Your story isn’t your whole life story. It’s not the story of what you did, when or where. It is definitely the why behind what you do, but that’s not all, either. And one story isn’t enough. The web is voracious for stories. Whether we realise it or not, we spin stories constantly. But why? And for who? To what end?
When we participate in creating stories, we are collaborating and co-creating on collective stories. Online, we are trying to start conversations – about our business, our experience, products and clients. Crafting, collaborating and curating stories is how marketing happens in the twenty-first century. We are storytellers, whether or not we recognise it.
When what we do for a living is a bit obscure, left-of-centre or controversial, we must have a firm grasp on explaining and illuminating. We need to overcome misconceptions, preconceptions and inhibitions. If we want to be understood, we must explain.
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” (Albert Einstein)
We need to be understood by those we are seeking to attract because confused people don’t buy. And so we explain, illuminate, instruct and clarify through emails, tweets, blogs and websites, or when we frame someone else’s story to share online. We gently, gently lead people back to our website where we woo them further, with stories about our background, business, products and the lives they have changed.
Businesses cannot control conversations which happen about them online. Burying your head in the sand in the hope that ‘all this’ will go away is not a business strategy. This is not something to be feared – it is a never-before opportunity to reach out, engage with, seek feedback from, listen to, and respond to many, many people. Instantly. Sole operators have technology at their fingertips today – much of it free – that big corporates would have paid vast sums for ten years ago, if only it were available.
“Markets are conversations” (Levine, Locke, Searls and Weinberger)
Our story must relate to our audience. First, we must know exactly who we are seeking. We must use their language, and speak to them on their terms, at their place. We must persist with our story because we aren’t all listening closely, at every moment. And we must be absolutely clear, with no room for confusion.
We need to share our successes, because our business is only as good as it is relevant, useful and valuable to other people. When others talk about us and retell our stories in our absence, then we know that our products and business are useful, relevant and valuable to people. Because what others say about you is worth far more than what you say about yourself.
Finally, we must monitor and manage our story over time, to ensure it remains relevant to our business direction and to our evolving audience.
“Think like a publisher, not a marketer.” – David Meerman Scott
In the future, your most valuable asset is the number of people who know you, like you and trust you. You will be defined by your ‘take on things’ and your future will be built around your tribe. Your stories will become our stories.
I can help you rewrite your story
As an outsider, I can see far more stories about you than you recognise yourself. I can widen your view on how you see yourself, and help you identify the stories that create a bridge between you and your potential clients.
Introducing …
Fireside Sermon
Play-by-play
- You unleash, unload and untangle your head and heart into our pre-meet manifesto, designed to metaphorically nurse you close as you explore your story, their story and our story.
- Our riff begins – two hours of questions, explorations, prodding, pulling and plucking (via Zoom or phone), as I dig to the heart of your story.
- Six hours of dedicated word-crafting and story-spinning (for me), and champagne, a bath or nap (for you).
- Couldn’t-be-quicker turnaround on your essential promotional copy – your homepage, ‘about’ page, your wowing bio and punchy introduction, email auto-responder welcome and sales page – plus LinkedIn, blog or article ideas, with headlines.
- One-hour review to ease over any speed bumps, polish and primp.
- Recordings of all our conversations, plus your newly-crafted Copy Style Guide, to see you onward and upward, Storyteller.
Investment: $1660.
Terms: $830 to secure your date upon booking, with the remaining $830 due a few days before we meet.
Ready? Let’s roll – call 0405 375 069.
The Story Sessions
Play-by-play
- You rumble and reveal into your pre-meet Story Book, designed to hold your hand while you unpack business goals, introduce me to your ideal client, and show me what stories you’re already spinning.
- Our session begins – together we spend 60 minutes brainstorming and story crafting, weaving series starters and creative wizardry into words, as we match your business goals to your clients’ deepest desires.
- You take away six months’ worth of blog or article ideas, some with headlines.
- Recording of our conversations, plus your newly-crafted Content Strategy and Schedule, for you to go away, informed, inspired and pumped to start crafting your stories.
Investment: $440.
Ready? Let’s roll – call 0405 375 069.