Using StoryBrand To Create Copy Your Prospects Can Easily Understand
Kari Switala : February 10, 2023
Why do customers walk away without buying?
Whether you’re a B2B or B2C company, everything you do revolves around one primary objective: to make a sale. Yes, a website is a critical part of any marketing strategy. It’s a great place to host all the information about your company and your products and services. However, it’s easy for a prospect to visit your website, peek around, and leave without making a purchase.
Enter landing pages. A landing page is a standalone piece of content your prospects will generally access from a targeted email or social media post. It’s a focused piece of content that highlights your offering and includes only one CTA. However, not all landing pages are created equal. If you want to convert more prospects from your landing page, consider implementing the StoryBrand framework.
What is the StoryBrand framework?
An effective messaging tool developed by Donald Miller and popularized by his 2017 book, Building a Story Brand, this framework takes the buyer on a journey that ultimately leads them to make a purchase.
It’s built off the concept that, as humans, we love a good story, and we will do whatever we need to do to survive, thrive, and conserve mental calories. In effect, when we craft a story about how our product solves our prospect’s problem in an easy-to-understand and impactful way, they “Buy Now” and we create a brand ambassador!
According to Miller, this process can be easily broken down into 7 important steps:
- You identify your character.
- You present the problem.
- You introduce yourself as the empathetic guide.
- You present your character with a plan that will solve their problem.
- You call your character to action.
- You show your character how your solution will help them avoid failure.
- You paint a picture of your character’s success.
This highly effective tool can be implemented across an entire website or scaled back and implemented on a single landing page.
Using the StoryBrand framework to convert more prospects from your landing page
In this section, let’s look at some important tips for each StoryBrand step.
Identifying your character
Unlike much of the marketing out there today, your brand isn’t the hero of the story—your prospect is. When you place your prospect into the center of your story, it's easy for them to follow you on the journey you’ve mapped out for them—a journey that will ultimately lead to their transformation.
Hot tip: Tap into your prospect’s aspirational identity. Who do they want to become?
Presenting the problem
Put yourself in your hero’s shoes. What is their biggest struggle or pain point? Call it out. Remember how we stated that humans will do whatever they can to survive and thrive? Your hero needs to feel their pain and realize that their survival is in jeopardy.
Hot tip: Don’t shy away from your hero’s pain in hopes of making your message more palatable. Hit it square on the head. It might feel risky, but it will help prepare them for your solution.
Introducing yourself as the empathetic guide
When we’re in a difficult situation, we want someone we can trust to hold our hand and walk with us out of it. Ideally, we want this trusted person to lead us out because the atmosphere is too foggy for us to see clearly. You can be that person for your hero. Demonstrate your authority and build a bridge with empathy. This will help you gain their trust.
Hot tip: Incorporate badges or testimonials on your landing page for an effective yet subtle way to establish authority while keeping your messaging centered around your hero’s needs.
Presenting your character with a plan
By this point in your messaging, your prospect is acutely feeling their pain, looking for relief, and feeling hopeful that you can help. There couldn’t be a better time for you to introduce your solution (i.e. your product or service). Keep in mind that one of your hero’s greatest motivations is to conserve calories. If your solution is complicated and requires mental gymnastics to understand, you’ll lose them. Keep your plan simple with 3-6 steps max.
Hot tip: Imagine each step as a stone in a treacherous creek. Your hero can walk from step to step and cross safely to the other side where their promised land awaits!
Calling your character to action
This is the moment of truth. The journey you’ve taken your hero on culminates in this moment. Decide in advance if the purpose of this landing page is to engage your hero with a transitional or direct call to action. The transitional CTA will promote more engagement and help nurture your relationship, further establishing your authority and building even more trust. However, if you feel like they’re ready, go for the gold! Present a direct CTA and ask for the sale.
Hot tip: Being direct is key. Whether you’re calling your prospect to download a free resource or hand over their hard-earned dollar for a life-changing solution, keep your CTA clear and concise.
Showing them how your solution helps them avoid failure
Like any good story, your StoryBrand messaging must present your hero with an alternative scenario. Your hero must understand what’s at stake and what they could stand to lose. These are the stakes of any good story and help make it compelling.
Hot tip: Don’t shy away from a pinch of fear in your narrative. Our desire to avoid pain and loss motivates us to seek a solution to our problems. Learn more about prospect theory here!
Painting a picture of their success
Your hero’s success—now that’s one area you can’t overemphasize! Go all in. Call out their aspirational identity. Reinforce that you can help them succeed and become their best self. Bring this picture to life!
Hot tip: Everyone wants to be taken somewhere. Answer the question, Where is your brand taking people? Don’t assume they know how to get there. Be specific.
If you’ve followed our company for a while, you probably know we’re big StoryBrand fans. In fact, we’re certified StoryBrand guides. And we’re obviously pretty excited about marketing too 😉 We would love to apply the StoryBrand framework to your business’s messaging and help you convert more prospects from your landing page!
If you’d like to learn more, schedule a free exploratory call with us.
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