Stories that inspire change are crafted upside down and inside out.
once upon a time…
In school, we learned to write by starting at the beginning. This strategy is effective for telling a story. Our clients want to do more than that. They want their stories to inspire change and help their bottom line: new customers, more resources, and better customer relationships. Before you start writing your story, you need to ask yourself some questions:
what do you want?
Ill-defined change does not inspire action. You must clearly identify what you want to change. This is your call to action. What do you want us to do after we hear your story? Buy a new product? Donate to your cause? Spread the word? You will rarely obtain a goal you don’t set out to achieve. Define your call to action first.
who do they want?
Who do you need to reach? Is your target audience young or mature? Male or female? Local or international? Effective stories connect with their audience. The more you know about your audience, the more likely you are to discover ways to connect, both in what you say and how you say it.
connect, connect, connect
Stories that reflect who and what we are touch us most. When listeners envision themselves as part of the story, they connect.
connect with context
Context is key. When your message illustrates what we already have in common, it is easier to answer your call to action (e.g., buy now, donate now, etc.). Discuss our shared core values and concerns. Tell us why we should listen to you.
connect with design
Nonverbal communication is powerful. We respond to the look and feel of something before we decide whether or not read further. Website visitors decide whether to stay on your website or go elsewhere in seconds. A compelling website design encourages visitors to stay on the site and learn your story. Hone your design for the audience you want to attract. Show us why we should pay attention.
connect the dots
You may have spent years honing your expertise. Your audience is likely less savvy on the subject. Connections and conclusions that leap off the page for you can be lost on people with less experience. You need to connect the dots. Don’t force your audience to figure out why your call to action is important. Tell us why. And then show us what we should do next.
stay connected
What kind of relationship do you want? What customer expectations are you creating as a result? The Netflix pricing fiasco illustrates what happens when customer expectations are ignored.
Netflix invested in creating a great customer experience for renting movies. Netflix cultivated a feel-good brand in the process. Netflix then increased their fees by 60%. The new costs remained competitive, but they lost 1 million subscribers, shaving $120 million dollars from their annual revenue. What happened? Why did they lose so many customers in the process? Netflix customers learned to expect more from Netflix. Customers held their feel-good brand to a feel-good standard. They expected Netflix to communicate changes to them directly. That didn’t happen. Customers complained. Netflix responded with price justifications and ignored the expectations that they crafted and then violated. In the process, they offended 1 million people enough to cancel their accounts. Winning angry customers back is difficult at best. Netflix needs to find another strategy to offset the $120 million loss.
Social media technologies are a powerful way to tell your story. There are numerous options, from Facebook to Twitter, and they are all different. Each medium comes with its own customer expectations. Make sure your actions honor your customers’ expectations.
share your story
You may be at a world-class level in what you do well. To be recognized for who you are and what you do, you need to effectively tell your story. In this post we provided the road map we use to craft our clients’ stories. The same fundamentals apply whether we are producing a video, developing a website., or designing a logo.
Contact us to learn how we can help you share your story effectively.
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