How telling a #Story can get your business out of mediocracy
- duboislukas
- Oct 27, 2024
- 4 min read
Are you curious about how to lift up your business to more than just a similar alternative to others? Are you wondering how customers might choose you over others and what might make the difference, other than just minor improvements to your product or service? Then I have a proposal for you. One that could make a huge difference to how you think of your business, your products or services, and to how you approach Marketing: have a #STORY to tell!
Have a #Story to tell!
A #story?? You think that’s fluffy Marketing nonsense? Well, let me explain, why products and services of companies who tell a strong #story are typically chosen over those who don’t.
What’s a good story?
A good #story is NOT about your product or service. It’s not about how it is better, stronger, faster, more performant, cheaper or whatever. A good #story is about your customer. It’s a #story of CHANGE for your customer. The #story tells how your customer changes the way she does or feels about something. The #story tells what your customer believes in. You become a part of this #story, with your products or services. You also believe in this #story and you help your customer making this change.
Let’s make this concrete with an example: if you sell ecological toys made of natural materials, your #story could be this: We believe in raising children with an ecological mindset, making them sensible towards harmful plastic waste and a throw-away waste culture.
With a #story like this you can tell your customers more than just what products you make and how your products are better than others. You can tell them WHY you are in this business and that you share with them a common belief, a common purpose. You can tell your customers what your products will do for them, how it will make them feel.
I think you already understand that this idea of an underlying #story for your business helps you to add strong EMOTIONS to your otherwise mostly rational arguments for your product or service. And you can trust in the overwhelming research showing that emotional factors far outweigh conscious, rational deliberations in any purchase decision. But I want to be absolutely clear: this is not about putting fake, emotional make-up on your products! This is about understanding your customers. It is about recognizing your customers’ deeper problems and needs and what they truly care about. And then to understand how you can help them solve those problems and support a positive change in their lives.
If you do this (well), you will have a decisive advantage over competitors who don’t.
If you do this (well), you will have a decisive advantage over competitors who don’t. And believe me, very many businesses don’t do this. Such a #story will be great guidance for new ideas around your products or service, always improving the way they support this positive change #story for your customers. What is more, such a #story opens up many possibilities for your Marketing activities. You will be able to communicate more emotionally relevant topics around this #story, which goes beyond just explaining and selling your products or services. Such a #story can also open up impactful cooperations, social engagements, sponsorships and so on.
How to find your #Story:
Again, the key to finding the #story that fits your business, is to let go of your product or service and get into the shoes of your customers. This doesn’t have to be consumer research rocket science. Most important is your understanding and imagination of your target consumers. I assume you understand your field of business quite well and that you know other experts to consult. To define a really strong #story, I recommend looking outside of the mainstream customers to find a smaller niche customer group with specific needs & problems. You can read my article on target customers here. For such a niche segment you can re-define the needs & problems of your industry and find a change #story that will resonate with them specifically.
Let go of your product or service and get into the shoes of your customers
I want to give an example for a less obvious business: a dentist. You might think: ok, what’s the higher purpose of a dentist supposed to be? But I believe that especially in such seemingly undifferentiated types of business, a good #story can make exactly that difference to stand out from all the rest and become successful above the average. Some dentists, for example, are very successful by focusing on the niche target customer group of children. The #story here could be: We believe in giving children save spaces where they feel secure and protected. A dentist should not be a place of fear, but one of care and safety.A very different #story could result from a dentist that chooses international residents who don’t speak the local language as niche target customers. I think you get the idea.
Lastly, here are 3 criteria you need to meet for your #story be really work for you:
Relevant? First and foremost, your #story needs to be something of importance to your defined target customer group. It needs to be something they really care for and believe in (as described in this article).
Feasible? You need to be able to play a meaningful role in this #story, with your products or services. Do you have the right offering to do this, or can you develop it?
Different? Your story-angle and/or the products and services you offer to support this #story need to be as unique as possible from competitors.
I invite you to think differently about your business, with more ambition. Instead of tweaking your product or service here and there, think about your #story first! With a good #story as a basis, you will be able to create many, truly impactful ideas for your products or services and for your Marketing.
I also offer my support, if you feel I could help to guide you through the process, structure the discussion and give feedback on your ideas.
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