10 Story Ideas for Your Business Marketing

Story ideas for business marketing

Hello! I can see you. Yes, you, sitting there at your desk, staring at a blank screen, wondering what on earth to post on social media to remind the world that you and your business still exist. Don’t worry: I’ve put together this post with 10 story ideas for your business marketing. Please do use, adapt and share them to your own experiences. Let’s dive right in!

How you got started in your business and why

Just like Batman Begins and Wonder Woman, people love a good origin story. Share your own! It doesn’t have to be as dramatic or epic as Bruce Wayne’s or Diana Prince’s. What matters is that it is your own evolution.

For instance, were you a worker in a drone hive and yearned to be free to think for yourself? Did you feel stifled creatively and wanted to express your own feelings? Were you inspired by a TV show to get up off your bum and do something for the greater good. People want to know how it happened.

Behind the scenes

Take your followers behind the scenes of your business. Show them what the process of working with you looks like. If you provide a product that you make yourself, there’s no end to what you can share in a sneak-peek. Everything from brainstorming, design, sourcing materials, the stages of creation and the final item in its new owner’s hands.

What about service-based businesses? Show how you work with your clients. Maybe you meet them for coffee or go for a walk with them. Share the parts that they don’t see in between the face-to-face interactions with you. You’re always planning, reading, learning and keeping up to date with what’s happening in your industry, so let everyone know about it!

Your customers’ journey and transformation

What was going on in the minds, hearts and lives of your customers before they found you? What was missing from their lives that you provided for them? Perhaps you helped them lose weight, gain confidence, or gave them the time back that they needed to live their lives on their terms.

With their permission, share their before-and-after. Ask them for feedback and share their testimonials on your website and in your social media. It’s a quick and simple way to gather another story to tell in your business marketing, and it helps potential clients see that you’re trustworthy.

“Mistakes” and learning experiences in setting up your business

Okay, “mistakes” is too strong a word, because you can learn from both the positive and the negative in the day-to-day running of your business. You don’t have to confess to anything you don’t want to, but even a simple lesson can help another start-up from falling into the same trap.

What seems like a no-brainer to you in your tenth year of running your own business can be a game-changer to someone in their first year. As a result, you can demonstrate your expert knowledge and become the go-to person in your field.

Challenges you faced and how you overcame them

Here is a chance to show your worth. What has been a tricky problem for you to overcome, and how did you solve it? Demonstrate your creativity, people-skills, time-management and expertise in the way you gave your client their happily-ever-after.

Chances are that others will be more likely to hire you, because they can see that you have already solved a challenge similar to what they are facing. This is a crucial story to tell in your business marketing strategy.

An amusing story that happened – and what you learned from it

Not just confined to the dreaded office Christmas party aftermath – keep it professional and family-friendly! Somewhere down the line, something must have happened that gave you, your family, friends or colleagues a good laugh.

What were the circumstances? How did everyone react? Did you take a lesson away from it, and did anyone else feel the same or differently? They can be great story ideas for your business marketing, because they demonstrate your personality and world-view.

A childhood event that relates to what you do in your business

What did you want to be when you grew up? The question gets lost as we progress into adulthood, because we “grow out of it”. But think about it. Are you doing what you wanted to do as a child, or something similar?

Has a passion for drawing evolved into photography, a love of nature translated into conservation, or your Lego bricks into real bricks? Or, maybe you went in the opposite direction. You tried what you thought you wanted and found it didn’t suit you. That’s fine, share it. It’s a story of trial and error, and it’s something that a lot of people go through in life.

Something someone has taught you that resonates, and why

This can be a parent, a partner, a mentor, a child or even a pet. Everyone has something to teach, and there is always a willing pupil, whether they know it or not.

A mother’s hard graft to run her business while raising a family, a husband’s cheery outlook on life no matter the circumstances, a mentor’s wisdom and motivation, a child’s curiosity about everything around them…even your dog’s simple and unconditional love. They’re all wonderful stories to share in your business marketing. Who else could they help?

How a favourite book / movie / song / painting / quote inspires you and why

Five ideas for the price of one, here! It doesn’t have to be a classic novel, a masterpiece of world cinema, or a famous symphony. If Harry Potter, Finding Dory or Lady Gaga inspire you, that’s great! You’ll attract other people because they feel the same way, and they love being part of a group who do, instead of being derided for it.

As an example, I feel more aligned with Dr Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park with every passing year. I have a collection of his most scathing and yet prophetic quotes saved as memes to pull out when the time calls for them.

Your best / worst holiday experience and what you took away from it

We’ve all had them. The holiday of a lifetime, or the road-trip from hell. Whichever it was, they are both steep learning curves. You have to manage your own expectations as well as those of who you are travelling with. You have to keep track of time, money and energy…Or, maybe you threw caution to the wind and went wherever it took you.

Did you learn how not to treat clients at that service station you pulled into at 2am? Were you inspired by the extra surprises at that AirBnB that you’ve since incorporated into your own business? Again, even the little things can make a big difference.

There you have it! Ten story ideas for your business marketing…

Well, I started with 10, but ended up with 15 because I’m nice like that. Hopefully you’ve now got some ideas spinning around in your head. Grab them right now and get them down on paper.

Go ahead: share your stories with the world.

Wondering where to start? Click here to book a complimentary 1-2-1 video brand consultation with me. 🙂