Tell A Story We Want To Hear

There is one theme that is repeated again and again in everything Seth Godin teaches: marketers are storytellers. We are all consumers, and as consumers, we all buy stories.

When you buy an SUV, you are buying that BIG means SAFE. When you buy bottled water, you buy that it’s clean and filtered, unlike tap water. When you buy those crazy Ugg boots with the fur — okay, I don’t know what the hell you’re buying, but you’re buying it.

The point is, you justify your purchases somehow. Whether it’s through functionality, coolness, or uniqueness, you tell yourself some kind of story.

And marketers tell you those stories too. And that’s okay, as long as the story is consistent. And it should remain predictable.

So many movies follow the same plot. Look at chick flicks. Boy meets girl, unexpectedly. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl break up. Boy and girl fight and try to get over each other. Boy and girl realize that they were supposed to be together the whole time and get back together. And at the end, you’re relieved, even though you knew deep down that they were going to get back together in the end.

But what if boy really did get over girl and he moved on and married some other chick and had a successful career and a few kids? That story would suck!

Just think about The Blair Witch Project. Remember when that movie first came out? Everyone bought into the hype. This handful of people went out in the woods and disappeared and the only thing that was ever found of their journey was this one video tape that documented everything!

There was a whole campaign for the movie. A website, online videos, posters…They really played it up.

However, the story got busted. Although everyone should have known it was all a hoax, they felt betrayed when it was all exposed. They felt duped. They had to admit their ignorance. The hype that once followed The Blair Witch Project turned into shame.

For a generation, Toyota worked on telling a story of reliability. And now, every day we’re seeing that story deteriorate. The moment that the American car companies had been waiting for finally came, and they’re attacking like vicious dogs.

You’re spending your time telling a story that you want people to hear. Whether you’re building your personal brand or your own business, there’s a story that you’re pushing out and telling people. Make sure you do everything in your power to make that story a happy one — both for you and the people you’re telling it to. People like feel-good stories with happy endings. Give them one.

Tagged as: marketers, personal brand, stories, storytellers