In a world bombarded by promotional messages and clickbait, businesses that stand out are those that connect with their audience on a deeper level. Storytelling is a powerful tool in achieving this connection, and it becomes all the more compelling when it’s woven into your brand messaging. In simple terms, brand messaging is the language and emotions your business uses to express its core values, mission, and offerings.
Today’s businesses are pivoting away from the “all about me” approach to messaging, instead, focusing on a strategy that’s “all about you”—that is, all about the customer. Let’s uncover how you can realign your messaging with these three rules for storytelling.
The Changing Landscape of Business Messaging
Storytelling is universal, cutting across industries and business models. It’s true, whether you’re a non-profit, an enterprise B2B company, small B2C business, or anywhere in between. And it doesn’t matter whether you sell products or services.
Everyone can benefit from a shift to customer-focused storytelling… because people remember the story and how you made them feel. So when you can tap into the power of story to speak to what your audience wants (and how you can help them get there), you lay the foundation for a powerful relationship.
No matter what you do, or the story you’re telling, by following these three rules you can tell your story effectively.
Rule #1: Focus on the Humans in Your Audience
Your customers are human. Regardless of what you sell or who your clients are, the key decision-makers are humans. That means they exist outside of the sphere of your interactions. Because they have hopes, dreams, fears, and problems, you have to look at them holistically and see how what you do can impact the rest of their life.
When you look beyond the numbers to create personas and see your customers as people who live in the real world, you can tap into human-first marketing.
Rule #2: Lean on What Matters Most to Them
We talk a lot about making sure your brand messaging speaks to your customer’s fears and motivations. Storytelling takes it to the next level. By resonating with what they want and where they are right now, you can use the M-A-S messaging framework (motivation-agitation-solution) to tell engaging, impactful stories.
How do you get this information? You ask your audience what they want, and then you spin a story based on that solution.
And if you’re looking for more detail and my approach you can grab my Brand Messaging Makeover mini -course here.
Rule #3: Show them How You Can Help
People like to form relationships. And one of the best ways to build authority is to demonstrate that the future they want is possible with you at their side. Show them how you’re the catalyst for their success.
Your Customers are Your North Star
The key lies in understanding who they are, what they want, and how you play into helping them get there. Where traditional selling focuses on benefits and results, selling via story, focuses on the emotional ties. And it’s not an either-or situation. It’s both-and.
And, when you know where your audience hangs out, you can effectively tailor your message for the platform AND audience. It also depends on where you’re comfortable. If you exclusively communicate via direct messages or emails, then that message probably looks different, than if you’re delivering long or short-form video. But you also aren’t limited. You can repurpose your content for a variety of platforms.
The bottom line: When you use their wants and needs as a lens to tell your stories, whether in 1:1 conversations, web copy, social content, or thought leadership, you’ll come out ahead.
Want to explore how we can work together to communicate your story? Schedule a consult here.
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