Developing a Story

When it comes to marketing your small business, having a story is increasingly important. 

Why? Because a story has the power to inspire. It creates a human connection. It inspires them to think about you, to want to support you, to tell their friends about you. That is why crafting your story should take some strategic thought and even a little creativity.

Creating a story that speaks to the heart of your target market, the heart of what you do, and the heart of who you are (as a person or a business) can both guide your future content and help you connect with the right people along the way.

Here are a few tips to help you develop your story.

1. Define Your Ideal Client.
To identify your ideal client, you must first start with any data you have gathered about your best customers: their age, gender, relationship status, race, religion, occupation, life stage, interests, and media preference are all factors to consider.  For example, a high-end newborn photographer would have an ideal client of a childbearing-aged female expecting a new babe with a high household income.

2.  Develop Your Ideal Client Profile.
What interests does your ideal client group have? What do they care about? Are they coffee lovers? Do they like to cook healthy meals? Are they moms or techy guys? Do they have beards? All of this seems simplistic, but when it comes to targeting your content based on their interests - it makes sense.

Take our example of the newborn photographer. Her ideal client will probably enjoy baby blogs and articles about the developmental stages of infancy or what to pack or throw out for the hospital bag. They might be lovers of expensive chocolates. Even baby clothes. All things mother, all things baby, all things raising kids - not just photography.

3. Figure Out Who You Are.
What makes you different from your competitors? What are your goals? While you are answering these questions, remember to think about your "why." Why does or should your following care?

3. Create Your Message.
Take all the information you now have and develop an overall story. Once complete, you can take that story and begin developing a wide array of social media content based on all of the above. All while telling YOUR brand's story and YOUR story! It's easy to regurgitate content that is already out there circulating. But does it make them think of you?

Of course, if you need help with 1, 2 or 3 - We are here for you.

You can get a complete YOUR-BUSINESS-SPECIFIC consultation where we can walk through that entire process with you and then help generate plenty of ideas to set your social media marketing apart from your competitors.

Contact us today to set up your consultation.