Storytelling As a Marketing Plan

Telling Stories That Market You Well

We all have a story. It begins when we are born, but we typically don’t begin to share it with others until we are in our late teens or early twenties. This is when we begin to realize that our story impacts others and affects the way they think of us. Telling stories that market you well is an acquired skill, and one that will serve you in untold ways. Let’s discuss storytelling as a marketing plan…

Use These 4 P’s To Tell a Better Story

Some of the best-selling books of all time were rejected when they were first proposed to dozens and sometimes hundreds of publishers. Then they were finally accepted and made their authors wealthy. They were read by millions and millions of people. Why did so many would-be publishers pass on those manuscripts?

Sometimes it’s because an experienced publisher didn’t find certain components in the story.

When something works time, and again, it’s hard to make an argument for abandoning it. It’s like the old saying that tells us if something isn’t broken, why would we try to fix it? You might do nothing more than mess up something that’s working fine already.

Traditional publishers don’t like taking chances. Their job is on the line. They would rather play it safe and publish a manuscript with many of the same features as past successful books. That can keep their company making money and keep them employed. One of the things publishers look for in a manuscript is the presence of the four Ps.

Consider the People, Place, Plot, and Purpose of Your Story

That might sound like common sense. Of course, there are people in your story! It happens someplace; you know the plot, and you have a purpose. Your purpose is the lesson you’re trying to teach, the information you’re passing on, or the benefit your audience will receive.

If these things don’t seem too important, consider some stories you enjoy. You can probably recall the important people in the story, the setting, the plot, and the purpose. Those story components stuck out in your mind because they were a point of focus.

When it comes to your business, using storytelling as a marketing plan is crucial to your success. You want your followers, prospects, and clients to know and share your story with everyone they know and encounter.

Take the Time to Focus on the Four P’s

Before you craft your story, consider the people you will talk about. In most cases, successful storytelling means a limited number of characters. You don’t want your readers or listeners to have too much on their plate. Don’t distract them with unnecessary characters. Make the important people in your story memorable and relatable if you can.

Where does the story take place? Again, limit your focus here. Talk about the important aspects of the setting and leave everything else out. What’s the plot? What’s happening? Develop a clear and simple beginning, middle, and end, and stick to your plot. Finally, what’s the purpose of your story. Why would someone read it?

The four Ps of storytelling can make you a better writer. You can prepare better speeches, write better video scripts and sell more books. Take time to flesh out your story’s people, place, plot, and purpose, and you’ll get a much better reception from your audience.

Write Better Stories with These 5 tips from Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard wrote crime fiction. Among my favorites were Get Shorty – made into a film – Maximum Bob, and Rum Punch. That’s not a genre that gets much respect from the literary crowd. In Leonard’s case, he is still beloved by fans of fiction, where crime is a centerpiece, and by critics who realize he was an unparalleled storyteller.

He’s one of those writers who won’t allow you to go to sleep at night. You lie in bed and can’t stop reading an extra page. Then you read another and another; before you know it, your chance at a good night’s sleep is gone.

As many successful authors did during their heyday, Elmore Leonard gave a lot of writing advice. He did that in his book, “Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing“. Let’s look at five lessons from his book that can improve your ability to tell stories that engage your readers.

1 – “Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.”

This might take you by surprise. You may believe that the more detail you give, the better picture you paint. You limit your audience’s ability to identify with a character when you describe every detail.

If you have a dozen people listening to you, they will have a dozen different ideas about your characters. Let them form images that make sense to them rather than telling them everything about the people in your story.

2 – “Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue.”

Avoid “she pontificated” or “he exclaimed” when discussing what someone is saying. Fluff is never good in a story, whether telling it or writing it. Get straight to the point, and don’t use unnecessary words when a simple word works.

3 – “Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.”

Many writers and speakers assume that regional dialects and speech patterns add flavor to a story. What they do, in many cases, is frustrate your listeners or readers. Not everyone will identify with dialect, speaking patterns, and grammar usage that isn’t common everywhere. Add a bit here or there where it makes sense but don’t overdo it.

4 – “Never open a book with weather.”

Whether writing a book, preparing a speech, or telling a story as part of a school assignment, don’t start with, “It was a rainy night.” Unless the weather is a central part of your story, wait until further along to add it as a character.

5 – “Avoid prologues.”

If you need a prologue to set up your story, you should do some more work. Everything should be told in the framework of your story. Make your prologue chapter one, or better yet, weave that content throughout your story. Creating content is a valuable use of your time and efforts.

If you want advice from the legendary storyteller himself that sums up the tips above, remember what Leonard once told a struggling writer.

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”

That’s true with storytelling as well as writing. Don’t talk technical. Talk like people speak, with incomplete sentences. Be a grammatical lawbreaker. Please get to know your audience and talk like they do. Use these tips when preparing to tell a story, in person or virtually; your audience will be glad you did.

Great Storytellers Always Have a Clear and Defined Message

When you finish a great book, you know what happened. That might sound silly, but not all books do this. When preparing speeches or attempting to write the next great novel, they don’t always stick to a main message, lesson, or theme. They try to include too much.

Better stories start out with a definite idea in mind. You know what you’re moving towards. You have an idea; even if you don’t know how your story will end, you know where it’s heading.

This is true of fiction, nonfiction, stories that teach morals, and humorous content. You want to be crystal clear on the central theme. You want your plot to be evident, and once your story kicks into high gear, it shouldn’t move from its focus.

Learn This Lesson from “The Old Man and the Sea”

Ernest Hemingway’s short novel, “The Old Man and the Sea,” was his last major work of fiction. It was published in 1952, earning him the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Some claim it to be the legendary author’s most important work, and if you want a lesson in great storytelling, definitely read it.

