Building a StoryBrand - Book Summary

Unlock the secrets of storytelling to transform your marketing

Humans are natural storytellers. From the ancient epics narrated around roaring fires to the latest series we binge-watch, stories shape our lives and our perceptions. Thus, if you're in the realm of marketing or sales, embracing the art of storytelling could be your golden ticket.

This narrative doesn't just captivate; it converts. By learning how to craft your very own StoryBrand, you're not just shouting into the void alongside countless competitors—you're resonating directly with your audience, building relationships that last, and positioning your product as the obvious choice.

During this journey, you’ll discover:

- why your company should never hog the limelight;

- methods to turn pressing problems into compelling villains in your story;

- and why the fear of loss often outweighs the thrill of gain in customer psychology.

Stay tuned to learn how to weave these elements into a marketing message that not only tells a story but also sells a vision.

Clarify your marketing message to directly address customer needs

Imagine you're tasked with boosting sales. An immediate thought might be, "Time for a new website revamp!" However, even the slickest of websites will fall flat if the language used doesn’t hit the mark.

Effective communication in marketing is not about flowery language or technical jargon; it’s about clarity and precision. Your marketing message should cut to the heart of what you offer by answering three critical questions: Who are you? What do you do? And why should a customer choose you over the competition?

A convoluted message can send potential customers scurrying away in confusion, taking their wallets with them. Consider a house-painting business as an example. Regardless of your expertise or the aesthetic appeal of your website, if it doesn't explicitly say "We paint houses," prospective clients might miss the message entirely.

To craft a message that resonates, tap into the fundamental, survival-related needs of your customers. Developing your marketing strategy with an eye toward these needs can profoundly impact its effectiveness.

Renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs provides a framework here — starting from basic physiological needs like food and drink, to safety, love and belonging, and reaching up to self-actualization, including psychological and spiritual growth. By aligning your product or service with these tiers, you can highlight how it helps customers thrive.

For instance, if you're promoting a house-painting service, emphasize the value of a well-maintained home in welcoming friends and fostering social connections — appealing directly to the human need for belonging and community. This angle might encourage someone to hire your services, linking the fresh paint not just to aesthetics, but to an enhanced social life.

Thus, simplifying your marketing message to reflect how your offerings align with intrinsic human needs doesn't just convey what you do — it connects deeply with why it matters to your customers’ lives.

Enhance your marketing impact with the StoryBrand 7-Part Framework

Imagine losing yourself in a gripping book or movie where hours pass like minutes. That mesmerizing pull is the power of a great story, capturing and holding attention effortlessly. Unlike the chaos of daily tweets, news updates, and random video clips which quickly fade from memory, a story—with its structured, organized information—sticks with us long after the telling.

Why? Because a story is coherent, much like a melody amidst the cacophony of life's random noises. Just as a memorable tune lingers in our minds due to its structured harmonics, a story remains in our memories because of its organized pattern.

To turn your marketing message into such an unforgettable 'melody,' you can employ the StoryBrand 7-Part Framework, also known as the SB7 Framework. This method harnesses the narrative structure found universally in compelling stories and applies it to marketing.

The SB7 Framework consists of seven elements that form the backbone of any great story:

- Character: This is your customer who wants something.

- Problem: The challenge or obstacle the character faces.

- Guide: That's you, stepping in with a solution.

- Plan: The actionable steps the customer can take, advised by you.

- Calls to Action: Clear instructions that urge the character to act.

- Failure: What could happen if the character doesn’t take action.

- Success: The positive outcome of following through with the plan.

By arranging your marketing message around these elements, you transform it from mere information to a narrative that resonates deeply. Begin by identifying the character (your customer) and their wants, introduce yourself as the guide with a plan, prompt action, and clearly outline the stakes of both action and inaction.

This script, what becomes your StoryBrand BrandScript, is your key tool. It ensures your message is more than just heard—it’s remembered and acted upon.

With a firm grasp of this framework, you're now equipped to delve into each module in detail. Let's start shaping your marketing into a story that not only captivates but also converts.

