Want To Hear A Story?

I’m a creative person. I absolutely love writing and creating artwork. I love building websites and inventing digital products that help people solve their problems. It inspires me. I love waking up in the morning to a blank page to write or a new design to figure out.?

I’ve been working as an affiliate marketer making commissions on sales of great products and services now for nearly 30 years. So I have a lot of stories to tell. Some would blow your mind but those will have to wait for another day perhaps. I was just thinking about the power of stories in marketing and sales. Every marketing hero of mine from Russel Brunson to Pat Flynn talks about the power of storytelling in great marketing and I agree with them.

In business and maybe especially in the competitive field of online digital marketing in the make more money online space, we all have difficult days we muddle through. On a particularly challenging day, I found myself wrestling with the difficult task of promoting my latest book online. The online world felt like a vast ocean, and my efforts were just drops in it, barely making a ripple. I remembered the countless times I'd hit 'publish' on a blog post or shared a link to my book, only to be met with silence or, worse, criticism. It was disheartening, to say the least.?

Criticism can teach us a lot if it’s done out of a desire to be constructive rather than mean-spirited and destructive. Even so, it’s often difficult to process for creative types of people.? And if like me you’ve been raised with a lot of criticism and walking around on eggshells as a kid trying not to be wrong so you’re not punished then being an entrepreneur and creative adult can be very challenging indeed.

But then, I stumbled upon a video about storytelling techniques used by inspiring TED presenters. It was a revelation. The video spoke of writing compelling narratives, building tension, and evoking emotions to captivate an audience. It dawned on me that perhaps what my promotional efforts lacked was not effort, but technique.

I decided to apply these storytelling techniques to my next promotional post. Instead of merely listing the features of my book like helping a reader create a happier, more prosperous life in a business they love, I shared a personal story related to its theme. I talked about the struggles and triumphs that inspired it, making sure to evoke the senses and underline the takeaway, as suggested by the experts.

The response was unlike anything I had experienced before. Comments poured in, people shared their own stories, and, most importantly, they engaged with the content on a deeper level. It was a small victory, but it felt monumental.

To anyone reading this, remember: the power of your story is not just in the tale itself, but in how you tell it. Put your heart into your words. Write as if you’re writing to someone you deeply care about. Use every tool at your disposal to share your passion, your vision, and your truth. People will relate to your heartfelt story and learn about you and your business. You never know who might be listening, ready to be moved by your words. Keep sharing, and keep inspiring.