writing a StoryBrand one-liner.
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How well can you solve your customer’s problems?
Your StoryBrand one-liner should tell your customer they're in for a transformation, one that will improve their life. Let's look at some more StoryBrand one-liner examples from our recent client, IPS Amarillo Homes:
IPS Amarillo Homes is a bridge to homeownership, providing you with the freedom to lease or purchase the perfect home for your lifestyle.
What makes this StoryBrand one-liner example so spot-on is the fact that it brings customers into the delightful results of their service.
Which Pain Points Should You Hit?
As you write your one-liner, think of all the problems life throws into your customer's day-to-day. How will your company surpass many businesses that are like you? Surely they can find the same solution somewhere else, but what makes you unique?
A one-liner does more than just establish brand awareness. It clearly states what you do and how your business creates a valuable impact on the lives of those you serve. The need for a one-liner for your brand first came about when people couldn't seem to answer a simple "what do you do" question on networking events and cocktail parties. Now that most of us aren't in conference halls and mixers, a new challenge is here, but the solution is not so different.
The corporate handshakes may have been replaced by a captivating one-liner that you put in your email signature, but the effect stays the same. Many businesses were never the same after we had to take the shop talk online. Practices may change, but the goal to stay clear will always win the day.
We Have Exactly What You Need
That in six words, sums up what a StoryBrand one-liner should look like. Now that you know how to create one for your business, make every exchange count.
There's no better way to connect with customers than by crafting an unforgettable and effective StoryBrand one-liner. Think of it as your ticket into the room - you need something that stands out, grabs attention, and makes people remember why they should stay!
Make sure what you create is super clear about who you are & how exactly it can help them solve their biggest problem so they keep coming back time after time. In this day and age, where everyone has limited attention spans, making those first few seconds count will be key in leaving a lasting impression on potential buyers or supporters.
HubSpot and StoryBrand are both powerful tools for businesses looking to elevate their marketing efforts. HubSpot provides a suite of marketing automation tools that help businesses streamline their marketing efforts, while StoryBrand provides a framework for crafting a clear and compelling message.
By combining the two, businesses can create a powerful marketing strategy that resonates with their audience and drives results. A clear message is the foundation of any successful marketing campaign, and by using both HubSpot and StoryBrand, businesses can ensure that their message is communicated effectively across all channels.
If you want to take a more proven approach to your online marketing, consider joining the next StoryBrand Workshop.
It's an interactive, 2-day workshop designed for brands of all sizes. It will give you the right coaching and guidance you need. You'll work one-on-one with a StoryBrand Certified Guide who can help you simplify your message so you can create engaging one-liners that move the needle for your business.
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Crafting a clear and compelling StoryBrand one-liner can make marketing easy for you by providing you with a strong foundation for all your marketing efforts. By having a one-liner that communicates the unique value proposition of your business, you'll be able to differentiate yourself from your competitors and make a lasting impression on your customers.
But having a great one-liner is only the first step. To truly make marketing easy, you need the right tools to execute your strategy. That's where HubSpot comes in.
HubSpot provides a suite of marketing automation tools that can help you streamline your marketing efforts and save time. With features like email marketing, social media management, and lead generation, you can automate many of your marketing tasks and focus on what really matters - connecting with your audience and driving results.
By combining the power of a clear StoryBrand one-liner and the marketing automation tools provided by HubSpot, you can create a marketing strategy that is both effective and efficient. You'll be able to connect with your audience in a meaningful way and grow your business with confidence.
However, it's worth noting that while HubSpot is a powerful tool, it can be a bit pricey, especially if you're running a small business. That's why we created GrowthStack CRM.
GrowthStack CRM turbocharges your sales and marketing strategies to turn leads into conversions 10x faster. Plus, you can set it up once and let the software run on autopilot!
