Since my Storybrand certification in July, we’ve been contacted by quite a few companies looking to apply the framework to their business. But, when we’ve drilled down in discovery, we’ve found that what they really want is better copywriting. A noble goal!
Perhaps the confusion comes from reading a book. There’s nothing wrong with that. I read it too!
Oh, email. So old and tired. Right?
Wrong!
So many data platforms… so little time. New technologies are in place to identify behaviors, buyer journeys, levels of engagement, and interest. But, to actually connect with a human being, more often than not, you need a valid email address.
It's like the good ol’ standard Snickers Bar in your Halloween bag of treats.
You’ve delved deep into your market research. You’ve built out your buyer personas to almost perfection. You know what makes them tick, what their problems are, and how you can solve them.
This is your audience… right?
It’s true, you can’t please—or serve—everyone, so you have to narrow your target audience to a manageable group of people. Yet, sometimes there are opportunities outside this target audience; opportunities that don’t require a great deal of additional time/money/resources to explore.
Think of it as expanding the bull’s-eye, ever so slightly.
The goal of any company is growth, whether that means opening satellite locations, bringing in product experts, adding service lines, or improving revenue (it’s almost always improved revenue, at the least). You can’t get there without pushing limits and opening your eyes to new opportunities.
But, sometimes companies get wrapped up with all the day-to-day “stuff” that’s required to keep a business afloat, they don’t have the time, money, or resources to venture into new areas of expansion—or at least they don’t believe they have the needed man/womanpower.
In my digital world, it’s a relief to hear someone talk about the brand; the essential idea that brings people to the door wanting more. Sound too fluffy for you?
It shouldn’t.
A recent referral found an old New York Times article that featured work we did on a city-wide domestic violence awareness campaign at Y&R.
Guess what I was talking about, even way back then? Yep. Strategy and customer insights. At least I’m consistent!
The underlying thread of the StoryBrand framework is to "clarify your message" and create content that compels your audience to take action--instead of wasting time and money on unclear messaging that falls flat.
Seems like a universal goal for all sizes and types of companies, yet I’ve heard from many that StoryBrand is just appropriate for small companies.
We made it... Q4. Next-year planning is ramping up and 2020 budget discussions will soon take place (if there aren't already rumblings). To avoid getting trapped in a situation where you're constantly having to arm wrestle for a fair share of marketing allocations, you can test some interim ideas now to support your future recommendations.
In my blog last week, I referenced that I believe I’m becoming a “real, human marketer.” What I meant by that is that I’ve started to look at everything from a marketing, branding, customer journey, and customer experience perspective. I would not go so far as to say “the student has become the master” (I still have a lot to learn), but it’s actually quite fascinating to observe the world in this new(ish) light.
One thing I’ve observed is that brands who “do it right” share this defining characteristic: They really take care of their customers.
HBO's Silicon Valley gave viewers a heightened (and sometimes ridiculous) peek into start-up culture. The actual Silicon Valley is known for fostering these types of companies, but this area in California is also an entrepreneurial environment for scale-ups.
The simplistic differences between these two types of companies is that start-ups are in the early stages of building their business while scale-ups already have a solid presence in the marketplace.