It works partly because it never wavers from a simple but clearly defined plot. It’s not confusing. There isn’t a lot going on. There are only two main human characters and a third important character, an 18-foot-blue marlin. That’s it. Other characters make very small appearances, but basically, these three characters are the entire book.

The basic plot of the story is clear and simple. An old fisherman who hasn’t caught anything worthwhile in a long time struggles to catch a Marlin of massive proportions. He battles the fish, weather, sharks, and cuts to his hand but never gives up. Craft your content in a way that positions you as the hero, if you want to use storytelling as a marketing plan..

That’s the story’s basic plot- and Hemingway sticks to it.

Keep Your Plot Simple and Clear

The message or lesson of the story is that if you want to accomplish something, you should never give up, no matter what gets in your way. The plot is also simple and crystal-clear. You have a fisherman in a boat and a fish he’s trying to catch. That’s the gist of it.

Getting into the story is easy because you aren’t distracted by unnecessary characters and subplots. Remember, you’ll tell better stories with a clearly defined and simple plot that your readers can easily follow.Telling Great Stories Means Using This Must-Have Component

Some people like sweets, and others don’t. Your favorite color might be red, while your best friend’s is blue. In other words, there are a lot of paths to please people. What works for one may not work for another. In many cases, though, most people will desire the same things, even if they take different forms (shelter, food, climate control).

You can travel far and wide, and you’ll probably not find too many people that don’t want a roof over their heads and food on their table. People want to eat, and they want to get out of the weather when it’s inclement. Food and shelter are two must-have components for living a long, happy, and healthy life for most people.

The components of great food are the ingredients, instructions, and necessary equipment. There are certain things you have to have in different endeavors if you want to produce a predictable result. If you want to tell better stories, you absolutely must include conflict.

Imagine a Story with No Conflict

You meet your friend for lunch. She wants to tell you about her day yesterday. You beg her to give you all the details and wait with anticipation.

Your friend excitedly tells you that she woke up, ate breakfast, and went to work. She had a routine day, just like most of her other days. On the way home, she stopped at a gas station to refuel her car and ran into an old boyfriend. She bought a lottery ticket while she was there and then made her way home. She watched some TV, fooled around online, then went to bed.

She stops talking. You’re waiting for something to happen. You ask her if her story is over. She says yes. Then you ask her if she had a boss or coworker that made her day difficult. She says no. Did her old boyfriend cause a big scene? Nope, nothing happened. Did her lottery numbers hit, but she lost her ticket? She tells you that didn’t happen either.

That is about the most boring story anyone has probably told. It’s because no conflict needs to be overcome.

Embrace Conflict in Your Stories

Don’t expect people to listen if there isn’t any conflict in the story you’re trying to tell. They won’t read your tale of “nothing went wrong, and everything was normal.” Conflict captures attention. It’s why newscasts are mostly about conflict and crisis.

A heartwarming or uplifting story might make it into your local news broadcast, but it will die quickly of loneliness. The vast majority of the stories you’ll hear are about conflict. It captures the attention of the audience.

That’s what you want to do. Be sure to include conflict in your stories. Then show how that conflict was overcome. Conflict keeps your audience attentive and engaged, whether you’re telling a story or writing a book.Are You Using the 5 Cs of Great Storytelling?

Successful writers will tell you there are always certain components to a successful story. They will also tell you that rules are made to be broken. That means it won’t necessarily be a flop if your story doesn’t have the components we’re about to discuss. You can still tell great stories if you miss one or two of the following pieces. You’re just making the job more difficult on yourself.

It would be best to have the following five C’s in your story most of the time.

• Circumstances
• Conflict
• Crisis
• Climax
• Conclusion

To paint a clear picture, let’s use the Cinderella fairytale.

Cinderella has a pitiful life with her evil stepsisters and stepmother, who constantly harass her. She receives an invitation to the royal ball. Alas, she has nothing to wear and no way to get to the ball. Her fairy godmother appears and supplies her with a dress and a coach to transport her.

Cinderella is told she must be back home before midnight. She goes to the ball, the Prince falls in love with her, then midnight strikes, and she’s back to her less-than-enviable life. She loses a shoe at the ball, and the Prince finds it. He tries it on the feet of the women in his kingdom and eventually finds Cinderella. They live happily ever after.

Circumstances

Cinderella has a difficult life cleaning for her stepmother and stepsisters, and they constantly bully and mistreat her.

Conflict

She is ecstatic that she received an invitation to the royal ball but has nothing to wear. And if she did have a suitable gown, how would she get to the ball?

Crisis

She’s having the time of her life but has to leave the Prince before midnight strikes, and he discovers who she really is.

Climax

The Prince finds her, and she once again has hopes for a great life.

Conclusion

They live happily ever after.

As you can see, if you had those five components figured out, then you would only need to flesh out the story. If you can create your five C’s before you begin writing your story, filling in the blanks is simple. You’re providing yourself an outline that’s been proven to engage your audience and compel them to keep on reading. Use the five C’s of crafting a story, and your storytelling ability will grow and morph into using storytelling as a marketing plan. That’s a wonderful thing!

What about using storytelling as a marketing plan, that I mentioned at the beginning of this article? Truth is stranger, and definitely more interesting than fiction. So tell your story as often and in as many ways as you possibly can, and you will become memorable in your niche and attract the exact people that make sense for you.

I’m bestselling Wall Street Journal and USA Today author, marketing strategist, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization training course (Use Code: Independence for a significant discount)  and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.