So you want something…
…to reach more customers and improve your marketing!
Whether you’re looking to grow your business or improve your own career prospects, I think “Building a StoryBrand” by acclaimed author Donald Miller will give you a powerful approach to improving your communication.
Because actually you have a problem: your messaging is confusing for many, and not attention-capturing for most hearers.
The guide with the plan
The first mistake brands make is they fail to focus on the aspects of their offer that will help people survive and thrive. All great stories are about survival—either physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual. A story about anything else won’t work to captivate an audience. Nobody’s interested. This means that if we position our products and services as anything but an aid in helping people survive, thrive, be accepted, find love, achieve an aspirational identity, or bond with a tribe that will defend them physically and socially, good luck selling anything to anybody.
Donald Miller, Building a StoryBrand
Miller provides an incredibly clear structure for how to craft a brand’s message: the archetypal hero’s journey!
He points out that customers are self-interested and short on attention.
The way to communicate the value of your service to them is not by talking about yourself, but by focusing on the customer as the hero. Zeroing in on their external needs and internal needs and aspirations. And when you do talk about yourself, it’s only as the guide in the customer’s journey.
See the simple arc here:
Your actions determine your results
At this stage, you might be rolling your eyes at how simple or familiar this advice is.
But look at your website. Listen to yourself giving your elevator speech. Look at your recently-published email or blog content.
Where’s the focus?
Even if it is on the customer meeting their needs through your product, “Building a StoryBrand” will likely still have significant constructive criticism.
Using case studies, science, and engaging stories, Miller walks the reader through tactical and philosophical approaches to improving
- Your elevator pitch
- Your brand one-liner
- Websites and landing pages
- Email drip campaigns
- Customer testimonial gathering
- Referral programs
For example, here’s a list of his suggestions on eliciting testimonials:
Here are five questions most likely to generate the best response for a customer testimonial:
1. What was the problem you were having before you discovered our product?
2. What did the frustration feel like as you tried to solve that problem?
3. What was different about our product?
4. Take us to the moment when you realized our product was actually working to solve your problem.
5. Tell us what life looks like now that your problem is solved or being solved.
StoryBrand can give you power
The above notes scrape the surface of this book.
For small business operators, marketers, and even individuals interested in personal branding, Building a StoryBrand provides a cohesive over-arching strategy based on what works, and a wealth of actionable tips to start making improvements to your communications immediately.
Verdict: 5/5, highly recommend.
Learn more
Read more about the book here: “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller
Watch a summary here:
Patrick Weeks 