Don’t be a Hero

If you are using story telling in your marketing and promotional material (and if not you should be!).   Then you might think that you or your business should be the hero of the story.  We all like to think of ourselves as the hero, and in our imaginations when we are thinking about something that might happen we will picture ourselves as the hero.  And that is the very point I would like to make.  Just as much as you picture yourself as the hero, your customer or prospect is also picturing themselves as the hero.  

So if you want your story telling to be effective then don’t make yourself the hero- make your customer or prospect the hero.  

Most good stories, especially movies, contain the same basic elements.  A character (our hero) encounters a problem or apparently unsolvable mystery.  The hero then goes on a journey (or if your a hobbit - a quest) to discover a solution to their problem / mystery.  During the journey they will suffer some trials and tribulations along the way before reaching their final destination, and solving the mystery or difficulty encountered at the start - then everyone lives happily ever after.  Or at least until the sequel comes along.

YodaA busker in York dressed as Yoda in for to sign prohibiting busking!

There is one other key character in the story. There is a guide who will help our hero overcome their difficulties and show them the way to their final destination.  For example in Star Wars think of Obi-Wan Kenonbi or Yoda role’s towards Luke Skywalker, Donkey to Shrek, Gandalf to Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings, Haymitch Abernathy to Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games and so on.  

This is your role in the story - you are the guide helping your customer solve their problems using your solutions and advice.  You empathise with your customers situation and guide them to possible solutions - usually one that your business provides, but you might also include alternatives to demonstrate your overall knowledge and credibility.  Finally you can then tell them how much better their lives will be after adopting the solution you suggest, so that they can envisage a better future using your suggested product or service.

If you need help with using story telling in your social media and digital marketing please drop me a line - you can email me: [email protected] or give me a call on 07557 780336.