Strategic Storytelling Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.

Many copywriting guides give you a set of "power words" to jazz up your copy. . 

The truth is, choosing from a list of words can dilute your brand and send a distorted message.  Stories help you relate directly to your clients and t*heir* stories. 
This episode shows exactly how to start with a story and then go on to write compelling copy for your sales pages and landing pages. Copywriting becomes infinitely easier and delivers more results when you start with your story. 

You run a small service-based business and you want to recognize the holidays. The big brands (such as cola drinks, sportswear, and beer) share heart-warming stories with universal impact. You need stories that resonate with prospective clients and reinforce your personal brand. This episode tells you exactly how to do this...with some general holiday marketing tips at the very end. 

Story archetypes (free): http://cathygoodwin.com/arch
Blog version: http://cathygoodwin.com/holidaycopy

Can you use made-up stories to market your real business?

The short answer is “yes.” The longer answer is, “Only under certain conditions.”

In this episode, we look at 2 kinds of made-up stories that can be harmful to your credibility and 1 kind of story that will almost always benefit your marketing. 

Many service business owners lose clients every day because they're held back by fears like ...

"If I talk about myself people will think I'm conceited."
"The nail that stands out gets pounded down."
"Everybody will hate me if I start promoting my strengths." 

The truth is, your clients want you to brag - but not by declaring how amazing you are. In this episode, you'll discover how to promote yourself with the right mix of stories and self-confidence.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners often believe stories just help entertain and captivate your audience. That's true, but stories do a lot more...if you have the right story.

This episode gives you 3 questions you can ask to test your story's value as a profitable marketing partner. The right story will transform your business; the wrong story will drive away your best audience. 

Many business storytellers encourage us to learn from Disney movies and classic epic journey stories. In this light-hearted episode, I suggest that you might do better to take lessons from old-time country-and-western songs. 

PBS recently called attention to the universality of this music with an 8-part primetime series, so maybe it's getting more cool. What bears study is the way these songs communicate fairly complex stories, using descriptive detail.