How to Use StoryBrand to Grow Your Business

Many business owners can feel completely lost when it comes to marketing in today’s digital age. And growing your business can be equally challenging. It sometimes seems as though a million people are vying for the attention of your potential clients, and everyone is touting their product or service as the Next Big Thing. If you’re wondering how you can compete with all the noise online, I’ve great news! You can have an edge in your marketing strategy.

Gaining the attention of your preferred audience is possible with a well-planned marketing strategy. You can use the framework within StoryBrand to grow your business!

That’s right – a tested and simplified way to get your message to your potential clients that generate interest and leads to higher sales is available to you.

What is StoryBrand?

StoryBrand is a 7-part framework that follows the same pattern identified by creator Donald Miller during his time as a Hollywood screenwriter. He noticed that every successful story (movie, book, play, etc.) follows the same 7-part plotline. This led him to realize that successful marketing campaigns could follow the same steps.

In the StoryBrand framework, your customer is the hero – not your product or service. Because of this, your customer can identify their need, and you will guide them through their story to see how your product or service can fulfill that need. This framework can be used to successfully market any product or service. Increased sales and customer engagement means using StoryBrand to grow your business is a smart move.

How to Use StoryBrand in Your Marketing Strategy

Using StoryBrand to grow your business might sound a little intimidating at first. But the reality is that it is a simplified marketing structure that you can use as the foundation for your marketing strategy! Following the 7-part framework of StoryBrand is a clearly defined way to bring your customer into the world of your product or service in a relatable way. 

You’ll follow the 7-Part StoryBrand Framework to create a narrative in plain language that guides your ideal customer from identifying their problem to making their life better or easier because your product or service will solve their issue. Pretty cool.

Using StoryBrand to grow your business also means that your marketing strategy can evolve with the ever-changing market. You’re not playing into the latest marketing fad; you are drawing in your ideal client by telling their story. Using StoryBrand to grow your business means you can create your perfect marketing strategy and keep it consistent across all marketing platforms. Once you have identified your ideal customer’s problem, you can expand your framework into your StoryBrand BrandScript.

What is a StoryBrand BrandScript?

Your StoryBrand BrandScript is your framework – fleshed out. This is where you’ll share the necessary details that lead your customer on their hero’s journey and shows them exactly what you do and how you make their life easier. 

StoryBrand BrandScripts can be used across your marketing strategy. It pulls from all seven parts of the StoryBrand Framework. And StoryBrand BrandScripts include simple statements that can be used together or separately across all forms of marketing. When you use StoryBrand to grow your business, you will create multiple-use text that leads your hero on their journey. 

What is a StoryBrand One-liner?

According to Forbes, you have 7-seconds or less to create the first impression on your potential customer. It’s even less, according to some studies. In as little as 1/10 of a second, your potential client can decide whether your website is worth their time and attention. As part of implementing StoryBrand to grow your business, you will find that the StoryBrand One-liner is a great way to describe what you do in about one sentence. Think of it like an elevator pitch. You want to quickly provide enough information in everyday language to show your potential customer that you understand and can solve their problem. 

A StoryBrand One-liner pares down your BrandScript to the basics. Just identify the problem, offer the solution, and tell your potential customer how solving that problem will make them feel.

The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework

So, where do you really start? Writing your One-liner and BrandScript start with the StoryBrand 7-part Framework. Let’s take a look at how you can use StoryBrand to grow your business:

1. A Character: this is where you identify your ideal customer (your StoryBrand hero) and define what they are looking for. For our example, we’ll look at the busy parents of a busy family.
2. With a Problem: stories have conflict; this is where you identify your hero’s problem. Our family struggles to find the time to shop for, prepare, and eat healthy meals together. 
3. Meets a Guide: this is where you come into the story. Your hero needs help! The family finds an at-home chef who will come to their house and cook. This allows the family to take the time to connect over a healthy meal without the stress of shopping, cooking, and clean-up.
4. Who gives them a plan: your hero is ready to find out exactly what to do next. This is your chance to show your hero the 3-5 steps that explain precisely how to work with you. Our at-home chef offers a 30-minute meeting to discuss likes, dislikes, and allergies. Then the chef visits the family home to make dinner. Our busy family enjoys the meal, so our busy parents and the chef find a consistent day for the chef to come over and cook.
5. That Calls Them to Action:  at this point, your hero should be ready to book an appointment or purchase your product or service.   While not everyone will buy immediately, this is an excellent opportunity for you to offer more information (like an eBook) or invite your hero to schedule an appointment. Our chef is available next week for a chat to discuss preferences – would you like to meet next week?
6. That Results in Success: tell your hero how your product or service will solve their problem. Your hero sits down with their family and eats a healthy, stress-free meal with their spouse and children.
7. And Helps Them Avoid Failure: the story ends with your hero avoiding failure, thanks to your guidance in the service or product you offer. This will sum up the cost of not doing business with you. Your hero realizes that their kids are only home for so long – our chef helps your hero spend quality time with their family to create lasting memories.

How can you implement the StoryBrand framework?

All of this is very different than traditional marketing. Before StoryBrand, marketing consisted of showcasing the product or service. StoryBrand teaches us that our customer is the most critical piece of our marketing puzzle. Now that you’ve made your way through our sample hero’s journey, it’s time to see how you can implement the StoryBrand Framework and use StoryBrand to grow your business! You can start by reading Donald Miller’s books:

Or hire a StoryBrand Guide to walk you through the process. We Make Stuff Happen is a Certified StoryBrand Guide. Let us write your Hero’s Journey and help you utilize StoryBrand to grow your business.

We can help build your StoryBrand!