How to make your customer the hero in brand storytelling
Content marketing is brand storytelling and every story needs a hero.
The hero is not your brand.
The hero is your customer.
Your customer and their needs should drive your brand’s story and marketing messages. This can also be thought of as benefits-based marketing. You’re proving the value of your brand and how it benefits your customers’ lives and their overall story.
This can be a hard thing for many content marketers as we often want to position our brand as the hero. We know our brands are valuable and provide customers with something they want or need, but that doesn’t automatically make the brand the hero.
We need to look at how our brand’s fit in our customers’ stories and frame our messaging around the customer being the hero and using the brand to achieve their goals.
4 ways to make your customer the hero in your brand’s storytelling
1. Goals
Every hero in a good story has a goal, whether it’s internal or external. Your marketing needs to show how your brand helps your customers achieve their goal. Your heroes are actively working toward something, and while your product or service may not be their end goal it can definitely be a tool to help them get there.
Plant your customers’ goals in your marketing messages so they immediately identify with your brand’s offering and want it in their life.
Marketing tactics for sharing customer goals:
- Blogs or infographics
- Goal-based email campaigns
- Case studies
- Social media
2. Values
Like any hero in a story, your customers have values they hold near and dear to their hearts. Your brand also has values and it’s a magical moment when your brand’s values align with your customers’.
Common values shared between consumers and brands:
- Eco-friendly initiatives/environmental activism
- Equal rights
- Charity (buy one product and the brand will donate to a charity)
Highlighting brand values can be a great way to tell your customers that your brand has a place in their story and helps these heroes live their values.
Marketing tactics for sharing values:
- Branding statements: mission, vision, values
- Email newsletters
- Blogs
- Press releases/media mentions
- Awards
- Partnership announcements
- Charity sponsorships
- Social media posts
3. Conflicts and antagonists
Every hero has conflicts or challenges to overcome and every salesperson knows this is an important question to ask prospects to learn how to position your brand’s offerings. Heroes are going to have some struggles in their story and it can be your brand to the rescue!
Maybe your hero is struggling to find more time in their life and your product helps them be more productive in the day, or maybe your hero wants a cheaper option for a certain software and yours fits the bill. You could also look at these conflicts like mini antagonists – who or what is causing the conflicts in your customers’ lives.
Some common conflicts in your heroes’ stories include:
- Time
- Productivity
- Price
- Safety
- Security
- Ease-of-use
- Outdated technology
- All-in-one platform
Marketing tactics for your hero’s conflicts:
- Blogs
- Case studies
- Testimonials
- Challenge-specific email campaigns
- Guides or ebooks
- Webinars
- Product pages
4. Resolution
The hero has acquired your product and it now has a place in their story – but now you need to keep that customer loyal and engaged. The story isn’t over just because they purchased your product.
Marketing tactics for your hero’s resolution:
- Blogs
- Email newsletters
- Loyalty program
- Social media posts
Do you make sure your customer is the hero in your brand’s storytelling efforts? Share your tips for doing so in the comments below!
