Marketing is having a great story and telling it.

Your story is what you do and how you do it. It’s your history, your culture and your mission. It’s your vision, your dreams and your plans. It’s who you work with, how you interact and what you do for them.

Your story is what makes people want to work with you. It’s what turns you into a person or company who is likeable and trustworthy.

Predictability = Brand Image
People want your story and how you tell it to be predictable. They want to know it’s you, every time.  They don’t want to confuse you with someone else and they want to follow your continuing narrative.

Environment = Media
Your people want to come across it where they are looking. They want it in a way they can relate and with language they understand.  Which media you choose is based on where your audience hangs out and which ones make you comfortable.

Team Building = Content
Your people want to know that you are there for them and that there are others there, too. They want a conversation and they want to be heard. Everything you say should speak to them and help them know you care. That, of course, assumes you do care.

Well Paid = Business Model
Your people want what’s fair for both of you. They want to reciprocate when you give them good stuff. Your price, your products and your offer are all part of your story. They tell people if they belong working with you.

That’s marketing, branding, usp, tactics, social media, and strategy all rolled into one story. Your story isn’t just about what you say, it’s what you do and what others say about you.  You can’t just make it up. Not any more.

The basics of your story answer these questions:

Who are you and what do you do?
With whom do you work best?
What do you do for them?
Where do you reach them?
How do you relate to them?
What do they want to hear from you?
What’s your offer to help them?
What’s your core message?
How can you wrap that to make it easily communicated?

Bernadette Jiwa tells us, in today’s post, what goes into our brand story and how everything we do communicates it. http://thestoryoftelling.com/20-elements-of-brand-story/

Here’s Your Effortless Marketing Plan Worksheet. Your Story and How You Tell It

Answering those questions will give you a start on your story and ideas about how and where to tell it.

photo by Mike Baird