My Reading Notes #3: Building A StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Stories are the favorites in keeping the interest of the reader. It can be relatable and debatable depending on the topic. And because stories are part of everyday life, people are more naturally attracted to it.
In my journey into entrepreneurship, I decided to learn how to write story because it is the minimum viable product you can create to sell your ideas. You don’t have to hard sell.
Donald Miller did a great job in using stories to promote brands.
In his book, Building Storybrand: Clarify Your Message So That Clients Will Listen, Donald pointed out the most important key you need to promote your product or services and that is — Clarity.
With so much information on the internet right now, when you don’t deliver your message clearly, you are dead. Readers will not waste their time on your website if they feel they will consume so much “brain calories.” They will hit the X Button and go site-hopping.
Nowadays, people want simple. The simpler the message, the better.
Remember,
If you confuse, you lose.
Another thing to consider in the book is that people don’t buy because of your product per se but because of the transformation it would bring. They don’t care how the product is made or what its features are. What they care most about is if your product can move them from their current state to their ideal state.
With the two points have in mind — clarity and transformation, Donald developed a framework called the SB7 Framework.
He uses the idea of Hero’s Journey, commonly used in novels and movies, and reinvented it into marketing tool.
The SB7 Framework is consist of seven principles.
Storybrand Principle One: The Customer is the Hero, not your brand.
According to Donald, this is the common mistake of most companies. They focus on their selves and not on the client.
It’s not about you, it’s about them.
Storybrand Principle Two: Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal problems.
There are 3 kinds of problems your customer encounters.
- External Problems — what they need.
- Internal Problem — why they need solution
- Philosophical Problems —what the world sees
Storybrand Principle Three: Customers aren’t looking for another hero; they’re looking for a guide.
Just like Harry Potter has Dumbledore, you will guide the hero in his journey.
Storybrand Principle Four: Customers trust a guide who has a plan.
Being the guide, this is when you present your solution to his problem.
Storybrand Principle Five: Customers do not take action unless they are challenged to take action.
Tell your customer what to do. Provide them the step by step guide to whatever call to action you want them to do.
Storybrand Principle Six: Every human being is trying to avoid a tragic ending.
What’s the stake if they don’t do your call to action? Will their life remain the same or will it become worse?
Storybrand Principle Seven: Never assume people understand how your brand can change their lives. Tell them.
You create, in customer’s mind, the transformation your product or service would bring in their lives.
I don’t want to explain further each principle one by one.
I suggest you buy the book instead.
But if you kinda lazy and broke too, here’s the one short sentence, direct to the point explanation of the framework.
A character has problem and meets a guide who gives him a plan and calls them to action that helps them avoid failure and ends in success.
Boom!
If it is still blurry to you, better watch movies like Lords of the Rings, Star Wars or Harry Potter. These are some of the movies that follow the SB7 Framework.
Final Thought
Building Storybrand is a great book that every marketer should have. It is so great that it is recommended to read it thrice.
The next time you create a website, an article or any content, think of this framework. Because right now, with the noisy world in the internet, content is not the king anymore, Clarity is.
