Who’s your favorite movie or literary hero? How many times have you seen that movie or read that book? Do you ever get tired of your hero’s story?

There’s something about a good story that keeps our interest time and time again. You’ve probably heard a lot about the power of storytelling lately. It’s become a buzzword in marketing, as companies fight for limited customer attention spans. Maybe you’re planning to tell more stories as marketing tools. But don’t make the mistake of choosing the wrong hero.

The Hero and You

Every story has a hero, the central figure who grows and changes over the course of the story.  The Hero is just one of several archetypes; classic types of characters that we can easily identify. They are the reason storytelling is so universally powerful. You can find a full list here.

People especially like a hero they can relate to. So make your customer the Hero. You or your company, on the other hand, should play the Mentor, or perhaps the Ally. It depends on what kind of relationship you seek to form with your customers, and it might vary from one to the next.

Telling the Hero’s Story

Draw on the techniques of creative writers to tell a compelling story. In the classic hero’s journey, the protagonist starts out in their “ordinary world.” They’re going about their lives, doing what they do… when they run into a problem. The problem could arise over time or all at once. Sometimes, they don’t even realize they have a problem.

The hero may seek out assistance, or simply run into a potential mentor or ally at the right moment. Together, they will start to work through the problem at hand. Things may start off smoothly, but hurdles will inevitably arise. That’s a good thing! Don’t leave the challenges out of the story because you fear they signal failure or weakness. Challenge or even crises are key elements of a story; the bigger and more suspenseful, the better.

You don’t do everything for your clients, and they might not even listen to you all the time. Pinocchio didn’t always listen to Jiminy Cricket and Katniss didn’t always listen to Haymitch. That, too, is good. A hero wouldn’t be a hero if somebody else solved all of their problems for them. You lay the groundwork and show the way, but your customer has to go on the journey. They will make their own choices and use their own strengths to succeed.

Now cheer your hero to victory. Show, in your story, what they achieved. Illustrate how they can now do great things for others, too. A hero pays the rewards forward. End on a high note, but of course, leave it open for a sequel.

Start Writing Your Story Today

Are you ready to choose your hero and tell their story? You probably already have some happy customers; maybe even some case studies. And if you need a little help, reach out to us and we can get you on track. Because, not only do you need to tell a great story, you need to get it out there to the world. Then other potential customers can recognize themselves in your hero, and aspire to be like them.

IMAGE: Pixabay / CC0 Public Domain