brand, content strategy, SEO, copywriting, and demand generation consulting with community engagement planning designed to help you share your organization’s unique stories and build relationships with the people who need your products or services

Tips for Believable Marketing that Converts

Humans are wired for stories--it's how we communicate. Read on for tips on translating your why and your vision into a storytelling style that's believable and that converts.

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February 6, 2014

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We all have stories to tell. We all have extraordinary lives--even if we don't yet recognize it.

Want help sharing your story? Want to connect with your audience and build a thriving community? I can help.

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How often do you work to change what you don't like?
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It's easy to settle. Or worse, complain about something we don't like and do nothing.
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The challenge for each of us is to act.
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A phrase that brings ire to me is "good enough for government work." It's always struck as something one says when they don't care enough to do their best.
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Another such phrase is: "it is what it is."
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Lately I'm thinking about recent surveys showing that men and women want a return to traditional gender roles. And I see it as a throwing up of hands. A wish to be told what to expect in life. A blueprint for success.
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Sadly the answer to one's happiness isn't inaction. I remember a couple my grandparent's age who got divorced. Their children had grown and now had children of their own. And the husband had just retired.
I'd thought he had initiated the divorce. I was wrong. She had. And whenever I wish for simpler times I think of what she answered when asked why now. "There's never any better time than now. Life is too short and it's now my time to do what I want."

Ever feel like your Instagram feed doesn’t fully capture the richness of your vision?
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I’m not talking about it only showing your highlights. I’m thinking about the aesthetic, shooting style, subject matter, and composition. More specifically your Point Of View--that “je ne said quoi” that identifies your photos as yours.
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If you’re not happy with your feed, try this. Before you snap your photo, think about what story you want the image to tell. Then how do you want someone to feel after they see the image. And finally what action do you want them to take?
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Beyond the single image, look at how this image fits with your last eight images. What story do all nine tell? How do they make others feel? Do the photos lead others to take action? Your nine images should give others a sense of who you are. They should get an idea about your expertise and whether they should collaborate with you or hire you.

Do you have one word? Not a word that you choose for the current year. But one word that captures your purpose and passion.
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I have one: genuine. I found it in 1999 and started using it (or rather a version of it) daily in my email signature in 2004.
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It's different than a yearly focus word (2015: Bold; 2016: Courage; 2017: Remarkable). It's one word that helps me choose projects to work on. That guides how I tell (and share) my story. It's a word I use to keep myself accountable.
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If you don't have a word, try this exercise. Write down projects or accomplishments from your life. Go decade by decade. Next to each list adjectives and verbs describing how you were successful: honest, brave, believe, and so on. Circle the words in common and count the recurrences. Then try one or two of the words on and see how they fit.

E Hensley World Group, Inc.

brand, content strategy, SEO, copywriting, and demand generation consulting with community engagement planning designed to help you share your organization’s unique stories and build relationships with the people who need your products or services

Branding, content strategy, marketing, demand generation and community engagement for organizations that want to connect with customers through a passionate, believable story in their own voice. Hire us to put the person back in personality and create marketing materials that spark conversations and grow relationships.

E Hensley World Group, Inc. | , San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States