It’s certainly not easy to convince people to purchase a product or service. In fact, in today’s saturated market, it’s not even easy to convince people to give you a moment of their attention.
To make a compelling case for why people should listen to you over the countless other companies fighting for their attention, your brand message needs to be crystal-clear: What do you offer, and why should people care?
Poor brand messaging: what not to do
Many brands make the same mistake when attempting to woo potential customers: they center their brand messaging around what’s great about them – whether it’s their unique offering, their innovative ideas, or their awesome values. Regardless of what they’re selling or what sets them apart from their competitors, they’re often surprised to find their message seems to be falling on deaf ears.
Why? Consumers – like human beings in general – nearly always see themselves at the center of every situation they encounter. While the ways in which your business is special may be fascinating to you, your customers will only care if it relates to their own problems.
Storybrand as a framework for creating an effective brand message
Of course, the idea that customers will pay attention to things they care about isn’t exactly a new one. If you’re reading this, you probably already know your branding needs to communicate how your offering adds value to your customers’ lives – the challenge is figuring out how to communicate that message so your customers actually listen.
Donald Miller’s Storybrand framework uses the basic tenets of great storytelling to help companies craft a brand message that truly resonates with customers. People love stories because they identify with the hero and become invested in the hero’s problems.
What makes the Storybrand framework so effective is that it helps brands see themselves the way their customers see them.
From the customer’s point of view, they are the hero of their story – rather than trying to be the hero themselves, brands need to position themselves as a key part of the hero’s story.
Within this framework, if you can get your customers to see you as the trusted guide they need to help them resolve a conflict within their own story, you’ve won.
If you’re still working toward crafting a brand message that truly resonates with your customers, we highly recommend the Storybrand framework as a place to start.
By simplifying your message so it clearly communicates how you can help the “hero” – your customer – solve their problem and save the day, you’ll effectively position yourself as an essential character in their story.
