{"id":1752,"date":"2020-08-15T06:48:50","date_gmt":"2020-08-15T06:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sitrakaratsimba.com\/?p=1752"},"modified":"2023-09-04T15:42:25","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T15:42:25","slug":"building-a-storybrand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sitrakaratsimba.com\/fr\/building-a-storybrand\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a storybrand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Building a StoryBrand<\/h1>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the book \u201cbuilding a StoryBrand\u201d, Donald Miller<\/strong><\/a> argues that Customers don\u2019t generally care about your story; they care about their own.<\/p>\n

In any marketing campaign, your customer should be the main focus; she\u2019s the hero of the story, not your brand. Successful business understood that little nuance.<\/p>\n

To help you grow your business, the author presents a seven-part framework that will change the way you talk about your business.<\/p>\n

The key is to invite your customers into a heroic story.<\/p>\n

BUILDING A STORYBRAND SECTION 1- WHY MOST MARKETING IS A MONEY PIT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chapter 1: The key to being seen, heard, and understood<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most companies fail to sell their products because of poor marketing. The problem is not so much in the products but rather, in the way they talk about the product.<\/p>\n

Truth of the matter is words sell things. The more you clarify your message, the more customers will listen.<\/p>\n

Nobody will listen to you if the message isn\u2019t clear, no matter how expensive the marketing material may be.<\/p>\n

We miss opportunities because customers can\u2019t figure out what our offer is within five seconds of visiting our website.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"building<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Why so many businesses fail<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to Donald Miller, businesses fail because \u201ctheir marketing is too complicated. The brain doesn\u2019t know how to process the information.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more simple and predictable the communication, the easier it is for the brain to digest.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why \u201cStory helps because it is a sense-making mechanism. Essentially, story formulas put everything in order so the brain doesn\u2019t have to work to understand what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remember Abraham Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs? The brain is a survival mechanism that focuses on satisfying those basic needs. \u201cWithout us knowing it, human beings are constantly scanning their environment (even advertising) for information that is going to help them meet their primitive need to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Customers will ignore us as the information we present them doesn\u2019t help eat, drink find a mate, fall in love, build a tribe, experience a deeper sense of meaning.<\/p>\n

There are two critical mistakes brands make when they talk about their products and services:<\/p>\n

Mistake number one<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The first mistake brands make is they fail to focus on the aspects of their offer that will help people survive and thrive. All great stories are about survival\u2014either physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual.<\/p>\n

If you spend an hour in a meeting room, your brain \u2013as a survival mechanism- will check where the exits are. Never will it count how many chairs are in the room.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t clearly communicate your message, you position yourself as the chairs, not the exits.<\/p>\n

Mistake number two<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The brain despite its small size compared to the whole body consumes a lot of energy. The brain burns even more calories when it processes information.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second mistake brands make is they cause their customers to burn too many calories in an effort to understand their offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen having to process too much seemingly random information, people begin to ignore the source of that useless information in an effort to conserve calories.\u201d<\/p>\n

We then might ask ourselves, what\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n

Story to the rescue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The most powerful tool we can use to organize information so people don\u2019t have to burn very many calories is story. In Building a StoryBrand, the author uses the motto: \u201cIf you confuse, you\u2019ll lose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key is clarity. In a story, audiences must always know who the hero is, what the hero wants, who the hero has to defeat to get what they want, what tragic thing will happen if the hero doesn\u2019t win, and what wonderful thing will happen if they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

If an audience can\u2019t answer these questions, you\u2019ll lose their attention.<\/p>\n

Donald Miller in building a StoryBrand presents a formula that organizes our thinking, reduces our marketing effort, obliterates confusion, terrifies the competition, and finally gets our businesses growing again.<\/p>\n

Building a StoryBrand Chapter 2: The secret weapon that will grow your business<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When it is well-crafted, a story can hold a human being\u2019s attention for hours. \u201cStory is the greatest weapon we have to combat noise, because it organizes information in such a way that people are compelled to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n

When storytellers bombard people with too much information, the audience burn too many calories and start to lose interest. Storytellers must cut out the noise to create a compelling story. A character or a scene needs to follow the plot.<\/p>\n

The author recounts how Steve Jobs understood that story was everything. He did so after being surrounded by professional storytellers at Pixar. Before this, Steve Jobs used to write boring and long-page ads that interested nobody outside NASA.<\/p>\n

When Jobs returned to the company after running Pixar, Apple became customer-centric, compelling, and clear in their communication.<\/p>\n

