For as long as there have been humans, people have communicated through stories.

Early on, those may have been campfire stories, with a chieftain recounting how the hunting group took down a wooly mammoth. But storytelling only grew in importance over the centuries, serving as a key means of teaching lessons – and learning them. From Biblical parables to Grimms’ fairy tales, stories have endured as a way of passing down wisdom.

Good stories resonate deeply with us. And you can tap into this power with your small business!

Read on to learn a handful of ways that you can leverage storytelling as a solo, service-driven small business.

What is a Story, Anyway?

“Story” is one of those words we all know – but we might be hard pressed to define.

For our purposes, let’s think of a story as a series of events that occur to a character or characters. The main character in the small business story that we’re telling could be us – a solopreneur who is making a dream happen – or it could be our customer. I’ll offer examples of both kinds of stories here in a moment.

But let’s talk first about that “series of events.” Good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. In fact, that “story arc” (as it is sometimes called) often follows a familiar pattern:

  • The setup. This sets the scene. We meet our main character, and we find out what he or she wants.
  • Conflict. The best stories add in some form of tension. Something stands between our main character and his or her goal.
  • Resolution. One way or another, our main character overcomes the roadblock and finds success.

Consider this story:

I was a journalism major in college and I always had a knack for proofreading. Friends would often ask me to look over their résumés and presentations. But my day job was in insurance – well, that is, until I was laid off. I was so freaked out! But, even through misty eyes, I still noticed they had misspelled “receive” in my separation packet letter. I guess that was a sign, because I turned freelance proofreading into a second career. I’ve been at it for three years now. I’m good, I’m fast, and I would love to help you. …

OK – that story is made up by yours truly. But notice the events faced by the main character: We learn the origins of her side hustle, what brought things to a pivot point, and how she is thriving now. The story had a beginning, middle, and an end.

Stories for Sales and Marketing

The example story above would qualify as an “elevator speech” – a quickie sales pitch that you have at the ready to put your best foot forward. An interesting, involving backstory can help you sell yourself.

But, stories can enliven your marketing efforts too. For example:  

Website

Whether it’s on your homepage or found in your About Me section, a good story can hook people who are visiting your site. For example, let’s say you are a parent looking to plan a birthday party for your nine-year-old and you encounter this story on a children’s entertainer site:

How did I become a full-time magician? It started in childhood. I was soooo shy as a kid. But an uncle who did magic as a hobby gave me a magic set for my 11th birthday. From the first time that I was able to amaze my friends, I felt my confidence building. Soon, speaking to groups became second nature! Magic has given me so much. I love sharing that with others, and letting my audiences experience a sense of wonder.

Email

Short, powerful stories can play a role in your email marketing too. You can use the subject line to tease the story that follows in the body of the email. For instance:

(subject line)
How I lost 35 pounds – and found a career
(email text)
I hated buying new pants in a bigger size. (Maybe you can relate.) For me, it was a sign that my weight had become a problem. 
After a divorce, I managed to gain 35(!) extra pounds. 
But then, someone introduced me to TRX suspension training. (Yep, the one with the wall straps, created by a Navy SEAL.) I lost the weight, and discovered a real passion.
These days, I help others as a personal trainer. I will come to your house with top-of-the-line TRX equipment, and help you achieve your fitness goals.  

Social Media

Several social media platforms let you share Stories (that’s Stories with a capital S), using multimedia. The combination of visual and verbal elements can make your story impactful and concise. It’s true that a picture is often worth a thousand words! Consider these kinds of stories that you can showcase in social media:

  • A personal story of overcoming an obstacle. People love an underdog story. Don’t be afraid to share.
  • A story that pulls at the heartstrings. Maybe your armed services care package side hustle started off because your brother was often stationed overseas. Recognize the kind of social posts that get shared (military members reunited with family, for example) and tap into those deeply resonant themes where appropriate.
  • A funny recollection. Imagine a series of ’80s photos of a kid, with parachute pants and braces. The captions tell a little story: This is me in ninth grade. My math teacher summoned my parents for a sit-down. “Michael disrupts the class with silly voices.” It’s 25 years later – and I’m still doing voices. (final photo, present day) Michael Jenkins – character voice-overs for radio & online. 

Whose Story is it?

The stories above have been personal, autobiographical stories, told from the point of view of the solopreneur behind a business. 

But it can be equally effective to flip the focus, and tell a story where your customer is the main character.

How is that possible? Well, you probably know your “ideal customer” pretty well. You may have used some of the resources at 17hatsUniversity to understand your customer’s journey and what makes them tick. You probably know their common pain points too.

So don’t hesitate to weave a story that your listener(s) can identify with. You’ll see their ears perk up when you offer a solution to a problem they have, or you tap into an emotional need. For instance, imagine we’re eavesdropping on a solopreneur pitching a week-long day camp to parents at a PTA event:

Parents and middle-schoolers want different things from summer. Your son just wants to play video games, and maybe your daughter is content to hang out with friends. But, you? You want them to do something constructive – something that will build on last year’s school curriculum. Everybody wins with our Crack The Code day camp. Your middle-schooler will walk away with a replayable video game that he or she coded from scratch. It’s a great introduction to coding, which complements STEM learning. Your kids will have a blast and never suspect that they are (gasp!) learning.

Note that the elements of story are still there, even though the perspective has changed. We’ve set the scene, and established the conflict for our main characters – kids and parents want very different things. But this day camp provides the resolution, satisfying everyone involved. The story arc has a beginning, middle, and an end.

Tap into the Power of Story

One last thing about stories? They are memorable.

An engaged couple might talk to a few bakers, but the one that will come up in conversation later in the car will be the one that had a story: Remember? She had a cake that looked like a cowboy boot on season one of Is It Cake? and she fooled one of the judges. She does those cool, offbeat-kinda cakes for weddings.

See if you can’t incorporate storytelling into more aspects of your business approach.

People love a good story. And, odds are, your small business has a great story to tell – you just need to tell it.