What Is StoryBrand Marketing? And How Can It Improve My Business?

The art of marketing is always changing and evolving. And the skillful brand marketer today will need to be able to use a variety of tools at their disposal to create an impactful brand story for themselves and their brand.

Marketing is one of those professions where you can never stop learning, as new technologies come out every day which require new strategies in order to stay competitive.

With that said, there are some fundamentals that will never change; such as understanding your customer's needs, delivering on your brand promises through quality products or services, and staying true to who you are as a company while still being flexible enough to adapt when the situation dictates otherwise.

It takes creativity and persistence in order for marketers today to succeed in this constantly changing world. It's so easy for many businesses today to drown in the deluge of all that's happening around their customers' minds. Enter, StoryBrand marketing.

What Is StoryBrand Marketing?

StoryBrand was founded by author Donald Miller. His company of the same name adopted a strategy that has helped thousands of companies make millions of dollars by improving their message. And you can do the same for your brand.

StoryBrand is a proven marketing framework helping businesses understand the essence of their brand message. The strategy ties more deeply into its “features vs. benefits” marketing message. Businesses that successfully implemented the message have seen incredible results and growth. Some companies have increased revenues or expanded their size by more than 40%.

Why are stories so important?

Stories create experiences for customers. The customer is writing their story in their mind as they browse through their options. In order to influence customer decisions, marketers can utilize stories within their marketing messages.

What makes the StoryBrand approach to marketing so game-changing is the use of stories told in simple terms that feel relatable and direct.      

The idea is to make your marketing messages feel like a story. Tell an authentic and relatable story in your marketing and you will attract more leads and customers than ever before.

Your story's purpose is to be an engine that helps customers make sense of what they want. The basic components of narratives make up a vivid picture that shows your customer where they are and where they want to go. Storytelling is the not-so-secret sauce of StoryBrand's marketing approach. If it feels like it takes you back to the basics, it's because you know you're going to do it right this time.

The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework: Your Complete Guide to a Clear Story

A story-based strategy is used in StoryBrand to simplify the messaging for your business using a centralized solution that puts the consumer at the center of the hero. This framework allows marketers to communicate their value to their ideal customers to increase growth. It's a tool designed to improve your marketing strategy by clarifying your message.

Donald Miller created the StoryBrand 7-Part Framework (SB7) so your brand can implement it in your marketing materials. All the stories you've loved, from your childhood to the movies and shows you love to binge-watch today follow these seven common elements:

1. The Hero (your customer)
2. The Problem (what they want to achieve/solve)
3. The Guide (your business)
4. The Plan (your solution to The Problem)
5. The Call to Action (The Hero's time to respond)
6. The Success (what The Hero's life would look like after you've helped them)
7. Avoiding Failure (what would happen if your customer doesn't choose you)

Think about timeless tales like The Lion King, Star Wars, or anything that Disney doesn't own yet, and see how this framework comes alive.

The Principles of StoryBrand Marketing

Donald Miller constructed these seven steps, not only as a guiding outline for your marketing approach, but as principles. Each of these concepts creates a clear path for your customer as they transform from someone who is just browsing solutions to one that picks you as the best option. You can apply these principles to any type of marketing campaign that you launch (a website, an ad campaign, a direct sales campaign). You can even apply it to various aspects of your business if you want to.

The StoryBrand Framework allows businesses to shift focus from their successes to the real needs of customers. It transforms the customer into The Hero and your company into The Guide. This model speaks directly to your customers' needs and makes it easier for them to share the word about your business.

StoryBrand Marketing: A Beginner's Guide to BrandScript

Creating stories in your organization is critical to long-term success. Businesses often spend hours focused on tasks that need to be completed for themselves — they forget the reason they opened their store in the first place. Building a brand is very hard to achieve, but it's not impossible. The first step to applying the StoryBrand Framework to your business is to create a BrandScript

A BrandScript articulates your company's story. It simplifies who you are, what you do, and who ‌you show up for. When you have one for your company, you can use your BrandScript as a guide for creating marketing copy, websites, sales emails, and all types of content your customers will look at once they bump into your business.

