I’ve spent the last month listening to a lot of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers albums. And, as the joke goes, so have my neighbors! During this binge, it hit me that Petty was one of the greatest American storytellers. The reason is that he wrote songs not about himself, but about you, the listener.
And that’s the key to serving your audience: telling stories about your customers, not yourself or your business. That is what too many brands, franchises and marketers get wrong. Most marketers think storytelling is all about sharing the history of the brand. I have bad news for most marketers: No one cares. Even your own employees – and maybe even your own family! – don’t really care about the founding of your company, how you make your widgets or how you built your empire.
Credibility is good, and perhaps occasionally needed to check a box, but that’s not why someone does business with you. Customers want to know what’s in it for them. What is your business doing that will help them? Why would someone want to buy from you?
If you’re not sure how to tell your audience’s story, then start with a current customer. Last month in this column, we discussed the value of customer referrals and testimonials. Ask those customers if you can share something about them with your audience on social media or your website. Chances are good that other customers have similar situations, and, therefore, your business may help them as well. It will be even more effective is if the customer’s story reflects your brand’s values and culture.
There’s a quick and easy place to start and try this out. Go to the “About” page on your website. Take out most of the boring history of your business and insert some stories about some customers. This is what you’re really all “about.”
People remember what or how you made them feel. But your customers’ stories don’t have to be overly dramatic or emotional. Just making your audience feel good about the prospect of doing business with you works well.
– Jack Monson
Jack Monson is the host of the Social Geek Radio Network, home of the number one podcasts in Franchising including The Franchise News Podcast and The Facebook Franchise Podcast. Monson is also the Chief Revenue Officer at Social Joey and has been working with franchisees and small businesses in social media marketing for 13 years. For more information, visit socialgeekradio.com, or email jack@socialgeekradio.com.