Powerful Marketing Stories in Just Three Steps

By Carma Spence-Pothitt

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What is it in your marketing that people are most likely to respond to? According to marketing guru Seth Godin, it is the story. So how do you come up with stories about your products, services and brand that capture your target market's attention and draw them into a client relationship with you?

Simple! Just follow these three straightforward steps:

Step 1: List your product's features.
Make a list of the features your product or service has. Is it downloadable? Does it come in CD format? Does it use recycled paper? Is it green, blue or chartreuse? List all the features you can come up with.

Step 2: List the benefits these features provide.
Now take a look at that list and ask yourself, "What benefits do these features give your client?" Does it save them time? Does it save them money? Does it save the environment? Come up with as many benefits for each feature as you can. The more the better! And remember, any given feature can have several benefits, so dig deep. Sometimes the most powerful benefits re a couple of layers in.

Step 3: Write your compelling marketing stories.
Look at the benefits you just listed. What kinds of stories can you tell that will illustrate those benefits and bring them to life? Can you provide a case study? Can you spin a "what if" scenario that paints a picture for your audience of what it would be like to have those benefits? The more authentic, entertaining and relevant your stories are, the more compelling they will be. And, that's how you'll get your message across memorably.

O.K. This may not be that simple, but the return on the investment of time and effort you put in will huge!