If you are looking for a way to take your marketing strategy to the next level, you’ve probably heard of StoryBrand. StoryBrand is the unique brand marketing tool that helps organizations tell their story in a more powerful, emotional way. It was created by the storytellers behind some of the world’s most successful brands, and it has been used by companies like Google, Pepsi, Unilever, and Mastercard.
For those of you less familiar with StoryBrand, in this guide we’ll we’ll explain what StoryBrand is, how it works, and who it is designed for. We’ll also share a little bit about its key components – the StoryBrand Framework and BrandScript. We’ll also outline how a StoryBrand-certified agency can help your organization tell its story in a more powerful, emotional way.
Once you’ve decided to implement the StoryBrand framework, you may be wondering what your next step should be. Once we review what StoryBrand can do for your business, we’ll go over how to implement this framework and how to find and partner with the StoryBrand guide that best meets your needs.
What is StoryBrand?
StoryBrand is a storytelling platform that helps brands tell their story more clearly and in a way that engages more of their target audience. This enables your business to create engaging content (like videos, sales scripts, emails, blogs, presentations, and even social posts) that drive more leads and sales for the brand.
StoryBrand was created by Donald Miller, CEO of StoryBrand and creator of Business Made Simple and Marketing Made Simple. He’s written a handful of best-selling books on such topics and is the host of a hit podcast called ‘Business Made Simple.’ Miller’s goal with his messaging is to engage and entertain the audience enough for them to take his talking points and put them into action with their own business so they can find the success they’re looking for.
By using StoryBrand, you can take your narrative to the next level, and achieve a level of storytelling sophistication that can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. StoryBrand is a powerful tool that can help you tell your story in a way that resonates with your audience. So, don’t wait – start using StoryBrand today to drive leads and sales for your business!
A great way to dive deeper into the StoryBrand framework and sharpen your messaging skills is through Business Made Simple University.
What is Business Made Simple University?
Business Made Simple University, or BMSU, is a training program created by Donald Miller (or “The Don Father” as we in the StoryBrand community lovingly refer to him) and the entire team who is behind the concept of StoryBrand. It is designed to help you grow your business without having to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars earning your MBA – instead, it has all the information that you need broken down into easy-to-follow video segments and modules.
BMSU contains a six-step plan that will help grow your business that follows the metaphor of a plane.
The “parts of the plane” include:
- Leadership – The Cockpit
- Marketing – The Right Engine
- Sales – The Left Engine
- Products – The Wings
- Overhead and Operations – The Body
- Cash Flow – The Fuel
What is Marketing Made Simple?
Marketing Made Simple is another course created by David Miller that teaches business owners how to create a sales funnel that works to increase sales and drive traffic.
The framework, much like BMSU and StoryBrand, follows a specific journey. It starts by creating a relationship with your customers and learning how customers create relationships with brands. From there, it moves on to crafting your website so it caters to what the customer is looking for. After that, you must create a lead generator that allows a customer to engage with your brand and, in turn, you’ll receive their contact information. Then, after you gather leads, you must nurture them with an email campaign that guides them through the commitment phase of the relationship. The final step is the sales letter, which is meant to close the deal.
Who is StoryBrand For?
The StoryBrand Framework provides a unique way of thinking about branding that can be applied to any type of business of business or organizattion. This includes businesses in the technology, entertainment, retail, food industries…ANY type of business. It also works great for educational institutions, like Continuing Education departments, Masters programs, colleges, and other higher education institutions. In fact, we’ve worked with many clients in the education industry over the years and always implement elements of the StoryBrand framework in the collaborative work we do with these institutions and programs.
The main premise behind the framework is that every company, non-profit, organization, and institution has a story to tell. This story needs to be captured well so that it can serve as a testament to your brand’s legacy. Additionally, you need to make sure that your target audience is aware of this story (and their role in it) in order to connect with them on an emotional level.
How Does StoryBrand Work?
Businesses are always looking for ways to connect with their target audience and StoryBrand is the perfect solution. StoryBrand creates custom stories for each business, which helps them connect with their customers in a more personal way. By using the elements of story to position their brand as the Guide and their customer as the Hero in the story, they can help their target audience relate to their brand message and create a stronger interest in what they have to offer. This helps businesses build a deeper connection with their customers and reach new heights in terms of customer engagement and success.