How Apple changed their communication<\/strong><\/h3>\n

They understood their customers were all living, breathing heroes, and they tapped into their stories. They did this by:<\/p>\n

(1) Identifying what their customers wanted (to be seen and heard)<\/p>\n

(2) Defining their customers\u2019 challenge (that people didn\u2019t recognize their hidden genius)<\/p>\n

(3) Offering their customers a tool they could use to express themselves (computers and smartphones).<\/p>\n

We should clarify our message and Apple understands it.<\/p>\n

Story can grow your business<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Donald Miller emphasizes that every good story follows this structure:<\/p>\n

\u201cA CHARACTER<\/strong> who wants something encounters a PROBLEM<\/strong> before they can get it. At the peak of their despair, a GUIDE<\/strong> steps into their lives, gives them a PLAN<\/strong>, and CALLS THEM TO ACTION<\/strong>. That action helps them avoid FAILURE<\/strong> and ends in a SUCCESS<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"building<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the simple framework that gives power to a narrative communication. The audience will be more engaged as long as we stay close to this structure.<\/p>\n

The three crucial questions in building a storybrand<\/strong><\/h3>\n

An audience is engaged as long as they know the answers to these three questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What does the hero want?<\/li>\n
  2. Who or what is opposing the hero getting what she wants?<\/li>\n
  3. What will the hero\u2019s life look like if she does (or does not) get what she wants?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In a similar manner, your marketing should engage the potential customers if they know the answers to the following questions:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What do you offer?<\/li>\n
    2. How will it make my life better?<\/li>\n
    3. What do I need to do to buy it?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Building a StoryBrand Chapter 3: The simple SB7 framework<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      The StoryBrand framework is composed of seven clear steps:<\/p>\n

      A Character<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      StoryBrand principle one: the customer is the hero, not your brand. When giving a message, position yourself as Yoda and your audience as Luke Skywalker.<\/p>\n

      Has a Problem<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      StoryBrand principle two: companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal problems. Just like a hero in any story wants to come back to her one peaceful life, customers want to solve a problem that has disrupted their peaceful life.<\/p>\n

      And Meets a Guide \u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      StoryBrand principle three: customers aren\u2019t looking for another hero; they\u2019re looking for a guide. The guide is another character that helps the hero win.<\/p>\n

      \u2026 Who Gives Them a Plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      StoryBrand principle four: customers trust a guide who has a plan.<\/p>\n

      And Calls Them to Action<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      StoryBrand principle five: customers do not take action unless they are challenged to take action.<\/p>\n

      That Helps Them Avoid Failure<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      StoryBrand principle six: every human being is trying to avoid a tragic ending. People are most motivated by loss aversion, the fear of losing something rather than the eagerness to gain something. Show people the cost, the loss if they don\u2019t do business with you.<\/p>\n

      And Ends in a Success<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      StoryBrand principle seven: never assume people understand how your brand can change their lives. Tell them. We must tell our customers how great their life can look if they buy our products and services.<\/p>\n

      The question now is how can you create a clear and compelling message so that you easily organize your thoughts?<\/p>\n

      SECTION 2: BUILDING A STORYBRAND<\/strong><\/p>\n

      CHAPTER 4: A CHARACTER<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      StoryBrand Principle One: The customer is the hero, not your brand.<\/p>\n

      A story starts with a hero who wants something. And then the question becomes: Will the hero get what she wants? Before knowing what the hero wants, the audience has little interest in her fate.<\/p>\n

      For this, we posit a story question in the mind of the customer: Can this brand really help me get what I want?<\/p>\n

      Open a story gap<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      You create a story gap when you identify a potential desire for your customer. The opening and closing of a story gap is a magnetic force that drives much of human behavior. Arousal is the opening of a story gap and sexual fulfillment brings its closing. Hunger is the opening of a story gap and a meal ushers its closing.<\/p>\n

      When we don\u2019t open a story gap in our customers\u2019 mind, they have no motivation to engage us, because there is no question that demands resolution. Defining something our customer wants and featuring it in our marketing materials will open a story gap.<\/p>\n

      Do not add too many conflicting story gaps, focus on a single one. Define something simple and relevant to the customers and become known for delivering on that promise.<\/p>\n

      Choose a desire relevant to their survival<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Survival here means the primitive desire we all have to be safe, healthy, happy and strong.<\/p>\n

      In building a StoryBrand, Donald Miller identifies several survival means:<\/p>\n

      –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Conserving financial resources (a cheaper product) and conserving time (5 in 1 product)<\/p>\n

      –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Building social networks<\/p>\n

