Story Marketing for Small Businesses

Story marketing is the process of attracting and engaging customers through narrative – their story, rather than yours. Instead of the ‘buy our product’ messages of typical marketing campaigns, story marketing motivates the customer to connect with your company as a solution to their problem or a way to a better life.

This course highlights the essentials for your small business: how to write and refine your own tale for marketing to your target audience.

This Course will  teach participants how to recognize and use the essential tools of story marketing; the basics of good storytelling; ways to connect with customers; how to refine the company brand; and how to build and polish your story for maximum results.

Course Topics:

Session 1: Course Overview

• Learning Objectives

Session 2: Story Marketing Toolkit

• Which Came First: The Chicken or The Egg?
• Your Inspiration
• Your Toolkit
• Toolbox Inventory Activity

Session 3: Storytelling Essentials

• What Exactly is a Story?
• Ingredients of a Good Story
• Identifying a Hero, Challenge, and Resolution
• Story for Your Brand
• Setting Goals
• The Truth Test
• Positive vs. Negative

Session 4: Connecting with Customers

• Connecting with Customers
• Understanding Your Customers
• Brainstorming

Session 5: Refining Your Brand

• Refining Your Brand
• Understanding Your Company
• Inventory of Key company Facts
• Identifying Your Message
• Keywords
• Strengthening Your Brand
• Taking Stock

Session 6: Building Your Story

• Show and Tell
• Parts of Your Story
• Heroes and Villains
• Plan for Success
• Your Story Board
• Writing Your Story
• Getting Started
• Rough Draft

Session 7: Polishing Your Story

• Measuring Social Media, Part One
• Measuring Social Media, Part Two
• Your CRM

Session 8: Keep Going Forward

• Polishing a Rough Draft
• Color Commentary
• Adding Color
• The Editing Process
• Editing Checks
• Peer Review