This is a content marketing tool that helps businesses create high-quality, engaging content. It’s easy to use and customizable to help businesses achieve their goals. So, whether you’re a small business looking to take your marketing to the next level or an established business looking to increase your reach and engagement, StoryBrand is the perfect solution!
What is a BrandScript?
A BrandScript is a document that outlines the unique storytelling narrative of your brand. It should include an overview of who you are as a company and what makes you different from your competitors, along with insights into how you deliver on those differences. Additionally, it should outline the key messaging and elements that make your stories powerful and engaging for customers.
This document can be used to create marketing materials (such as blog posts, social media content, or ads) or even to help design your company’s website. By keeping things consistent across all mediums, you can build greater trust and credibility with potential customers – something that is essential for long-term success in business.
Every BrandScript has a seven-part framework that engages an audience:
- There’s a character
- The character wants something
- But there’s a problem in the way
- And so the character meets a guide
- Who calls them to action
- And helps them avoid failure
- And end in success
Need an example? Click here to see a BrandScript for a Cyber Security firm.
Creating A StoryBrand One Liner
A Storybrand One-Liner is how you introduce customers to your business. It should be attention-grabbing and able to showcase the value of your business in 2-3 statements.
Your One-Liner should be a short pitch that resonates with a customer because it addresses a pain point in their life – your One-Liner should briefly explain the solution you offer for a customer’s problem.
There are three important sections that your StoryBrand One-Liner should focus on:
- The Customer’s Problem
- To figure out your customer’s problem, you need to understand the external, internal and philosophical problems that your business solves. Looking at the solution before the problem is a great way to go about this.
- The Solution You Provide
- This is where you state how you can help the customer in a clear and concise manner. They need to know how your service or product will improve their lives.
- The Success/Reward
- Share with the customer what their life will look like, what kind of person they’ll be, and the success they’ll experience after choosing your product or service. In the end, a customer doesn’t just want a solution – they want the success and satisfaction that the solution brings.
After reading your One-Liner, your customer should know that they’re in for a positive shift that will have an impact on their life.
When you’re deciding what pain points to hit in the first section of your One-Liner, think of all the issues that your customers might experience on a daily basis. From there, think about what sets your business apart from the other companies trying to help the customers with these common problems. The customer needs to know that your business has the power and authority to make a valuable impact on their lives.
Once you have your one-liner set in stone, you’ll no longer be caught off guard when someone asks what you do. Before your One-Liner, you might have found yourself tripping over your words or, even worse, saying that your business is too complicated to explain off the cuff.
(Hint: your business should never be too complicated to explain. If it is, your messaging needs to be cleaned up!)
With a One-Liner, you’ll never be without the language you need to explain what you do and how it can benefit people’s lives. This tool will establish brand awareness and captivate your audience to a degree where there’s no option better than working with you.
Practical Examples of How to Use the StoryBrand Framework and Its Elements in Your Marketing
You might be wondering, “So, what’s next?” and how all of this can be applied practically to your marketing strategy and sales efforts. Below are a few examples of how different organizations might use the clear messaging they’ve created by utilizing elements of the StoryBrand Framework:
Colleges:
The StoryBrand Framework can be a powerful tool for colleges to use to attract and engage prospective students. Here’s an example of how a college might use elements of the StoryBrand Framework:
Colleges can better identify and address the problem that their ideal audience is facing. For example, the problem might be that the student is unsure about what college to choose based on their specific preference, or they are concerned about the cost of tuition and whether they will be able to afford it. In this case, the college can position itself as the solution. For example, the college might offer a clear and easy-to-understand admissions process, or they might offer scholarships or financial aid to help students afford tuition.
Understanding all of this, the college can craft language around this problem and the solution they offer in a way that grabs the attention of their ideal students and use that language in social media posts and Paid Ads:
- “Get the education you need to succeed in today’s competitive job market.”
- “Ready for the change you want to see in the world? As a Medical Assistant, you can do exactly that! Enroll Today to get started as a Medical Assitant.”
- “Affordable, Flexible Online Courses | Enroll Now”
The college can also use storytelling to connect with prospective students on an emotional level. For example, they might feature testimonials from current students who have had success after graduating, or they might share stories about the impact that the college has had on the community.
