You Need a Better Story

All successful businesses tell a story about why they will make your life better. When a company doesn’t have a narrative, consumers are confused about what is being sold. When a proper story is told, consumers are bought in. Nike, the king of storytelling, reminds us to just do it, Hinge is the dating app to be deleted, and Disney is where dreams come true. These business brands connect us to an idea (tied to a product offer), a possibility (the solution or value proposition), an experience (a feeling), and that’s what stories do - inspire emotions.

Sadly, I’ve seen numerous companies waste time and money not clarifying why their service or product is worth investing in. Story marketing creates a consistent campaign connecting your brand to your audience, which in turn grows customers and your audience. This connection is rooted in an emotional tie and should center around your culture, the experience you offer, your clients or customer, how you enhance their life, or what problems you solve.

Your customers care that you want to add value to their lives. Don’t we all want added value in our lives? Businesses need a compelling story inspiring an emotional connection that creates a hook. Every good story has an angle. And we don’t remember all the details in a story, but we do remember how the story made us feel.

So, if you are a business committed to sustainability, that’s great! But what emotional tie does that commitment create? Do your sustainability efforts tie to a community in need or speak to a legacy of a family who sustained the land before you did? Where is the human connection in your commitment? Where is your hook?

Or, are you a company that is committed to hospitality? Are you enhancing your customer experience by solving a problem? Are you highlighting only the business, or are you focused on relating to your customers and how to enhance their lives and make it better? Do you offer a home away from home, a family to take care of my family, a bed that will let me sleep like a dream? Help me solve something, experience something, feel something, and I will return.

You don’t need another marketing tactic; you just need a better story.