Have you ever felt like your marketing message just isn’t connecting? You pour your heart and soul into crafting the perfect ad campaign, but it feels like your audience isn’t listening.
There’s a reason for that. Traditional marketing often focuses on a product or service’s features and benefits, neglecting the human element.
People connect with stories, and the StoryBrand Marketing Framework, also known as the StoryBrand 7-part Framework, allows you to connect on a much deeper level.
Building your StoryBrand message is an innovative approach that positions your customer as the hero of their own journey, facing a struggle and yearning for a solution.
While you become the trusted guide who helps them achieve their desired outcome, and walk your way to success instead of running.
The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework:
The hero (the customer and protagonist):
And a Villain Stands in Their Way (The Problem):
Enter a Guide (Your Business):
The Worst-Case Scenario (The Failure):
Earn the Reward (The Success):
A Blueprint for Customer Action
The Benefits of Using the StoryBrand BrandScript
How the brandscript helps create a wireframe
Clarity on Content and Hierarchy:
5 Benefits of Using StoryBrand:
The Power of Story:
Stories aren’t just a fun way to pass the time; they’re ingrained in the very fabric of our being.
Our brains are wired to process stories more effectively than isolated facts or data.
When we hear a story, different regions of our brains light up, creating a sense of empathy and connection with the characters.
This is why the StoryBrand Framework is so powerful in marketing.
It allows us to tap into the emotional side of our audience, bypassing the logical defenses we put up against traditional advertising.
The most common stories are those about a hero’s journey.
Found in myths and legends from cultures across the globe, it follows a basic pattern: a hero with a problem sets out on a quest, faces challenges, and ultimately achieves success.
This relatable narrative resonates with us because it reflects our own desires and struggles.
Donald Miller, a successful author and entrepreneur, recognized the power of the hero’s journey and built the 7-Part StoryBrand Framework upon it.
He saw the need for businesses to move away from self centered marketing and instead focus on their customers as the heroes.
The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework:
The StoryBrand framework breaks down the hero’s journey into a simple 7-step process.
By following these steps, you can craft a compelling “brandscript” that resonates with your target audience.
Each step focuses on a key element of the story, guiding you to identify:
- Your customer’s desires and struggles.
- Position your brand as the solution.
- Drive customers towards taking action.
Completing this framework ensures your marketing message is clear, engaging, and speaks directly to your customer’s needs.
The Hero (The Customer and Protagonist):
The StoryBrand Marketing Framework starts with a critical shift in perspective: your customer becomes the hero of the story.
They’re not just a passive target audience; they’re an active protagonist with a compelling desire and a significant obstacle standing in their way.
Challenge section:
Who is your ideal customer?
- What are their desires and aspirations?
- What are their everyday struggles and frustrations?
And A Villain Stands In Their Way (The Problem):
The StoryBrand Framework delves deeper than surface-level issues. It explores the underlying consequences of the customer’s problem.
Imagine a busy professional drowning in long hours and constant stress (the problem).
This isn’t just about feeling tired; it disrupts their work-life balance, limits quality time with loved ones, and potentially leads to burnout (the bigger picture).
Challenge section:
Define Their Problem (The Villain):
- What external obstacles are preventing your customer from achieving their desires?
- Are there internal roadblocks holding them back (fear, self-doubt)?
Enter A Guide (Your Business):
The hero’s journey can’t be undertaken alone. That’s where your business steps in as the trusted guide.
You’re the mentor, the wise advisor who understands the customer’s struggle and possesses the tools to help them overcome the villain.
Building trust is paramount here. Your StoryBrand marketing framework message should establish your brand as a reliable source of information and expertise.
Challenge section:
Introduce Your Guide (Your Brand):
- How does your brand position itself as the understanding ally in their journey?
- How can your product or service be the solution to their problems?
Who Gives Them A Plan :
This isn’t about overwhelming them with complex instructions; it’s about outlining a simple, actionable path forward using your product or service.
Your role as the guide is to present a concrete plan for overcoming the villain. But make sure it’s not more than 5, but we always say to stick with 3 steps.
Your StoryBrand marketing framework message should showcase how your offering simplifies the process, removes guesswork, and provides a structured approach to overcoming the villain.
Challenge section:
Give Them a Plan (The Roadmap):
- Outline the clear steps your customer can take to achieve success with your product or service.
- Make them feel empowered and capable of overcoming their challenges.
And Calls Them To Action:
Every hero needs a clear call to action, a decisive moment that propels them forward on their journey.