Position your customer as the hero of your story by focusing on their core desire

Every gripping tale has a protagonist: Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars," Frodo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings," Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Identity." In the story of your brand, however, the hero isn't you — it's your customer.

Understanding that your customer is the central character is pivotal as you employ the SB7 Framework, starting with its focus on the 'character' module. This approach leads you to prioritize customer needs and wants above all, making your brand relatable and your product top of mind when it counts.

Consider the misstep of a luxury resort that failed to put its customers at the center of its narrative. Its website was cluttered with irrelevant images and lengthy texts about the resort's history — information that did little to address the customers' desires or explain how the resort could serve them.

The power of storytelling in marketing lies in simplicity and focus. Instead of overwhelming potential customers with a laundry list of services, zero in on fulfilling a single, dominant desire.

This insight came late to the aforementioned resort. Once management recognized that customers primarily sought relaxation, they overhauled their marketing approach. The new website featured serene images of fluffy towels, peaceful baths, and soothing spa treatments. Text was minimized, sharpening the focus to a singular promise: relaxation and luxury, nothing more.

By simplifying the story to reflect what customers truly value, the resort transformed its message from unclear and self-focused to inviting and customer-centered. This shift not only clarified the offering but significantly enhanced its appeal by aligning perfectly with what the customers yearned for: a tranquil escape.

Remember, your marketing should not shout into the void about your brand's features or history. Instead, let your customer's desires lead and frame your narrative around fulfilling those needs. This is how you turn your customers into the heroes of your story, and it's how your brand stays memorable and relevant in their lives.

Enhance customer engagement by addressing their "villains" or internal challenges

Are you naturally inclined to solve problems? Many find a sense of fulfillment in resolving issues, whether they're inefficiencies at work or personal hurdles. If this resonates with you, you’ll appreciate the second module of the SB7 Framework, which emphasizes identifying and solving customer problems.

Mentioning the challenges your customers face is a strategic move. It not only grabs their attention but also makes them feel understood and connected to your product or service. Essentially, every story needs a villain for the hero to confront, and in the narrative of your brand, this villain represents your customer’s problems.

Consider you're marketing a time-management app. Here, distractions are your villain. These distractions are what your app helps customers overcome by showcasing how procrastination, for instance, can derail personal relationships and professional growth. By framing distractions as the enemy, you tap into your customers' desire to defeat these time thieves.

Yet, it's essential to recognize that not all villains are external. Often, the more compelling challenges are internal — personal frustrations like feeling overwhelmed or undervalued. These internal struggles can be potent motivators for seeking solutions.

For example, suppose you run a house-painting business. While your service is external (painting a house), the internal problem might be the homeowner’s embarrassment about their home’s shabby exterior. If you market your service as a way to conquer this internal shame, you make a powerful connection that goes beyond the practicalities of painting.

You're no longer just offering to paint a house; you're offering to elevate the homeowner's self-esteem and social standing.

Thus, by addressing both the internal and external problems, your product or service becomes irresistibly relevant. Remember, customers often act not just because of objective needs but because of emotional impulses. By positioning your brand as the solution to these internal villains, you not only solve a surface issue but also resonate on a deeper, more personal level. This approach fundamentally enhances how customers perceive and engage with your brand.

Become the trusted guide for your customers by showing empathy and authority

In nearly every classic tale, the hero faces a daunting challenge. Luke Skywalker confronts the dark side after a devastating loss, while Frodo Baggins endures the unbearable burden of the One Ring. At their lowest, they find guidance from characters who are crucial to their journeys. Yoda guides Luke with his wisdom, and Gandalf aids Frodo with his strength and counsel.

In the narrative of your brand, your role is similar to that of Yoda or Gandalf — you are the guide. As a business, you are positioned to help your customers navigate through their challenges and achieve their goals.

To effectively embody this role, you must project two key qualities: empathy and authority.

Empathy shows that you understand and share the feelings of your customer. It's about connecting on a human level, acknowledging their struggles, and resonating with their experiences. This emotional alignment forms the bedrock of trust and assures your customers that you genuinely care about their welfare, not just about making a sale.

