The StoryBrand Framework is a popular messaging tool designed to improve your business’ marketing strategy by clarifying your message. By using this framework, you can communicate immediate value, connect with your ideal customers, and grow your business.
The StoryBrand Framework helps businesses simplify their message by using a story-based approach that places customers at the center of the hero’s journey.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Every classic story, from Homer’s Iliad to Star Wars, follows a similar formula. It’s the hero’s journey. In his book Building a StoryBrand, best-selling author Donald Miller lays out the StoryBrand Framework for businesses.
Our story begins when we meet the main character, the Hero, and we find out what they want. Who is the Hero of your brand story?
The Hero of your brand story is not you. The Hero is your Customer.
A Hero needs help. They need a Guide to help them fulfill their destiny, right?
You are the Guide. Your brand message, your story, must center on the Hero and what the Hero wants.
State that clearly and begin your message by speaking directly to the needs and desires of your customer. In other words, “what’s in it for me?”
If you talk only about yourself, your company and how great you are, the customer will lose interest.
The Hero has many obstacles to overcome before they can find success.
What are the problems your customer is facing?
Customers aren’t looking for a Hero. They’re searching for a guide.
As the Guide, focus on how you help solve the Hero’s problems.
A good Guide must demonstrate these two things:
This is often a good place for your mission and purpose.
The Guide always has a plan to help the Hero. What’s your plan?
StoryBrand advises using a simple, 3-step plan that makes it easy for your customers to say “YES” right away.
Your process may have 15 smaller steps in between, but the point is that your customer doesn’t need to know every step in order to get started. If you confuse you lose, so keep it simple.
At last, it’s time to ask for the sale. Ask your customers to take action.
Don’t hide your call to action. Don’t beat around the bush.
What do you want your customer to do? Make it clear that this is the ONE THING they need to do. And repeat this throughout your website.
You need a Direct CTA and a Transitional CTA (also called a Lead Magnet).
Direct CTAs: Buy our product or engage our services.
Transitional CTAs: You’re not ready to buy? That’s OK. Here are some resources to help you on your journey.
I like the “Marry me or date me” way of thinking about these two types of CTAs. If your visitor isn’t ready to marry you (become a customer), maybe they just want to go on a date and learn more about how you can help them.
As you’re watching a good movie, you should always be aware of the end goal and what the hero is trying to achieve (save the world, unlock their hidden potential, marry their soulmate). What will success look like if they finally get the thing they want?
As a brand, you must paint a clear vision of the future for your customer. Remind them of their happy ending and why they need to choose you.
Finally, map out the Character Transformation of your Hero, like this. The Hero goes from _______________ to __________________.
If there are no stakes in the game, it’s easy to lose interest in the Hero’s journey.
Remind the Hero of what happens if they fail, if they don’t choose you as their Guide. They will fail to solve their problems. They won’t grow or get what they want. Or worse, they’ll go backwards. In the B2B space, this typically looks like losing money, wasting time, increasing stress, and constantly feeling overwhelmed.
We went through this exercise of updating our BrandScript for Mojo’s overarching brand. Here is a video walk-through created by one of our StoryBrand Guides for our team explaining the brand script and how each element works within the 7-part framework.
Your brand needs to tell a good story, but many companies don’t know what that really means or how to do it.
Every great story follows a familiar formula that’s simple to understand. A BrandScript is like that, but instead of characters, it’s your customers. A StoryBrand BrandScript fleshes out how the StoryBrand Framework applies to your business.
Let’s go through each point of the framework and see how it applies to the way you talk about yourself and your customers.
Looking to get acquainted with StoryBrand? StoryBrand offers a free tool if you’re interested in going through this exercise with your company’s brand. To create a BrandScript with all of these elements, create an account at mystorybrand.com.
Want to get a crystal clear message for your business? Winged gods Creation Marketing has helped businesses clarify their message for success. Schedule a call, and let’s get started.