Marketing Edge 2017 – What’s YOUR Story?

You know the expression “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed”? That is how I would describe myself the morning of the Marketing Edge conference. I walked in eager to learn and walked out inspired by so many great marketers and their stories! I could not have chosen a better first conference to attend as a new marketer just beginning my career.

Marketing Edge brings together forward-thinking industry leaders from across the country to share insight and inspire new conversations and perspectives in the marketing industry. The conference featured three keynote sessions and four breakout sessions and panels with more than 20 speakers, but my personal favorite was Kindra Hall.

Kindra managed to effortlessly do what all marketers aspire to do every day – engage people. She captivated the entire room through strategic storytelling and proved that the one thing that matters in this crazy world of marketing is our story.

What is your story? First, you must know what it is not.

1. A story is not a tagline/slogan/mission statement.
2. It is not a list of features or benefits.
3. It is not simply catchy copy or cool infographics.
4. It is not vague. 

How many of you have worked on creating social media content and are guilty of quoting a tagline and listing features or benefits? We need to remember that humans are attracted to stories and are more motivated to take action when they can relate personally.

So, what is a story? According to Kindra:

1. A story happens in a particular moment.
2. There is a beginning, middle, and end.
3. There are emotions, not just information.
4. There are characters to care about.

Now that you know what a story is, you can find yours or your client’s by taking these 3 steps:

1. Make a list of differentiators.
2. Make a list of the features and benefits.
3. Make a list of your client’s clients and their transformations. What did your client do for them and what were the results? OR if your client has undergone an amazing transformation, share what it is!

Once you find your story, craft it. Don’t just have a beginning, a middle, and an end – that’s boring. Set the scene and be vivid, include emotions - i.e. the struggle, the hope - and specific, strategic details. Offer a directive – encourage your audience to take action.

Just to prove there is a method to her madness, Kindra tested how well a story performed against a photo and an article and as the chart shows below, her story reached 9x the amount a photo was able to reach and 5x the amount the article reached. Incredible!

The last step is to tell your story via videos, on your website, and through social media, blogs, and email campaigns. Tell it in presentations and in-person meetings to really make a connection!

Let Blue Sky Help You Tell Your Story

Need help finding and crafting your story? Or do you know your story but need help telling it? Contact Blue Sky Marketing today.