By using elements of the StoryBrand Framework, a college can create a marketing campaign that effectively communicates its value proposition to prospective students and helps them stand out in a crowded marketplace. Check out our case study on Chattanooga College here for another example!
Why StoryBrand Makes a Difference
The StoryBrand framework is the structure that successful brand stories are built upon. People connect with stories on an emotional level, and that emotional connection transforms an interested audience into customers.
Filling out your StoryBrand framework with the characters, backdrop, and plot of your business’s story allows you to tell compelling stories in your brand messaging. Once you incorporate that story into an effective marketing campaign, you’ll be capturing your consumer’s attention with engaging and driven content in no time.
Luckily, you don’t have to take time away from your business to get StoryBrand certified. You can partner with a StoryBrand Guide to take care of the marketing transformation for you.
StoryBrand Freelancer vs. StoryBrand Agency
A StoryBrand Guide is the catchall term for a StoryBrand Freelancer or StoryBrand Agency who has been certified in the use and application of the StoryBrand framework. If you’ve decided that a StoryBrand Guide is the right partner for you, your next step is to decide what type of partner you’re looking for.
The main difference between a StoryBrand Freelancer and a StoryBrand Agency is that a StoryBrand Freelancer is one individual who has received StoryBrand certification, while a StoryBrand Agency is a whole team that has received StoryBrand certification.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing the partner that’s right for you.
StoryBrand Freelancer
If you have specific marketing needs and know exactly what you want, a StoryBrand Freelancer may be the perfect partner for you. You can find copywriters, sales funnel creators, web developers, and more. Each of these experts is certified as a StoryBrand Guide, and can fill a specific niche in your marketing needs.
If you don’t need a full suite of marketing strategies and tools, a StoryBrand Freelancer can be the perfect partner to strengthen your marketing efforts.
StoryBrand Freelancers can also be helpful for smaller businesses, or businesses that are starting out. They can build you a plan for success as you grow your business.
StoryBrand Agency
If you want to rework your existing brand, create comprehensive linked content and marketing, or completely transform your marketing strategy, partnering with a StoryBrand Agency is the choice for you.
A StoryBrand Agency can offer you the full suite of marketing agency services, all organized and directed under the StoryBrand framework. Everything from lead magnets to web development to social media and email marketing can all be found under one roof.
StoryBrand Agencies are ideal for medium or large businesses looking to make a change for the better. If your company doesn’t have the time to implement the strategies that a StoryBrand Freelancer suggests, a StoryBrand Agency can effectively implement those strategies for you.
How to Find Your StoryBrand Partner
Once you’ve decided on what you want in a StoryBrand partner, you need to decide who to partner with. Luckily, looking at your options is as easy as going to the Marketing Made Simple website, where you can search for the StoryBrand partner that meets your needs.
You can filter results for industry specialties, marketing services, and agencies to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can also use the keyword filter to look for StoryBrand partners who mention your business category in their bio. For instance, if you’re a college looking to revamp your enrollment strategies, you can search for partners with experience in college StoryBrand marketing.
Once you click on a potential partner’s icon, you can see what skills they offer, their areas of focus, and testimonials from past clients. For example, Greenstone Media’s page shows the marketing services that we offer, an extensive portfolio of past projects for you to look through, and an easy way to contact us for more information.
Greenstone Media is Here to Be Your StoryBrand Agency
Using the StoryBrand framework is all about creating a story that resonates with your target audience. A StoryBrand-certified agency, like Greenstone Media can help you do that. Through the process, you’ll be able to identify who your target audience is and what they want. This will help you develop a marketing message and strategy that is tailored to their needs. We will also work with you to create a story that engages and captures your target audience to convert more leads into customers (or students, for those in education).
Whether you’re a small business or a big brand, StoryBrand can help you reach your target market in a more effective way. Your business has a compelling story to tell your customers, and a StoryBrand Guide can help you uncover it. Certified as a StoryBrand Agency since 2019 (with some team members who have been Certified Guides for longer), Greenstone Media takes pride in knowing the StoryBrand framework inside and out.
We’re ready to put our team to work transforming your marketing strategy with the full suite of marketing tools that we offer. If you’re ready to start the conversation about what we can do for you, reach out to us today!
