Strategic Storytelling

How to communicate your value by telling a story.

Stories make it possible to communicate your value without coming across as boastful, obnoxious or unbelievable.

Your story won’t just explain: your …

"Dramatic stories in your emails? Not a good idea!"

That was the advice of a  marketing expert - not me! 

In particular, he said, emails that begin with an edgy dramatic story face two problems.

Firs…

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your business, especially if you are a small, service-based business where you are the brand.  These days we're hearing a lot about how to u…

There's a lot of confusion about branding for small businesses and solopreneurs. Your brand influences the stories you tell, the promises you make, and even the advice you give your clients.

Cindy Bi…

When you're a small service-based business, you are the brand ... and you deliver the value to your clients. Prospective clients come to you with the question, "Can you really do the job?"

They want…

Content creation is one of the most important activities of a business owner, especially for online marketing. 

As a prolific writer myself, I've found that anyone who writes a lot will sooner or lat…

Stories, by definition, evoke emotions. Strong stories encourage your audience to see themselves in your story. 

But what does your audience experience when you share a story about your own s…

As marketers - especially copywriters - we're taught to begin a project by asking, "What does the client need?" 

Copywriting training usually includes a list of basic needs, such as "finance" and "lo…

It's happened to every consultant or coach. 

A client shows up, enthusiastic and ready to rock and roll.

But then they stop cold. They realize they're not Cinderella and you're not the fairy godmothe…

Here's something I see often. You're trying to explain a service to your clients. They don't get it.

So...you tell them more about you. Your "why." Your origin story.

And you tell them more about you…

It’s not a secret that potential clients get nervous before they decide to hire you. They know they’re taking a risk, especially if you’re a small business and they aren’t coming from a referral.

The…

If you’re marketing online, you probably know, “The money is in the list.” 

To grow your list in today’s market, you almost always need to offer your prospective clients something of value such as an…

What makes a story grab your audience’s attention?

With all the stories going around, it’s hard to make a story stand out. Just opening my email today, I got a handful of stories about people who too…

You're writing copy to target your ideal clients. But they may not be ready to hear you. They may not know they have a problem; they may not be ready to look for solutions.

You may have heard of the …

You know you need a change. A new direction in business...maybe a whole new business. A new career. A major move from corporate to entrepreneurship.

You might be changing because well, it's time! Or …

Business storytelling is just one more tool in your marketing bag. But sometimes it's harder to be objective about storytelling decisions than about other business decisions, such as whether to atten…

Does someone want to connect with you on LinkedIn? Do you get messages like these: “It looks like you’re doing some pretty amazing things with storytelling.”

“I’d love to learn more about your journ…

Business decisions and career decisions will be influenced by the way you tell a story. When you tell an old story because "everyone knows this" you make choices with less successful outcomes. 

In th…

You've got a great story for business...and you're ready to write "The End." But it's rarely a good idea to end your business story this way. When you're writing a story to sell,  you'll get more re…

When you're a solopreneur or small service-based business, the brand is YOU. The stories you tell will contribute to your brand and position, even when you're not intending to brand with them. A casu…