Changing what people know, what they think, and what they do; it’s what marketers are constantly trying to do.
One tool that helps them greatly in doing so is the Storytelling Canvas by Design a Better Business.
The Storytelling Canvas won’t necessarily make you a better storyteller. I think the canvas is mainly a great tool, because it forces you to think about the strategy behind your story. Which eventually helps you craft a well-thought-out and much more convincing blog post, video, presentation, or whatever type of content you’re looking to create.
When using the Storytelling Canvas, I highly recommend you start with the Goal. ‘What do you want to achieve with this story?’ the canvas asks.
Try and make your goal as actionable and measurable as you can: ‘I want my readers to understand the top 3 reporting challenges caused by the CSRD.’ Or: ‘I want 50% of the people that watched my video, to download the in-depth white paper mentioned in the video.’
Once your goal is set, move on to the Audience. This is your target group; a group of people that may share some characteristics, but definitely has shared needs. Think about those needs!
What is your target group’s ultimate goal? What are they trying to achieve in their day-to-day working lives? And more importantly: what gets in their way? What are the hurdles they need to overcome?
Knowing this helps you articulate a clear Before. The canvas mentions a few things your story could change: your target group’s thoughts, their feelings, knowledge, and desires. I would also add their behaviours. What is your target group doing? Or, not doing?
Think about the change you want your story to cause. And set your desired After: the things your target group thinks, feels, knows, wants, or does, after reading your post, watching your video, or listening to your presentation.
When you’ve considered all these strategic decisions, you can go ahead and craft your story. Curious how to make it great, Design a Better Business provides you with a checklist under step 5. Or, you can go and read up on ‘The Stinky Cow Principle‘ 🙂
Hope this helps!
Thank you for reading Nudge #024, sent to busy subject matter experts on May 28, 2024.
Have you subscribed to The Nudge?
Join dozens of subject matter experts who actually don’t have the time to market their services.
Sign up for my bi-weekly marketing & business development tips.