“Building a story brand” by Donald Miller

The author 🖋

Donald Miller is a multiple-time #1 bestselling author, speaker, business consultant and the CEO of StoryBrand.

He’s one of the leading experts in the field of branding with over 1 million books sold and over 10,000 clients including some of the best known brands in the world - Ford, Intel and Chick-fil-A.

Key takeaways 🎓

1. Position the customer as the hero

The customer is the hero of the story, not our brand.

They're the main character of the movie and we are the sidekick helping them overcome their challenges.

People care about themselves - having this perspective helps us focus on their desires and create a narrative that makes them want to engage with our brand.

2. Have a clear message

We should be straightforward and resonate with our target audience.

Imagine telling a story around a campfire - we want everyone to follow along easily and be interested in what we’re saying.

To enhance clarity, the author suggests a framework where we define:

• the problem

• the guide (the brand)

• the hero (your customer)

• the plan (solving the problem)

• the success (the positive outcome)

3. Call for action

Always tell customers what they should do next.

Should they buy something? Fill a form? Call? Visit the store?

Don't make people guess - make it easy for them to do business (too many customers are lost just because of our inability to guide them to the next step)..

Closing thoughts 🧠

Donald offers a practical framework for clarifying our message and connecting with customers.

He shows how to use storytelling principles to create a strong brand that resonates with an engaged audience.

To be honest, I did realize that I care about brands just because of their story/narrative too 😅