All you need to do is execute and cross the items off the list!
This is exactly the case with the StoryBrand marketing checklist.
Oh, you didn’t know that StoryBrand had a marketing checklist? Well, they do. Although it was an earlier offering from the company, we still think it’s relevant and useful for marketers and business owners today.
It ties together the StoryBrand marketing philosophy and principles that we’ve been discussing lately.
Read on to learn more about the StoryBrand marketing checklist.
StoryBrand Marketing Checklist Background
Back in the early days of StoryBrand, the company had an online course offering called the StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap.
This checklist was the main value proposition of a webinar that StoryBrand hosted. Both the webinar and the checklist were used as lead generators to onramp prospects to StoryBrand’s Marketing Roadmap.
That’s where this checklist comes from.
It is worth noting that the checklist itself delivers a lot of value and StoryBrand could have charged for this checklist. There’s just so much value in it!
Below are the components of the StoryBrand marketing checklist.
The One-Liner
What kind of StoryBrand framework would it be if it didn’t have the one-liner as the foundational piece?
If you’re familiar with the one-liner, you know that it’s made up of three parts.
The StoryBrand marketing checklist version of the one-liner is no different.
- Problem
- Solution
- Results
Your one-liner is simply a 1-2 sentence description of the problem your business solves, the solution it offers to customers (your product/service), and the results customers can expect from using your product/service.
That’s it!
So, next time someone asks you what you do, give them your one-liner. We promise they’ll be interested in what you do.
If they’re interested, you can direct them to your new StoryBranded website.
A Wire-Framed Website
With your one-liner set, now it’s time to set your sights toward some of your marketing assets. Beginning with your website.
Now, if you’ve read Donald Miller and Dr. J.J. Peterson’s Marketing Made Simple, you’ll already be familiar with the website wireframing process.
However, the StoryBrand marketing checklist offers a slightly distinct perspective on a website wireframe.
Below is the StoryBrand marketing checklist’s recommended wireframe format.
Let’s see if you can spot the differences between the two.
- Header
- Loss-Aversion
- Guide Positioning
- Divisions of Your Company
- Lead-Generator
- Explanatory Paragraph
- Plan
- Junk Drawer
If you’re familiar with the Marketing Made Simple framework, most of these pieces will look familiar to you while others are simply early iterations of the pieces of the framework.
What’s interesting is the inclusion of the divisions of the company piece.
If you run a large company and have many divisions, then you’ll be happy to see that you can fit them onto the home page of your website.
Hey, StoryBrand said so! 😉
With a website plan in place, you’ll need to create a plan for obtaining leads.
That’s where the lead generator comes in.
A Lead-Generator
The lead generator (or lead magnet) has remained relatively unchanged throughout StoryBrand’s existence. Albeit more fleshed out as time went on.
The StoryBrand marketing checklist gives us three options that we can create for a lead generator:
- A PDF with a catchy title that positions you as an expert in your area of expertise
- A webinar
- A short, educational video series
Really, and we think this is the point that StoryBrand tries to get across with lead generators, a lead generator can be any piece of content that you give to a prospect in exchange for their contact information.
That’s it.
It can be a graphic, a document, a video series, an infographic, a template, or whatever.
But a PDF, webinar, or video series is a wonderful place to start with a lead generator, especially if you don’t have much experience creating one.
Once you have acquired a lead, then it’s time to warm them up to your brand with automated emails.
Automated Emails
No marketing plan is complete without an automated email campaign.
The StoryBrand checklist recommends four types of emails that you can begin sending to your new leads:
- “Thank you” and what a prospect can expect from you now that they’ve signed up for our email list
- Overcome the biggest objection people have to doing business with you (i.e. “you’re too expensive” or “it won’t work for me because…”)
- A testimonial from somebody who has had success using your product
- A direct sales letter offering a limited-time deal
Again, if you’re savvy with the Marketing Made Simple, you’ll be able to see these as an early iteration for the full-fledged automated email campaign StoryBrand recommends.
But hey, it’s a suitable place to start if you’re just getting your business set up or you have limited experience in marketing.
And that’s all we want with a simple checklist, right?
In Summary
The StoryBrand marketing checklist consists of four basic marketing pieces:
- A One-Liner
- A Wire-Framed Website
- A Lead Generator
- An Automated Email Campaign
If you’re already familiar with StoryBrand and the Marketing Made Simple framework, then these pieces will come intuitively to you.
It’s always good to revisit the basics though. You can review the StoryBrand marketing checklist and download the PDF here.
We’d be more than happy to tweet back-and-forth with you regarding StoryBrand, Marketing Made Simple, Business Made Simple, or really, anything you can think of.
We’re friendly people. 😊