Authority, on the other hand, is demonstrated through your expertise and competence. It reassures your customers that you are well-equipped to help them overcome their obstacles. Authority isn't about being superior; it's about showing that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to guide them to success.

Consider the example of Infusionsoft, a marketing company that effectively uses its website to project both empathy and authority. It doesn’t just claim to understand the challenges faced by small businesses; it shows understanding through tailored solutions. Furthermore, it establishes its authority by showcasing the satisfaction of 125,000 users and its numerous awards — evidence of its competence and reliability.

By effectively displaying empathy to connect with customers and authority to earn their trust, you position your business as the ideal guide in the narrative of your brand. Now, with the characters defined and the guide in place, you are ready to delve into the unfolding plot of your brand's story.

Smooth the path to purchase with a clear process plan or an agreement plan

Suppose you've succeeded in positioning yourself as a trustworthy guide for your customers. They respect your expertise and they trust your brand. Nevertheless, trust alone doesn't guarantee a sale. The next step is to ease any lingering hesitations by outlining a clear, straightforward plan. Think of it as providing stepping stones to help them cross the creek without getting their feet wet.

In the realm of marketing, these stepping stones can be envisioned as either a process plan or an agreement plan. Both are designed to clarify the buying process, making it as easy and risk-free as possible for your customers.

First, let's explore the process plan. This approach involves mapping out the steps customers need to take, either to purchase or to use your product effectively. The clarity you provide here can greatly ease customer anxieties about the unknown and can be critical in boosting conversion rates.

Imagine you run an online store specializing in storage solutions. A potential customer browsing your site might feel overwhelmed by options and unsure about what would fit their needs. A clear process plan on your website could guide them through the necessary steps to ensure a satisfactory purchase:

- Measure your space: Provide simple instructions on how to take accurate measurements.

- Choose appropriate components: Help them select parts that fit their space correctly.

- Installation guide: Offer straightforward, do-it-yourself installation instructions.

By articulating these steps, you make the buying process less intimidating and more accessible, increasing the likelihood of a purchase.

The second approach is the agreement plan. This strategy revolves around alleviating purchase fears by offering guarantees or promises that remove perceived risks. An exemplary model of this is CarMax, which transformed the car buying process by implementing a no-haggle, no-pressure sales environment. Their assurance that the customer won't have to negotiate or settle for a vehicle that doesn't meet their standards addresses major concerns head-on, making the decision to buy much easier.

By laying out either a process plan or an agreement plan, you effectively build bridges that facilitate customer transitions from interest to purchase. This not only enhances customer experience but directly impacts your sales positively by reducing the friction typically associated with making a purchase decision.

Drive sales with strategic calls to action, both direct and transitional

You've nearly perfected your storytelling strategy, guiding your customers right to the verge of making a purchase. Now, the final, crucial step is to encourage them to take that leap.

Consider this: the average person encounters about 3,000 ads every single day. To ensure your message doesn’t just blend into the background, you must be explicit in what you want your customers to do next. Passive strategies simply won’t make the cut in such a crowded marketplace.

There are two primary types of calls to action that can effectively motivate your customers: direct calls to action and transitional calls to action.

Direct calls to action are straightforward and imperative. They are designed to elicit an immediate response. Phrases like “Buy Now,” “Sign Up Today,” or “Start Your Free Trial” are direct commands that leave no room for ambiguity about what steps your customers should take next. To maximize their impact, these buttons or links should be prominent on your website, reiterated across different pages to catch attention at multiple points in the customer journey.

On the other hand, transitional calls to action serve a different purpose. They are used when customers are not quite ready to commit to a purchase. The aim here is to keep the relationship warm, ensuring that your brand remains top-of-mind when they are ready to buy. This can involve offering something valuable yet free, like a downloadable guide, a webinar series, or even an interactive tool.

For example, if you run a web design service, offering a free PDF on the top ten web design mistakes can provide immediate value to potential clients and establish your expertise, without requiring them to commit to a service plan right away.

