Are you lost for words when it comes to talking about yourself to win business for your digital agency?
Wouldn’t you like to have a collection of stories handy which show you in great light and make you more memorable?
Sounds wunderbar, right?
So keep reading for 5 easy steps to unleash your storytelling abilities as an agency owner.
Using my Story Finder Framework will boost your content marketing and help you to attract more of the right clients for your agency.
You can also watch my video on this topic; it’s perfect for you during your next coffee break or if you really enjoy listening to a gentle German accent! 🙂
Why is sharing your story benefits your marketing?
We’re conditioned to enjoy a good story.
My son is 9 and there’s hardly a night when he doesn’t demand a bedtime story.
Stories are what we remember about growing up.
As consumers ourselves, we tend to ignore marketing speak.
When we listen to a great story our brain releases hormones that encourage memory recall and building an emotional bond.
I’m not a scientist (put it down to my dislike for chemistry and spreadsheets). If you want to dig deeper on the topic, this Harvard Business Review article explains why storytelling works super well.
I’d like to help you create a bank of stories ready to use in your marketing.
Step 1: Understand What Truly Resonates with YOUR Audience
All good content marketing starts with your audience, and you need to know them better than they know themselves. If you haven’t already done so, do your research and answer these questions about YOUR dream clients (dream clients = people who can pay your worth and you’d enjoy working with):
- Depending on your agency’s offering, what stage are they in their online business?
- What are they like as people?
- What are their hopes, dreams and challenges related to your agency offering?
- What are their pain points and their passions – on the surface and at a deeper level?
Step 2: Reflecting on What Makes You – YOU
Yes, you read that right! This is about you. As the agency founder you need to be visible in your marketing, and telling stories is a great starting point! Not convinced? You’re the person who picks up the phone and sends the sales proposals, so step up your visibility! There is no more hiding if you want to win your audience’s trust.
I know story-sharing can be daunting, but when you identify great stories, you’ll find it easier to talk less tech and to become more magnetic to your ideal audience. But I’m not suggesting you should air your dirty washing when you tell your stories!
Once you’ve brainstormed all the potential stories, you can simply pick the best stories to build trust and to become more memorable. Here are my story prompts to help you get started:
- What stories do you remember about growing up?
- What movies inspire you?
- What 3 things are you really proud of?
- Why did you create your agency?
- What key events and experiences shaped who you are today? (This could include a career change, moving to a new place, starting a family…)
- What were some of the most important decisions you’ve made in your life: failures and successes?
The best thing to do is to write all of these on post-it notes, list them in an Asana board, a Google doc or a notebook – whatever works for you.
If you would like to see an example of super powerful example of story sharing, check out Dave Foy who created this brilliant story page ‘How I Swapped My Career As A Web Builder To Build A Multiple Six-Figure Business Teaching Tech Online’ applying the Wunderstars Story Finder Exercise.
Step 3: Pick the Best Stories
Go back and review all of your stories, because now it’s time to consider how you can relate to your ideal audience using your WHY and your most memorable stories.
Think of an individual you know in your ideal audience group – which stories would work well for him/her?
I know, you’ll probably say at this point that no one is interested in your stories, but you’re so wrong.
Pick the stories that would be most relevant to their hopes, dreams and challenges.
If you’re still stuck, think about conversations you’ve had with friends and clients, which stories about your life and business did they find most interesting?
When I left corporate life, I had to figure out which stories I could share about myself.
Actually the penny really dropped when I prepared for a talk. I followed the keynote of a very talented content duo, Andrew and Pete.
I knew the only way to get the audience’s attention was by complementing my learning themes with storytelling.
So I did. This was the first time I rolled out my David Hasslehoff story to talk about the power of social media marketing and personal branding.
And it really worked. Years later, people still mention it to me. That’s the power of great story telling.
Step 4: Sleep on Your Selection of Stories
Go and chat through them with your family, friends and perhaps someone you worked with in the past. Which stories are they happy for you to talk about in your marketing content? Once you’ve got their permission, you’ll feel more at ease about sharing them.
Remember, it’s not about ‘airing your dirty washing’ in public. You’re simply picking the stories that are likely to resonate with your audience and don’t feel too personal.
For example, I chose to make my upbringing behind the Iron Curtain in former Eastern Germany the story I’m happy to share. It’s nothing too private and it helps me to be remembered.
So go over your selection and pick three stories (or more) that show you in a good light. It’s a bit like handling the ‘what are your weaknesses question’ in an interview: you pick something that still shows off how valuable you’d be for that company!
Step Five: My Favourite Tips for Sharing Your Stories
Fascinate your audience by showing your personality.
Don’t be afraid to share stories about past failures – we all love to learn from other people’s experiences, and failures are just as valuable (if not more so) than successes.
Write up ideas of how you can use the stories to create content for your digital channels. Which one would work well in your About Page?
Which one could you share as a mini story in your next blog? Which one could you talk about on your social channels? What angles could you use to explain what you’d like your audience to learn.
Give it a go, and I think you’ll be pleased with the results!
People work with people and this is a brilliant opportunity for your agency to become more memorable. To stand out amongst agencies that tend to talk about tech and processes.
Yes this is important too, but if you want to create a conversation opener for your dream clients and encourage them to get in touch with you, you need to make yourself memorable.
What’s next?
I know you might be really busy with client work.
I know talking about yourself might be one of your least favourite things to do.
No-one wakes up in the morning thinking: “I want to share my stories to promote my business”!
If you want to build an agency you love to get up for in the mornings, being proactive about your marketing to attract your dream clients is non-negotiable.
To make this easier, I’ve 30 days of content inspiration for you.
Using my prompts will make it easier for you to create marketing content for your digital channels that makes you and your agency memorable.
And yes sharing stories that make you look good and are engaging will be part of this.
I can’t wait to read your stories. You got this.
Click here if you want to learn how my 1-on-1 Wunderstars coaching programme can help you attract your best-fit clients for your digital agency.