Is BrandScript right for you?

If you want to make marketing easier, then the answer is yes. All it takes is for you to decide, as a business leader, company owner, or someone who simply wants to show up to the people they want to serve. There's an entire universe of options out there for your customer. A clear message sets you apart. Grabbing someone's attention is easy, but what your BrandScript does is capture your customers' focus.

How Does StoryBrand Work in Marketing?

StoryBrand brings clarity and linear understanding to your marketing. If you have a good narrative, you can attract the perfect audience. If you're able to tell a customer-centric story on your website or email and blog, then your business will grow. A consistent message and a proven strategy are the keys to successful marketing. Confusing messages will only encourage your customer to leave, and it doesn't take much of an effort to click the X button.

People assume StoryBrand Framework is magic

It's easy to assume that when companies apply the StoryBrand Framework to their business, their clients will suddenly crowd around their website and put in their orders. But this is not that kind of article.

The Magic of StoryBrand Marketing is in the way you can free yourself up from learning complicated marketing efforts. When you have the right StoryBrand-certified agency to help you automate your sales and marketing systems, running your business will be significantly easier.

When your customers are about to pick the right Guide for the Problem, your message will be there ripe and ready for the picking.

People often assume that when launching websites their clients will “find” them and register. To get the best results, you must integrate the StoryBrand Framework with the right marketing and sales initiatives. It can take some time to go through something and make things right; we have to understand this. Organically, if people don't look for you, they might not find you. The StoryBrand Framework can surely help in driving traffic and building awareness, but these things won't happen in a snap.

How Do I Tell My Story?

Words hold power. What you're saying matters. Understanding your brand's tone and voice is important when communicating your brand's story. Keep in mind your story isn't always about you. It focuses on how to resolve your customer's problems. Take your story and give your audience an insight into your real nature by mindful marketing messaging. Your BrandScript improves your chances at engaging with your customers and creates a positive, genuine, and memorable impression.

When implemented effectively, the StoryBrand Framework creates an open story loop that can keep customers engaged in your brand's mission as they strive to solve problems. Human beings (and especially the human brain) will always crave stories.

How can I use StoryBrand to grow my business?

StoryBrand is a proven marketing framework that gives effective results for your business. It starts with traditional marketing styles and building out a mission into everything that your messaging is focused on. It's not about getting better at technology or building up my ever-growing list of marketing activities. The key to this work is clearness and following a proven framework that produces results in business for you.

How does StoryBrand marketing help my business?

Most people think about Marketing as Promotion. They portray their business as the hero when we really need to do quite the opposite. Business practices often rely too heavily on their old marketing tactics - talking about what they have done and boasting about success - not their customers.

Who would want some big-headed company to control his/her life? StoryBrand Marketing helps your business relate to your customers by placing them in the middle of everything you do. Whenever they encounter your marketing message, they will feel special knowing that someone understands what they're going through and that a way to a better life is not only possible but totally doable. It all starts when you get the right StoryBrand Guide or Agency for your business.

What is a StoryBrand Guide?

A StoryBrand Certified Guide is a qualified individual who has the ability to implement the StoryBrand Framework effectively. A certified StoryBrand Guide is a marketing specialist trained under StoryBrand's standards. Certified guides have the ability to help companies grow quickly using the StoryBrand Marketing Framework and other marketing strategies to build their marketing campaigns that work.

How is that different from a StoryBrand Certified Agency?

It takes the expertise of a StoryBrand Guide and adds more specialization to it. With a StoryBrand Certified agency, you get copywriters, graphic designers, user-experience experts, and more, all dedicated to making marketing easy for you.

Let's Get Started

ROI Online was one of the first StoryBrand-certified agencies made up of experienced digital marketing experts. Our mission is to create marketing outreach campaigns that turn leads into paying customers. We can help you connect with your target audience using content that speaks directly to their needs. Schedule a FREE Strategy Session today and learn how you can make marketing easy for your business.

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