These nuances in calls to action not only help in converting prospects into customers but also play a crucial role in building long-term relationships. By strategically deploying direct calls for immediate conversions and transitional calls to nurture potential leads, you effectively cater to different segments of your audience, maximizing your chances of success in a competitive market.

Use the fear of missing out to boost customer motivation

Everyone loves a happy ending, but it’s the threat of a dire outcome that often keeps us turning the pages of a suspenseful novel or glued to our screens during a thrilling movie. This underlying fear—that things might not end well for the characters we’ve grown to care about—is not just a device for storytellers; it's also a powerful tool in marketing.

Behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman's insights from 1979 are particularly relevant here. He highlighted that the pain of losing something is usually more impactful than the joy of gaining something of equivalent value. Loss hurts more than gain satisfies. This principle can be directly applied to how you frame your marketing strategies, especially in emphasizing what your customers stand to lose if they don't make a purchase.

For example, if you run an insurance company, your campaigns might do well to focus not just on the benefits of being insured but on the stark realities of remaining unprotected. Visuals of unfortunate events, like a burglary or a natural disaster, paired with narratives that show how insurance could mitigate these risks, can resonate deeply. The message is clear: not buying insurance could lead to considerable financial and emotional loss.

Similarly, if you’re a financial advisor, illustrate the pitfalls and losses of navigating the investment landscape without expert guidance. Emphasize the risks of hidden fees or suboptimal financial strategies that could erode one's savings. By painting a vivid picture of these potential losses and positioning your services as a safeguard, you heighten the appeal of choosing you over risking an unfortunate outcome.

Thus, leveraging the human tendency to strongly avoid losses can make your offering not merely an option but a necessity. This approach not only drives home the value of your product or service but also plays on the innate human behavior of avoiding negative outcomes, thereby enhancing the urgency and desirability of your offerings. As you perfect this strategy, it sets the stage to define what success looks like with your brand, the final piece in completing your compelling brand narrative.

Inspire your customers by painting a vivid picture of success with your product

Stories captivate us not just because of the intense emotional journeys they portray, but also because they hold a mirror up to our deepest fears of failure and our loftiest aspirations for triumph. It's this same dynamic that can powerfully drive customer behavior toward a purchase. After illustrating what they stand to lose without your product, it's crucial to show them the transformative power of acquiring it. This is where you portray the 'success' — the ultimate happy ending that your product promises.

Take Nike, for instance. They don't merely sell sneakers and apparel; they sell a vision of personal victory and athleticism that encourages people to believe in their own potential for greatness. So, how can you replicate this kind of inspiration in your marketing strategy?

There are three potent approaches to presenting this vision:

The first is Status Enhancement. Just like in those classic tales where the underdog emerges victorious and revered, your product should elevate the perceived stature of your customers. For example, offering exclusive membership benefits can make customers feel privileged and honored, thus enhancing their social status.

The second approach revolves around Completeness. Everybody seeks a sense of fulfillment and completion in their lives, which often drives their decisions and preferences. Whether you’re selling a tech gadget, a skin care product, or even dish soap, the key is to show how your product brings a sense of completeness and satisfaction. Showcase how life is simply better, easier, or more enjoyable with your product in it — that without it, something crucial is missing.

The third strategy is to enable Self-Acceptance and Realization of Potential. Help your customers see that your brand understands and accepts them as they are. American Eagle’s approach of using real people in their advertisements, imperfections and all, resonates with this idea. It's about promoting authenticity and encouraging customers to embrace themselves, flaws included.

By employing these strategies, you provide more than just a product or a service; you offer a pathway to a better version of oneself or one's life. It's these deeper, emotional connections that not only drive purchases but also foster loyalty and passion for your brand. This vision of success is what compels customers to choose your product over others and stay committed to your brand.

Final summary

Maximize your marketing impact with the StoryBrand 7-Part Framework. This powerful strategy leverages the essential elements of storytelling — character, problem, guide, plan, calls to action, failure, and success — to craft compelling brand messages that resonate deeply with potential customers. By aligning your marketing narrative with these universal story components, you can effectively communicate how your brand understands, guides, and empowers customers, leading them towards making confident purchase decisions.