A lot of you guys know that I’m big on sharing stories. Providing helpful information and sharing art that I’m obsessed with is tons of fun too, but I’m pretty sure that some of you hang out here because you want to hear about the time that I poured water in the coffeemaker when there was already water in it. That happened on Saturday. Who knew there was a hole in the back that water would rush out of if it rose above a certain level? Well, me…now.
Not everyone will want to write freely about their personal lives like I’ve done here, especially people or businesses who are using their blogs to primarily sell the things that they make or do. And I don’t necessarily think that’s what you should do.
That being said, simply throwing up your artwork, products, or designs without a way for people to form some kind of connection with you isn’t going to get you where you want to be.
There are other ways to tell stories and share more about who you are without divulging your deepest secrets. Some stories revolve around influences (what led you to choose birds as the focal point of a mixed media series), technical skills (how you were able to get that shot of the building with just the right light), or inspiration (your favorite museum, photograph, or sculpture and what it means to you). Revealing how you personally connect to the things that you write or create lets your audience in and allows them to get to know you a little bit better.
Earlier this year I met with the CEO and a marketing executive of a home decor company. Both of these guys spent time telling me about the technology they had developed and how they needed to hire someone to generate “tons of content” to sell their stuff.
I asked the marketing executive, “What can you tell me about this company’s story? Why was it formed, what’s behind it, why do you work with certain vendors, etc.?” He told me to ask the CEO because he’d only been there for a few weeks. Oh. “But we need to just push out a lot of content!” Hmm.
I asked the CEO the same questions. “Why did you start this company? What drove you into this industry? Why should people buy products from you instead of West Elm (who does a great job of storytelling and partnering up with artists for their Collaborations), Anthropologie (who works with individual artists in their One-of-a-Kind section), or Etsy?”
Guess what he said?
He started telling me about the “cool technology” they built. I said, “No. What is your STORY? Why will customers emotionally connect to your company as a brand? Why would they choose to buy from YOU instead of THEM?” For the first time since I walked into his office, he was quiet for a few moments. Then he responded, “That’s a really good question.”
This company, like many others, unfortunately, is stuck in the mindset of get more likes and slap a lot of pretty pictures on Pinterest and people will buy their stuff. More is more, no matter how many people are simply drowning in data. But they weren’t getting the traffic or revenue (or even the “likes”) that they wanted from their old-fashioned marketing techniques.
Sure, if you put a gazillion posts out there, eventually you’ll get some bites, but you’re also going to turn a lot of people off. What smart companies and entrepreneurs are doing is investing quality time building relationships with the people that they’re making things for and finding out more about their needs and wants. This is especially important when there’s so much competition for attention in the marketplace.
Whew. My own story here has gotten a little long-winded. Back to my point.
I’m here to help you with this problem. Click here to buy Share Your Story, Sell Your Work.
Bonus: Here are three things to read/watch that will help you get started on being more intentional when you’re sharing your stories.
This TedTalk by Simon Sinek is a classic: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Then, visit Simon Sinek’s website Start With Why to learn more.
Finally, The 10 Commandments of Content by Scott Donaton on Fast Company Create is awesome.
I hope your week is starting out well and that your coffee water didn’t flood your kitchen counter. It’s the little things, right? xo