Make sure your CTAs are direct and action-oriented, aligned with the urgency of the customer’s struggle.
Challenge section:
Call to Action:
- What is the next action you want your customer to take?
- This could be visiting your website, signing up for a trial, or contacting you for more information.
The Worst-Case Scenario (The Failure):
Your customer faces pitfalls if they don’t overcome the villain, and you should tell them. But, it’s not about fear-mongering, but about painting a realistic picture.
Show them the consequences of inaction, and gently nudge them towards taking control. It’s not about failure, but a missed opportunity for a more fulfilling life.
Challenge section:
Show the Failure of Ignoring the Guide :
- Briefly illustrate the negative consequences of not addressing the customer’s problems.
- This reinforces the value proposition of your brand as the solution.
Earn The Reward (The Success):
This section of the StoryBrand Framework focuses on the positive outcomes the customer achieves by using your product or service.
It’s the culmination of the hero’s journey, where they vanquish the villain and achieve their desired state.
This emotional connection is a powerful motivator, driving them to take action and consider your product or service as the key to achieving their own desired state.
Challenge section:
Highlight the Success :
- Paint a vivid picture of the positive outcomes your customer will achieve by using your product or service.
- Focus on how it will improve their life and fulfill their desires.
The StoryBrand Brandscript
The StoryBrand 7-part framework is built upon the StoryBrand Brandscript and puts the customer at the forefront of your business.
This means your customer are the hero of the story, not your business.
You highlight their desires and struggles, acknowledging the challenges they face. This builds empathy and positions your brand as someone who understands their journey.
It promotes clear communication by streamlining your message, making it easy for customers to grasp how your product or service equips them to achieve their goals.
Once your brandscript is done, you are able to start building out your website and finding the right copy to convey your message.
A Blueprint for Customer Action
So how does the StoryBrand BrandScript translate theory into action? There are four key steps involved.
The first step is to identify your customer’s desires and the problems they face.
What are they trying to achieve? What obstacles are preventing them from reaching their goals?
(The problem section on one of our client’s website – Karen Brook)
Once you understand their struggles, you can position your brand as the guide.
You demonstrate empathy for their challenges and offer a solution to overcome them. This establishes trust and positions your brand as the hero’s trusted ally.
The next step involves crafting a clear plan.
Outline the steps your customer can take to achieve success with your product or service. This roadmap empowers them and makes the path forward seem achievable.
Finally, conclude with a call to action. Tell them what to do next to embark on their journey.
This could be visiting your website, signing up for a free trial, or simply contacting you for more information.
The Benefits Of Using The StoryBrand BrandScript
The StoryBrand BrandScript empowers you to create marketing messages that are both informative and engaging.
Here are some of the key benefits you can expect:
- Develop compelling marketing messages:
By using clear and concise language that resonates with your target audience, you can ensure your message is understood.
- Differentiate yourself from competitors:
The BrandScript allows you to highlight how your brand uniquely equips customers to overcome their challenges, setting you apart from the competition.
- Increase sales and conversions:
By guiding customers through the buying journey and positioning your product or service as the solution they need, you can effectively move them towards a purchase.
In essence, the StoryBrand BrandScript is a blueprint for crafting marketing messages that are informative, engaging, and ultimately drive customer action.
By leveraging the power of storytelling and understanding your customer’s journey, you can create marketing that resonates and achieves results.
How The Brandscript Helps Create A Wireframe
A wireframe is a basic blueprint for a website or app.
Like a rough sketch, it focuses on layout and functionality, using boxes and lines to represent buttons, menus, and content areas. It’s all about usability, not fancy visuals.
This low-fi approach allows for early feedback and ensures a user-friendly experience before any design gets set in stone.
The StoryBrand BrandScript also plays a crucial role in building a user-centered website wireframe.
(One of our client’s front page – Sensor Studios)
It gives you the ability to collect and condense the information necessary to build your website by indirectly creating your website wireframe structure.
Here’s how the BrandScript informs the development of a user-friendly wireframe:
Clarity On Content And Hierarchy:
The BrandScript helps you identify the “what” and “why” behind your website’s content.
Think of the BrandScript as your customer’s internal monologue – voicing their desires/wants and problems/pain points.
- Understanding Customer Wants:
By outlining your customer’s desires in the BrandScript, you gain valuable insight into what content to prioritize.
The hero’s ultimate goal translates to the core value proposition you want to communicate most prominently on your website.
This ensures your website focuses on what matters most to your visitors.
