Want your membership to be memorable? Get better at telling stories.
People forget facts and figures. They don’t forget stories.
In membership, stories are all around you. There’s your overall brand story, your personal story about why the cause you’re working toward is so important, and there are member stories that show the impact of your membership and the problems you’re solving.
Take a peek at your current website. Do you see stories? When used effectively, stories become part of the tapestry in your marketing. They flow seamlessly, creating an emotional reaction and a connection with prospects and members that you just can’t get when you’re “talking at them”.
Beyond story-telling about you, you can make your content more interesting and share-worthy when stories are involved.
Here are a few ways to get your creative juices flowing:
Follow the news. Find out what news stories or current events are the most interesting to your audience. There may be some way you can use a news story to tell a story or as inspiration for a story.
Look at old content. Check out your existing content to see what is most popular. An old video, blog post or info product that was popular with your audience shows might give you an idea for a story.
Spy on the competition. Look at your competition's content. Try to discover which of their content is most popular.
Be a fly on the wall. Follow your audience on online forums, social media and anywhere else they interact online and listen to them. You'll soon discover where their interests lie.
As you begin using stories, you’ll likely wonder where to put them. There are almost always multiple ways to blend them in. In your online community or blog, use a story to introduce a thread or topic. If you're doing an offline direct mail campaign, create a great story to use as an introduction.
Through feedback from your audience, you can refine your stories until they have the desired impact. Big brands have been telling their stories for a long time and this is why they can do it so well.
For most of us, it takes some practice.
I look forward to hearing how you are using story telling within your membership. Leave a comment below and let me know.
30 Membership Leaders will be sharing their secrets for uniting, inspiring and engaging audiences at our upcoming summit, The Movement. Registration is open. Hop on over and get signed up!
About The Author:
I'm Joy Duling. Since 2005, I've been quietly helping smart, creative, passionate changemakers launch membership programs. To me, membership is more than a business model. It's a powerful platform for uniting your unique tribe of followers around the change you were meant to bring to the world. If you agree, let's connect. #leadyourcause
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joyofmembership
Twitter: @joyofmembership
Skype: live:jduling
Email: joy@joyofmembership.com
