It’s almost embarrassing how often StoryBrand crosses my mind while I’m out and about. It’s like once you learn about storytelling in marketing, you can’t unlearn it!
The marketer in me can’t help but analyze other marketing – billboards, flyers, TV ads, etc. I like assessing whether it’s reaching its audience and telling a story (or not).
These are the five quick StoryBrand-based questions I ask myself every time I’m analyzing a piece of marketing (whether someone else’s or my own).
- What is it? It’s amazing how many times it’s not clear what is being promoted.
- What do they want me to do? The call to action needs to be clear. If I decide I want the product or service, I need to know exactly how to get it.
- How will this make my life better? Every product or service needs to bring improvement or success to the person who purchases it.
- Who is the hero? Is it the business or the consumer? Small tweaks can change the business’s positioning so that it is the guide – a much more compelling role to the customer who wants to be the hero of their story.
- Is it clear what problem this solves? If your business doesn’t solve a problem, it shouldn’t be in business. Customers are looking for solutions; make sure you are clear on how you can help.
Some people mistakenly believe that you need lots of words to express all these things. Not true! These questions can be answered with words, pictures, sentiments, and more. The connection between the elements is what tells a story, not just the words.
Even then, you don’t have to answer all five questions fully to have a good piece of marketing. Depending on your medium, you may be limited. If that’s the case, make sure you’ve infused your other assets with the elements from these questions so that – as a WHOLE – your marketing is telling a story.
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