You’ll often hear me talking about the importance of telling your story and how to do it effectively.
I recently shared this video going through finding the right story to tell at a high level.
Prefer the reader’s cliff notes? Here goes.
That means finding an effective way to tell your story everywhere you show up — your messaging, copy, sales pages, blogs, and social content.
But, if you’re telling it only from your perspective, you’re missing out. Instead, it’s better to consider what it means to your audience
That means you must find common ground between what your audience wants and what you want as a brand or business.
So how do you find out what they want? Well you dig into who they are and how they talk about things by
- Listening to customer conversations
- Analyzing reviews
- Paying attention to how customers introduce you or your company.
It’s kind of like a Venn diagram where one side is your audience’s perspective and the other is who you want to be as a company.
The middle section? That’s where you develop an authentic brand story that resonates with the target audience.
Think about it from a Story Brand standpoint.
Your audience or target client is the main character in their story. They’re going about their life when they encounter a roadblock.
Then a guide steps in to help them solve the problem. (That’s you.)
Afterward, your client can continue on with their lives.
So to tell your story, you have to figure out what your audience’s story is so you can show them why your solution is the one they need.
Ready to dive in yourself? Here’s where you can start to find your audience’s story!
- Conduct audience research: Take a deep dive into understanding the target audience and ensure that the people you think are your customers are indeed your customers. Test your story with the audience to ensure authenticity.
- Listen to conversations: Pay attention to what customers are saying about their problems, solutions, and experiences. Take notes, review recorded conversations, and gather voice of customer data.
- Look at reviews: Examine reviews, both your own and those of your closest competitors, to understand how customers talk about their problems.
- Identify commonalities: Find commonalities among your customers, such as their titles, businesses, or shared problems, and see how they align with your business.
Set up YOUR side of the Venn Diagram
But that’s not all…Now it’s time to draw your line in the sand!
- Define what you want to be known for: Identify what you wish people knew about your business, the services you offer, the problems you believe you can solve, and what you want to be known for.
- Determine non-negotiables: Identify the core values you are never willing to sacrifice, both in client relationships and in your business.
- Define how you want to make people feel: Determine how you want your audience to think of you and how you want to make them feel, whether it’s capable, as a partner, or another desired perception.
Next Steps for Your Brand Messaging
- Align the two sides of the Venn diagram: Find the common ground between what the audience wants and what you want. Align your understanding of the audience with your own goals and values.
- Audit existing materials: Evaluate your existing content, such as brand messaging, storytelling, website copy, and content strategy, against the common ground identified in the Venn diagram.
- Hone in on the brand story: Use the findings from the Venn diagram and the content audit to refine and improve your brand story, ensuring it aligns with the common ground and resonates with your audience.
Ready for help?
Reach out to me to find out how we can work together!
Want to skip to a specific section?
Here’s a quick overview of what to expect and where to find it.
Chapter 1: Introduction to Telling Your Story
Timestamp: 00:03-00:30
Content: Introduction to the topic of telling your story and the different elements involved, such as creating copy, sales pages, and LinkedIn content.
Chapter 2: Understanding the Anatomy of Your Story
Timestamp: 00:33-01:15
Content: Exploring the different components of a story, including the beginning, middle, and end, and emphasizing the importance of considering the perspective of the audience.
Chapter 3: Resonating with Your Audience
Timestamp: 01:15-01:29
Content: Discussing how to tell your story in a way that connects with your audience and turns them into superfans from the start.
Chapter 4: The Venn Diagram Approach
Timestamp: 01:29-07:47
Content: Introducing the Venn diagram method for aligning what the audience wants with what you want in order to develop a compelling brand story.
Chapter 5: Conducting Audience Research
Timestamp: 02:36-04:22
Content: Explaining the importance of audience research and providing tips on gathering insights from conversations, reviews, and customer feedback.
Chapter 6: Defining Your Business’s Story
Timestamp: 05:09-06:34
Content: Identifying what you want your business to be known for and understanding your role as a character in the audience’s story.
Chapter 7: Aligning the Two Sides of the Venn Diagram
Timestamp: 06:34-07:47
Content: Finding common ground between what the audience wants and what your business offers, and discovering key themes that resonate with both sides.
Chapter 8: Auditing Existing Content
Timestamp: 07:47-08:54
Content: Evaluating existing materials and content against the Venn diagram to ensure alignment with the brand story and messaging.
Chapter 9: The Story Brand Approach
Timestamp: 08:54-10:41
Content: Discussing the Story Brand framework, which involves a main character facing a problem and being helped by a wise guide (your business) to overcome it.
Chapter 10: Communicating Your Role in the Story
Timestamp: 10:41-11:51
Content: Understanding how to communicate your role as the wise guide who helps the audience overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.
Chapter 11: Listening to Customer Language
Timestamp: 11:51-12:43
Content: Emphasizing the importance of listening to customers and understanding how they talk about their problems which can inform your brand story and copy.
Chapter 12: Conclusion and Further Resources
Timestamp: 12:43
Content: Wrapping up the discussion and offering further assistance, including the opportunity to reach out for more information or visit the speaker’s website for additional resources.
Note: The timestamps provided are approximate and may vary depending on the speed of the speech and any pauses in the conversation.
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