Using StoryBrand To Create Copy Your Prospects Can Easily Understand

Why do customers walk away without buying? 

Believe it or not, most of the time, the answer isn’t price (yes, even in the midst of inflation). Most often, prospects walk away long before price even comes up. They walk away because they’re confused by your message, opting for a competitor with a message that’s easy to understand.

Humans are drawn to clarity, and do their best to steer clear of confusion. To grab your prospects’ attention, you need to clear the clutter and offer them a compelling message they can easily comprehend.

One tried-and-true way to do that is by using the Storybrand Framework. 

What Is the StoryBrand Framework?

The StoryBrand Framework uses the principles of storytelling for business marketing. It helps you craft a clear, compelling message, putting your customer in the role of the hero with you as their guide.

StoryBrand helps you tell your brand story using basic story structure: 

A character 

Your customer, a.k.a., the hero of the story.

Has a problem 

This is the customer’s main pain point. Every good story has a single, solvable problem. 

If you can’t clearly define the problem you help customers solve, you can’t expect customers to engage with you. 

They meet a guide 

A.k.a., your business. In a story, the guide is the one who helps the main character win. They are a capable, competent problem solver.

Who offers them a plan to solve their problem

This is a series of steps the customer needs to take to engage with your brand, to take advantage of your products or services.

And calls them to take action 

The call to action gives the customer direction, a first step to engage with your business to solve their problem.

If they take that action it results in success; If they don’t, it results in failure 

Using your product or service solves their problem. If they choose not to take action, they’re stuck with their problem, to the detriment of their life/business/family/etc. 

In any good story, something must be won or lost. Stakes like this create suspense and conflict…which is, ultimately, what makes a great story.

Using StoryBrand To Create Copy That’s Clear and Compelling

Now that we understand what the StoryBrand Framework is, let’s look at why it works and how to use story to clarify your brand message.

Our Brains Are Wired For Stories

Story is the most compelling tool we have to grab the brain’s attention. The human brain is hardwired for storytelling. 

And a great storyteller grabs their audience’s attention by clearly showing how the story connects with them personally. Because ultimately, our brains are working hard to do two things:

1. Survive and thrive. The human brain is constantly scanning the surrounding environment, looking for both threats (survive) and opportunities to advance our lives in a positive direction (thrive).
2. Conserve calories. Our brains burn calories when they process information. To conserve calories, our brains are wired to ignore information we don’t need. If the information we’re receiving can’t be used to help us survive or thrive, we’ll automatically tune it out.

So if your marketing language is too complex, consumers’ brains will stop paying attention. To ensure your customers stay engaged, you need to clearly and simply communicate how your business will help them survive and thrive.

You’re Not the Hero…Your Customer Is

In a similar vein, if your messaging doesn’t focus primarily on your customer and what they need, you’ll lose them. After all, your business is not the hero of the story — your customer is. You’re the guide that’s there to help them solve their problems.

In other words, don’t use all of your messaging to talk about yourself. Focus on your customer and their needs.

This may seem counterintuitive to business marketing. But think about it: If all you ever do is talk about how great your company is and how amazing your products are, but you don’t connect those great products with your customer’s needs, why should they listen?

If your audience can’t see how your business is relevant to them, they’ll tune you out.

If You Confuse, You Lose

Every day, people are bombarded with information. Because we’re inundated with so many messages, we tend to only listen to people and brands who communicate simply and clearly.

So if your message is confusing or convoluted, you’ll lose your audience’s attention.

• Your customers won’t understand what you offer
• Your salespeople will struggle to differentiate your products in the marketplace
• Word about your business won’t spread
• Your customers will opt for the competition

StoryBrand helps you communicate more effectively both internally and externally so your prospects and employees alike will understand exactly what you offer. And that kind of clarity gives you a competitive advantage.

If consumers can quickly and easily understand what you’re offering, they’ll be more likely to buy.

The 8-Second Rule

The average person’s attention span is 8.25 seconds (shorter than a goldfish, which has a 9-second attention span! 🐟).

That means you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention. So if your website or social media post copy doesn’t draw readers in fast, you’ll lose their interest…and their business.

When it comes to communicating with your audience, clarity is key. You can’t try to cram everything you do, every service you offer into your message. You need to strip it down to a simple, clear idea that gets your message across (and grabs your audience’s attention) fast. 

The Grunt Test 

Does your website generate leads for your business? (Spoiler: It should.) If you’re not clearly communicating who you are and what you do on your site, you’re likely losing leads.

To determine if your website communicates your message clearly enough for prospects to understand, take the StoryBrand Grunt Test:

If you showed your website to a caveman, would they be able to tell you what you do, how you can make their life better, and how they can do business with you? 

Now, we’re not saying your prospects have the IQ of cavemen. The point of the Grunt Test is that all this information should be easily found on your website by someone who previously knew nothing about your business. 

In fact, those three main details — what you do, the problem you solve, and how people can engage with your business — should be found in the header of your website. If they’re not, you're probably losing out on potential business. 

Wild Fig Is Your StoryBrand Partner

As you can see, the StoryBrand Framework can be a game-changing tool for business marketing. Using StoryBrand to create copy that’s clear and compelling will help you connect more effectively with prospects and generate leads.

Wild Fig would love to be your StoryBrand partner! Let us build your brand story so you can capture your prospects’ attention, draw them in, and grow your business. Schedule an exploratory call with Jen, our VP of Opportunities, to learn what Wild Fig and StoryBrand can do for you.