What's Your Story?

Stories sell.

When I published my anthology of poems back in 2005, I knew what it was going to consist of.

I'd authored a wide collection of work and my close friends were encouraging me to publish it.

For me it was a great way to vent after a relationship went bad.

Now that is a storyline and it worked well in my interviews too.

I never mentioned the gentleman's name and so the plot thickened.

While many bought the book to add to their poetry collection, to get insight or to support my entrepreneurial efforts, many more bought into the mystery of who this man was that could provoke me to write with so graphically.

What was even more enthralling was when those jazz musicians joined me to bring the pieces to life as live spokenword performances.

What was most rewarding for me was to be able to consolidate the two years of research I had done on the local book publishing industry and book market to inform some twenty-odd prospective writers at a public seminar.

Because of all of these efforts, many people began to associate the brand name Lyrical Lava with innovation, passion, creativity and thought leadership.

A young man who attended that workshop on book marketing approached me recently in the bank and thanked me for inspiring him. He was also pleased to say that using the information that was shared he has since published two books of his own and two others. He's also hosting poetry contests and teaching others what he learned.

Another told me he came across his copy and had begun reading it again. He even suggested that I put some up on my blog.

Both within the space of two weeks.

I haven't promoted my book in over two years!

The story was obviously strong enough to outlive any efforts I did or did not make to keep it top-of-mind.

Your brand, if it is going to be successful, has to have a story and here's a hint: it's not what the outlets are or what the price is.

Every touch point, or place where your brand interacts with your audience is a chance to reinforce your desired story.

My suggestion is to look for ways to inspire people beyond your own benefit factors. Deposit something in others that inspires them to be even more than they thought they could be. You'd be surprised how loyal your customers will become.

Take a look inside the Coca-Cola Happiness Factory. Now that is a story.



So tell me, what is your story?