      –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Gaining status<\/p>\n

      –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Accumulating resources<\/p>\n

      –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The innate desire to be generous<\/p>\n

      –\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The desire for meaning<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      CHAPTER 5: HAS A PROBLEM<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      StoryBrand Principle Two: Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal problems.<\/p>\n

      To increase your customer\u2019s interest in your brand, you\u2019ll need to talk about the problems they face in their lives.<\/p>\n

      The more we talk about the problems our customers experience, the more interest they will have in our brand.<\/p>\n

      The importance of a villain<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      Every story needs a villain because it gives conflict. The more evil the villain, the more we want the hero to win in the end. As a result, the audience will be more engaged.<\/p>\n

      We should position those products and services as weapons they can use to defeat a villain. And the villain should be dastardly. The villain doesn\u2019t have to be a person, but without question it should have personified characteristics.<\/p>\n

      Advertisers personify the problems their customers face in order to capture their imagination and give their frustrations a focal point.<\/p>\n

      The three levels of conflict<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      To capture the audience\u2019s attention, we\u2019ll need to work on three levels of problems that the customers face: external problems, internal problems and philosophical problems.<\/p>\n

      \u201cIn a story, a villain initiates an external problem that causes the character to experience an internal frustration that is, quite simply, philosophically wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \"building<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      External problems:<\/strong> an external problem is a physical, tangible problem the hero must overcome. Keanu Reeves for example faces a ticking bomb on a bus. Conversely, if we own a restaurant, we for example solve hunger.<\/p>\n

      Internal problems:<\/strong> In almost every story, the hero struggles with internal conflicts and he asks himself: \u201cdo I have what it takes?\u201d What stories teach us is that people\u2019s internal desire to resolve a frustration is a greater motivator than their desire to solve an external problem. Steve Jobs for example understood that people were intimidated by computers; they wanted a simpler interface. By solving this internal problem and by aligning their marketing as an offer to this problem, they started selling more computers. Similarly, Starbucks doesn\u2019t just offer a cup of coffee but provides a comfortable, sophisticated environment in which to relax.<\/p>\n

      Philosophical problems:<\/strong> It involves ethics and personal values: what is good and what is bad; it\u2019s also about the question \u201cwhy?\u201d Why does the story matter? With Tesla, this turns into: a car should pollute less.<\/p>\n

      For a business to grow, we should position our products as the resolution to an external, internal, and philosophical problem and frame the \u201cBuy Now\u201d button as the action a customer must take to create closure in their story.<\/p>\n

      So what challenges are you helping your customer overcome?<\/p>\n

      CHAPTER 6: AND MEETS A GUIDE<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      StoryBrand Principle Three: Customers aren\u2019t looking for another hero; they\u2019re looking for a guide.<\/p>\n

      Every hero is looking for a guide. Basically, we intuitively know that a hero cannot solve his own problems. If he did, he wouldn\u2019t have gotten into trouble in the first place.<\/p>\n

      Storytellers use the guide character to encourage the hero and equip them to win the day.<\/p>\n

      Just like in stories, human beings wake up every morning self-identifying as a hero. They are troubled by internal, external, and philosophical conflicts, and they know they can\u2019t solve these problems on their own.<\/p>\n

      The solution here is to position ourselves as their guide, not as the hero. \u201cA brand that positions itself as the hero is destined to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n

      \u201cAlways position your customer as the hero and your brand as the guide. Always. If you don\u2019t, you will die.\u201d<\/p>\n

      The story is not about us<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      It\u2019s probably one of the key lessons in Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller: we need to help the customers in their success, not solely focus on ours. We have to be their guide. People are looking for a guide to help them, not another hero.<\/p>\n

      In stories, the hero is never the strongest character, they are filled with self-doubt, and they don\u2019t know what it takes. Some of the hero didn\u2019t even want to be in the story in the first place. The guide however can act as a guide because she\u2019s been there already. The guide is the one with the most authority.<\/p>\n

      The two characteristics of a guide<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      How can you change the way you talk about your business, even the way you do business? You turn your focus to the customer and offer them a heroic role in a meaningful story.<\/p>\n

      To be their guide, we\u2019ll need to work on two things. To position ourselves as the guide, a brand must communicate empathy and authority.<\/p>\n

      Express empathy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      When we empathize with our customers\u2019 dilemma, we create a bond of trust. People trust those who understand them, and they trust brands that understand them too. As Oprah Winfrey explained, the three things every human being wants most are to be seen, heard, and understood.<\/p>\n

      Demonstrate authority<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      To add authority to your marketing, you can use:<\/p>\n