How to Use Storytelling in Marketing Copy

The most powerful storytelling technique I use sounds like this: "That's the thing about..." There's a difference between a good storyteller and an effective storyteller. Good storytellers might grip us, but effective storytellers can move us. A good storyteller might be your friend, talking about their vacation. You're paying attention (which, if you look at marketers today, you'd think was the ENTIRE aim of our job... but it's not). You're paying attention, but you're not really moved to act. You aren't changing your perspective on anything, nor are you going to take concrete steps in your work or life. There's no before and after moment thanks to that story. It's good... but it's not effective. To be effective means you affect people. You move them. First, you move the story -- from the action to its meaning. Then, arriving at meaning, the audience connects emotionally to you. Your words resonate. Because you resonate, they might act. (Resonance: the urge to act we feel when a message or moment aligns so closely with our own beliefs and experiences, we feel amplified.) No resonance, no action. No action, no results. You're not effective. So, remember the phrase "that's the thing about..." It runs like this: 1. This happened... (a moment or memory) 2. Which made me realize... (an idea sparked by that moment or memory) 3. That's the thing about [the topic they want to know about + the lesson they need to hear from you] Ira Glass might tell a quick story about a man on a subway, nervously glancing at a stranger who keeps looking at him. After some intrigue of who the man is and what he's thinking, Glass would conclude, "That's the thing about strangers: we care about their opinion because they have some instantaneous insight into who we really are when we're not trying to impress our friends or the people we work with. Today on the show... strangers..." Or I might say (sticking to the formula above): "The other day, I was making espresso in my kitchen. I thought back to the literal years of my life when I refused to make it in my own home. I was so embarrassed -- I'm Italian! But I'd ask my wife (not Italian), or I'd do research on making good espresso, following coffee influencers and taking courses... but never actually doing it! What was WRONG with me?! But today I make it daily. And what changed? I made it. Once. "Which made me realize, Oh, wow, I was silly to agonize over this. I was silly to outsource it or research it or NOT do it. It's not so scary, not so hard, and even if I messed up, it was easy to fix OR I could research in a much more focused, productive way." "That's the thing about trying new things. We're not usually afraid of the task itself, but rather the unknown. Stop agonizing and try the thing. Once. If we're really afraid of the unknown, then we need to move more quickly to make the unknown KNOWN." That's the thing about stories: the action can make it good, but the insight makes it effective.

A story structure you can use on LinkedIn: Going from writing 75,000-word books to 240-character tweets (pre-Elon) kicked my butt. It’s a different type of storytelling. Plus, I: • Had no network • Didn’t get psychology • Knew nada about copywriting And that meant my first few months writing on the internet were brutal. Recently, I changed my approach for one reason. Storytelling is rooted in transformation. No transformation, no story. But how the heck do you fit that in a tweet? A LinkedIn post? An email? So, I dedicated quite a bit of time to create what I call “Micro Storytelling.” It’s a combo of storytelling principles and two copywriting formulas: • Before - After - Bridge • Attention - Interest - Desire - Action Together, copywriting and storytelling help you get attention, keep attention, and turn that attention into something valuable. Here’s the 5 steps to create a Micro Story: 1. Before 2. After 3. Bridge 4. Lesson 5. Action BABLA. I tried so hard to make it a better acronym. But here we are… let’s agree to call it “Micro Storytelling.” 1. Tell people about the Before Introduce the Before state. Where you’ve been, how you thought, the argument you’re about to lay waste to. 2. Juxtapose the After (or the “Desired Future”) In short-form storytelling, juxtaposition becomes your best friend. Put unrelated or opposing ideas next to each other and you simultaneously: • Create tension • Form open loops • But keep the solution hidden At this point, the reader’s begging you to show them the bridge. 3. Bridge the gap (this is the “Transformation”) You’ve opened the loop. Now, it’s time to close it. Tell your reader how you went from Before to After. 4. Share the Lesson, the “So What” Bridges need foundations. What are your takeaways? Why did you care about the Before, After, and Bridge? What should your reader do about it? This is the step I used to skip. But without it, the story lacks its conclusion. Share your non-obvious takeaways. Share your perspective. Share your opinions. Share whatever you can share that nobody else can. 5. You’ve inspired desire, now ask for the Action People see themselves in stories. When you connect steps 1-4, you create desire in the right person. They want the transformation for themselves. Present a way for them to take that step. Tldr: I’m not a big template guy. Instead, focus on the psychology of short-form storytelling. • Juxtaposition to create conflict and interest • Transformation to illicit desire and intention • Lessons to show confidence and conviction Writing on the internet isn't about trends, algos or virality. It’s about resonating with people. And to do that, become a great writer and storyteller. The rest will come. --- If you want to become a better storyteller, try my free newsletter with 81,538 others. You’ll get 1 storytelling tip each Saturday morning. Tap the ‘visit my website’ button in my bio to join us.

I'm a recovering "over-thinker" of every post.  I'd stare at the screen.  Delete sentences.  Rewrite them.  Then delete them again.  "I suck at this."   "People won’t like this."   "This sounds so dumb."  So I’d scrap the post.  Promise myself I’d try again tomorrow.   Then repeat the same cycle the next day. And of course delay the fix. It was painful. Eventually, I forced myself to hit publish.     Small engagement.   Little momentum.   Tiny traction.  So I overthought even more.    Maybe I needed better hooks.   Maybe I wasn’t being persuasive.   Maybe I just wasn’t cut out for this.  Then, I tried something different.  I stopped trying to sound smart.   Stopped overanalyzing every word.   And quit worrying about "perfection." Instead, I told simple stories.    Niche relatable stories.  With simple and relatable lessons. Ones that tied back to my experience.  These stories were not only engaging.   They were relevant.  And built real rapport with my niche.  That’s when things changed.  No fancy copywriting.  No marketing tricks.   No viral tactics.  Just clear, honest, simple, real, human...  Storytelling.  Do this with 3 steps: 1) Start with a real moment Something specific that actually happened 2) Show the struggle (not just victory) Add frustrations, difficulties, & uncertainties 3) End with the insight (don't miss this) Get this right by adding insights + actionable tips Tell your audience exactly what they need to hear. Do it, & you’ll never run out of content again.