For startups, the ability to tell good stories ranks right alongside having a good product.
Unfortunately, most startups don’t tell good stories because they don’t know how to do it, they believe their product is the best story, or their stories are too me-centric.
The upside is most startups have good stories to tell but it takes time, effort and the ability to embrace new ideas and approaches.
So how do startup create interesting stories that meet the needs of different stakeholders.
1. Take a user-centric approach. It’s not about what you want to tell people, it’s about what they need to know. It’s a slightly different look through the lens but stories work when they create a win-win proposition that connects supply and demand.
People respond better when stories highlight their challenges, problems and needs, and how your product works for them. Unfortunately, too many startups are content to talk about what their products offer and the features. It’s kind of like going to a cocktail party, and meeting someone who talks about themselves. It’s not long before you’re looking for an excuse to exit stage left.
2. Focus on how you’re different or unique. In other words, have some sex appeal that makes you more interesting than competitors, who are selling pretty much the same products. A startup needs to dig deep to discover how it stands out from the crowd. It might be something relatively minor but if it’s different, a startup should run hard with it. This involves being bold and, heck, cocky but it’s better than being average.
3. Establish a “core” story, and then create variations on a theme for different channels and target audiences. The goal is building a story that lets everyone involved with the startup be clear, coherent and consistent when they are telling the corporate “spiel”. Once the “core” story is developed, it is relatively easy to modify, tweak or repurpose it so it can be delivered in different ways – e.g. Website, media pitches, videos, case studies.
4. Think out of the box. It’s easy and comfortable to hold on to your original story because it’s been around for so long. But here’s the thing: comfortable is safe but it may not be interesting or compelling. For good stories to emerge, they often have to make you uncomfortable or uneasy. While it’s a common reaction that may encourage you to dismiss new ideas, you need to let them percolate and settle in. In time, new approaches often go from non-starters to being enthusiastically accepted.
5. Recognize that even good stories need to be promoted. You can have the best story and, for that matter, the best product but if it’s not promoted, the world may not beat a path to your door. It means pumping it on social media, leveraging email marketing, picking up the phone, or hiring a PR agency. The bottom line is doing the grunt work to thrust your story into the spotlight.
So, what do you think? Are there other best practices for good storytelling?
More: Check out this post by Common Craft’s Lee LeFever about the difference between explaining and storytelling for startups.
If you’re looking for digital marketing insight, check out meshmarketing, a one-day event that I co-organize, which happening on Nov. 7 at the Toronto Reference Library.
