This week we are starting to think about sharing your story with the world…
Looking at the importance of storytelling and creating a marketing strategy and exploring questions such as
How will you share your story with potential customers?
What are the best methods for doing this for your particular business?
If you plan on using social media, what are the best platforms to use?
If word of mouth will be important how will you build a network and get people talking about and endorsing your business?
Do you need specific marketing materials? If yes what are they e.g. flyers, banners, professional photos of your work etc
What else do you need before you can start marketing your business? E.g. logo, business email etc
storytelling
What is Storytelling?
Storytelling describes the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment.
Storytelling for your Business
Storytelling for your business involves using fact and narrative to communicate something to your audience.
Storytelling for your business should be emotional and engaging, it should represent what your brand stands for and connect your business with your customers. It isn’t a sales pitch, advertisement or any article. Storytelling is a powerful tool for promoting your business, as we discussed in week 4 people make purchases today based on why rather than what you are selling. Storytelling will help you to effectively communicate that ‘why’ to your customers.
Stories simplify complex messages, make things seem tangible and real and help people understand complex concepts. Everyone understands stories, stories can bring together and create a sense of community. Using storytelling for your business can help humanise your business helping consumers to connect with you and your business, which in turn will help to drive sales and create brand loyalty longterm.
How to tell your business story effectively
People
Feature real people (probably yourself) in your business story to help your audience empathise and relate to your brand making them more likely to make a purchase
Conflict
Include a point of conflict if possible, a challenge that’s overcome to help your audience connect through a relatable experience
Resolution
Don’t forget to finish your story, your resolution should conclude the story and provide context and leave your audience with a call to action
Remember these 3 Key Points
AUTHENTICITY
Authentic storytelling is key to gaining consumer trust. Customers know when something isn’t true or authentic. Your business story doesn’t need to be elaborate, a genuine narrative that shows the human aspect of your brand is more likely to connect with the audience than an over the top tale.
CLARITY & FOCUS
Keep your story focussed so you don’t lose the attention of your audience, with a clear outcome.
CONSISTENCY
Make sure your brand story is consistent across all communication channels. Know the story inside and out before presenting it to customers. This will help you tell the story naturally.
Some Other Points to Consider When Writing Your Business Story
Know Your Audience
Looking back to week 4 and your target audience and customers have a think about who will want to buy your product or service and therefore who wants to hear your story?
Define Your Core Message
We have done a lot of work in previous weeks defining and understanding our business ideas. For your business stories you should have a core message, what is the point of your story? E.g. do you want to tell people about yourself? Impart knowledge or educate others?
Think about how you are going to share your story
Are you going to write a blog? Write an about section for your website? A profile for your social media? Create a video or social media post?
Make sure you include a call to action
What do you want your audience to do after? Follow you on social media? Sign up to your newsletter? Attend an Event? Or buy a product? Make sure this aligns with your core message and you include this information in your your story e.g. newsletter sign up link, ticket buying link
Think About Including Your Customers in Your Story
People like to be a part of stories. Your customers can be characters in your business story. Come up with ways to get your audience involved.
Remember to include Challenges in Your Story
Include some of your challenges and failures in your story. This creates an emotional connection and can show some of your strengths such as innovation, creativity, communication and resilience
Consider Showing Your Process
Showing the process of your business, behind the scenes and explaining how things are made/done can add interest and show the human side to your business story, helping consumers connect with your brand.
Don’t forget to Promote and Share Your Story
Make sure you don’t waste the effort by creating your business stories by sharing as widely as possible using all the suitable platforms you have available. Think also about other mediums such as guest blogs, sending out a press release and posting on publications
Remember Your Business Story Grows & Changes With Your Business
Telling the story of your business is an ongoing process. Your business constantly shifts and changes and grows and your story should reflect this.
Putting Together Your Marketing strategy
Effective marketing starts with a well-informed marketing strategy.
What is a Marketing Strategy and how is it different from a Marketing Plan?
A ‘Marketing Strategy’ is your business’s plan for attracting customers by communicating it’s benefits and key differentiators. It sets the overall direction and goals for your marketing. It will inform your marketing plan and include details on how you will meet your business goals and vision and how you will bring your business to market. Whereas your marketing plan outlines the specific actions you will take to implement your marketing strategy.
What to include in your Marketing Strategy
Your marketing strategy will include many of the elements we have covered in previous weeks including:
Your business goals and vision
Your marketing goals
A description of your business and its products and services
The position and role of your business in the market
Your customer profiles
Your competitors profiles
It will also include the marketing tactics you will use for your business. Once completed your marketing strategy will allow you to build a marketing plan.
What are Marketing Tactics?
Marketing tactics are a series or set of strategic methods or actions aimed at promoting a business’ goods or services. For example
Using different social media platforms to reach potential customers
Sending emails to existing customers and targeted consumers
Sending newsletters
Speaking at events
Writing guest blogs and articles
Attending events and conferences
Placing advertisements
Exhibiting in trade shows
Sending out press releases
Sending out free samples
Using influencers
Reaching out to friends, family and key contacts to spread the word
Establishing your marketing tactics
Depending on your target audience, you will need to pick the best marketing methods for your business. Find out where your audience lives (which social channels they prefer, blogs, sites, forums, etc.) and use that information to your advantage to reach them. If word of mouth will be important how will you build a network and get people talking about and endorsing your business? Think also about whether you need any specific marketing materials? If yes what are they? e.g. flyers, banners, professional photos of your work etc. What else do you need to put in place before you can start marketing your business? E.g. logo, business email etc
It’s also important to think about what marketing areas you will focus on depending on your business type and model. For example if you plan to sell your products mostly through retail outlets trade shows might be a worthy investment and focus for your time and energy. Or if you plan on selling mostly directly to consumers social media might be more important. If you are selling primarily to a local audience word of mouth and community endorsement might be key.
writing your business story exercise
Writing your business story to succinctly include all the facts, figures and messages you want to get across can be tricky. This exercise and the resources it includes will hopefully help you to get started and have a go at writing your business story, which you can then refine and practice until you know it inside out.
Putting Together Your Marketing Strategy Exercise
Your marketing strategy will help you realise your business’s goals by targeting your products and services to the people most likely to buy them. This exercise will help you to develop your marketing strategy. Just remember to revisit and reassess as your business grows so it remaind relevant.
week 14 book
This week’s book is Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman in his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard-legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.-shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French Canadian blacksmith to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport's equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life-a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
week 14 podcast
This week’s podcast is The Social Media Marketing podcast a weekly 45-minute show hosted by Michael Stelzner. With millions of downloads each year, this show has been helping marketers for more than eight years.
You’ll discover how successful marketers employ social media, learn new strategies and tactics, and gain actionable tips to improve your social media marketing. Each week Michael interviews leading marketing experts.