Leaning into Your Story and Flow.
Jerome Patrick Jr
Practice Social Business Intelligence at United States Postal Service | Lifelong Learner and Designer of Products
The product is great.
There's an Ocean of opportunity.
You are a perfect fit to market this product.
You only sell one of the said products.
Maybe not a fit.
Or maybe ...
You did not make the connection.
(Dial-up internet noise)
Are we missing something here?
We're not connecting the dots.
Story connects the dots.
It creates differentiation.
It says you are not fitting a square peg in a circle hole.
So how do we get to telling stories?
Not just any old story, but great ones.
This article was inspired by my recent podcast listening to Marketing Against the Grain.
They drop the gems so I am passing them to you.
Here's what I learned and gathered.
If you know me...I'm a fan of reading or viewing something, applying it, and sharing it. That's how we learn!
Shout out to Jim Kwik
I guess I'm in some instances... your Brand Story Fairy.
We all enjoy a great story!
I believe that you and I are capable of telling good stories to our customers.
Here are several tools that you can utilize to help you tell that story.
Shape of Stories
Kurt Vonnegut provides a framework that can help us understand how stories are crafted. I have also provided a video here that provides an easy-to-learn on this topic.
I believe the key for us is to discover the relativity of our customers in said desires, problems, or challenges.
Once defined we are in a position to utilize one of the frameworks shown above in crafting a story.
One of the more common story frameworks that businesses utilize is the Hero's Journey.
If you are familiar with The Karate Kid, Star Wars, Hunger Games, or even the Marvel films you have seen this framework in action.
It kinda goes a little something like this.
The main character has a problem and is faced with what I call the PIE monster. "The PHILOSOPHICAL INTERNAL EXTERNAL MONSTER"
2. Meets a guide. Think Yoda (Star Wars), Master Splinter (TMNT), or Mr. Miyagi (Karate Kid) This person helps them through the journey.
3. A plan is created. Between mentor and mentee, they set out on a journey to reach the desired goal.
4. Through this journey the main character is set on different challenges.
5. The mentor helps him avoid absolute ruin.
6. The main character attains its goal and defeats the PIE monster!
Donald Miller famously coined this framework as the Brand Story Framework. You can learn more in-depth about it here.
Takeaways
What stories in your journey you can tell that evoke the motions you sought that are relative to your desired audience?
Take you out and put them in.
Share your why, passion, and purpose.
Wrap it up in a format that you are capable of delivering it in.
Shoot the shot on your social media. Shoot it!
(in my Dave Chappelle-Prince voice)
If you are working in flow(Forever Love Of Works) you will dominate and resonate with those you seek to serve just by committing to practice.
Learning Currently
Been trying to learn how to be a YouTuber recently, I invite you on this journey with me to help one another be what we desire to be.
Don't be afraid to share some pointers, I greatly appreciate it.
Books I'm Reading
I recently completed Atomic Habits by James Clear, now I know why some of my favorite mentors from afar love it! Want to 10x your chances at establishing better habits this is a good book investment.
Now reading, Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
Book in the queue, The Million Dollar Weekend.
Podcasts that have my Ears..Maybe yours too!
Marketing Against the Grain Episode, Storytelling 101: How to Keep Them Hooked
Mel Robbins's Episode, This One Study Will Change How You Think About Your Life
My First Million Episode 548: The Story Behind the $1.5B Pornhub Curse
Super Bowl Commercials
What do you think about the Super Bowl Commercials for this year?
My personal favorites were State Farm's Like a Good Neighbaa! with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Duncan Donuts The DunKings with Ben Affleck, Jenifer Lopez, and Tom Brady, and T-Mobile's Home Internet Feeling with Jason Momoa in that order.
What were yours?
Join the Band!
I'm currently working on a platform to help support others in creating brands to embrace the desired audience they seek to service.
I called it the Forever Brand Band.
If you are ready to discover, define, design, and deliver your brand's promise this may be for you.