Building a Storybrand

For a while now I’ve been hearing my peers make comments about “the narrative” or "the lack of storytelling” when looking at websites. It befuddled me, making me aware that I was missing some vital information that would make those comments make sense.
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I chose this book because it seems to be the one everyone is reading, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It has some good info in it, but it’s written from a bro perspective.

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That said, I think I understand now what people mean when they talk about storytelling. It’s not that we are told an actual story, it’s more about speaking the language of the person looking at the website (or other piece of media).

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Let me give an example: Most websites of freelance designers and front-end developers talk about and give examples of what they do instead of speaking to what a person would get from working with them. Meaning, instead of the copy on the website saying "Look at these cool websites I've made!” or “These are the tools I use”, it should say things like “Websites built on an easy-for-you-to-maintain platform” or, “I help solopreneurs and small businesses stand out from the crowd with responsive, well-designed, custom websites”.

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The book’s process is a bit over-wrought (because the book is one long sales pitch for the the services the author's company sells) but it gives a structure one can use to adjust language so that it speaks directly to a target audience, mentioning their problem, and how the product or service can solve it. That’s what people mean when they talk about storytelling.

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There’s also some good advice about the importance of meeting the client halfway by offering something free to establish oneself as an authority. It could be a free PDF, a 15 minute evaluation, access to the free version of your product or whatever. He likens it to a date when what he’s really wanting is to get married. Gross. But good advice!

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I’ve seen people giving away free Notion templates with a streamlined version of the info provided in this book.

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Not recommended.

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