- Addressing Pain Points:
The BrandScript also identifies the customer’s problems (both external obstacles and internal struggles).
This knowledge informs the content you create to address their pain points.
By strategically placing this content early on in the user flow, you can effectively demonstrate how your brand understands their challenges.
Similarly, your brand’s role as the guide in the BrandScript translates to showcasing your solutions and expertise on your website.
Focus On User Flow:
The BrandScript provides valuable insights for structuring the user journey on your website by:
- Mapping the User’s Path:
The steps outlined in the BrandScript’s “Plan” section can be a roadmap for how users navigate your website.
By understanding the logical flow a user should take to achieve their goals (which mirrors the hero’s journey), you can structure your website accordingly.
This ensures a smooth and intuitive user experience.
- Clearly Stating Calls to Action:
The Call to Action from the BrandScript translates into clear and actionable buttons or prompts on your website.
These guide users towards conversion, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a free trial, or contacting you for more information.
It’s important to remember that the BrandScript isn’t a blueprint for your website’s visual design.
However, it provides a framework for understanding your customer’s thought process and what information they need at each stage.
Armed with this knowledge, you can create a wireframe that prioritizes essential content and guides users towards their goals.
In essence, the StoryBrand BrandScript informs the “what” and “why” behind your website’s content structure.
The wireframe translates that information into the “how” – the visual layout and user flow.
By leveraging both tools, you can create a website that not only resonates with your audience but also effectively guides them towards conversion.
3 Common Mistakes Brands Make When Building Their StoryBrand Marketing Framework
The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework is a powerful tool for crafting marketing messages that resonate with your audience.
But even with a strong framework, there are a few areas where brands can misstep.
Here are 3 common pitfalls to avoid:
1. Missing the Mark on Desires:
People connect with stories that speak to their core values. Generic desires like “free time” are surface-level and forgettable. Dig deeper!
Conduct thorough customer research to understand what truly motivates them. Is it a yearning for work-life harmony, a chance to express their creativity, or financial security?
By crafting a message that speaks directly to these authentic desires, you create a powerful connection with your audience.
2. Talking Down to Your Audience:
Customers don’t appreciate being told what to do. If your brand comes across as a know-it-all with the “ultimate” solution, you might push them away.
The StoryBrand Framework emphasizes empathy. Become a trusted guide by offering tools and resources that empower your customers to overcome their challenges.
Think of yourself as a supportive mentor, walking alongside them on their journey. Acknowledge their struggles and offer a helping hand.
Phrases like “Feeling overwhelmed? We understand” build trust and position your brand as a valuable partner.
3. Muddled Calls to Action:
A weak call to action (CTA) leaves customers unsure of the next step. Strong storytelling requires clear direction.
Craft CTAs that are action-oriented and aligned with the urgency of your customer’s problem. Use strong verbs and highlight the positive outcomes they’ll achieve by taking action.
Ditch the generic “learn more” and consider a specific and actionable CTA like “Download our free guide and discover how to achieve work-life balance in just 3 steps!”
By removing any guesswork and motivating customers towards the next step, you ensure your StoryBrand Marketing Framework has a clear and compelling call to action.
5 Benefits of Using The StoryBrand Framework:
The StoryBrand Framework offers a multitude of benefits for businesses looking to craft compelling and effective marketing messages.
Here are 5 key advantages:
- Customer-Centric Focus:
By placing the customer at the center of the story, the StoryBrand Framework ensures your messaging resonates with their needs and desires.
It helps you speak their language and show empathy for their struggles.
- Clarity and Simplicity:
The 7-step StoryBrand framework provides a clear structure for crafting your message.
This eliminates confusion and ensures your audience understands the value proposition of your product or service.
- Emotional Connection:
Storytelling is a powerful tool for tapping into human emotions.
The StoryBrand framework leverages this power to create a connection between your brand and your audience, fostering trust and loyalty.
- Increased Engagement:
Storytelling is inherently engaging.
By weaving a narrative into your marketing, you capture the audience’s attention and hold it throughout the customer journey.
- Improved Sales and Growth:
Ultimately, effective marketing leads to sales and business growth.
The StoryBrand Framework can significantly improve your marketing ROI by crafting compelling messages that resonate with your target audience.
By implementing the StoryBrand Marketing Framework, businesses can transform their marketing strategy from self-promotion to customer-centric storytelling.
This shift in perspective can lead to a more engaged audience, improved brand perception, and ultimately, increased sales and success.
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