Entrepreneurs grow their businesses through skill, hard work, and usually a little bit of luck along the way…
But the ability to craft and share a story is up there with all the skill, sweat, and serendipity you can muster.
Telling your story, with all of its uniqueness and peculiarity, is an incredibly powerful way to give your business a boost and accelerate its growth.
You can listen to the podcast episode above, watch the video below, or read on for more...
I’m going to explain why telling your story can be so powerful in this post, and I’m also going to share some top tips for finding the stories worth sharing.
By the end, you should be raring to get going with your storytelling and start seeing the positive effects it can produce!
What’s in a story?
It might not add up when you first consider it – why does it matter if a CEO or business owner shares their story?
There are a lot of reasons, to be honest! Sharing your story…
- Makes your business ‘human’ gives clients and customers more to buy into and believe in. If they know who you are, what you stand for, and what it took to get to where you are, that connection can be incredibly powerful
- Gives you the opportunity to become known for more than just your business. If you are sharing stories about how you overcame failure, how you started a business from nothing, or similar topics – that’s relevant to everyone!
- Separates you from the crowd – both as an individual and with your business. If there’s a choice between you and a competitor, your storytelling could be the deciding factor
- Increases your reach and gets you seen by more people. If you’re sharing content that has an impact on people outside of your usual network, you have the potential to put yourself – and your business – in front of more people than ever before
Clearly, your story can do a lot of great work for you… but how do you know what and where to share?
Getting clear on your story
Some stories are worth sharing and others… are less so.
People don’t want to hear about your favorite color, what you had for lunch, or your latest DIY project.
They do want to hear about your story of starting your business, the hardships you’ve overcome, and the lessons you’ve learned in your career.
To cut through the noise and start sharing your story in a way that is meaningful and powerful for your audience, take a look at some of these top tips I’ve learned in my own experience and from clients, mentors, and other experts.
Get clear on your goals
Do you want to boost your reputation as a thought leader?
Hire the best talent?
Leave a legacy in your industry?
All of the above?
Whatever your goals are, it’s important to be sure of them and create content that serves them. If you want to become a thought leader but are showing off that your company doubled its revenue last year, you’re missing the mark.
Take time to reflect
Telling your story means you need to reflect on where you are now and how you got here, finding the lessons you’ve learnt over your career all the way through to the lessons you’ve learnt this week and even today.
There are a million and one ways to tell a story, but you need to be on the lookout for them.
Grab a pen and paper, maybe a glass of something nice, and sit and plan out the stories that you can share – think about turning points in your career, moments that stick out to you, highs and lows, and just jot them down. A bullet point or a sentence or two is enough.
In a few days, go back to your list and start planning out some more detailed ideas.
Your story is special
You might think your story is nothing special, but every person’s story is unique and interesting to someone, you just need to know how to tell it.
I’ve written before about how I’ve learned to tell my story and reflecting on how I used to tell it to vs. the way I tell it now that I’ve improved my storytelling.
You’ve lived through your story, so it might not seem as interesting to you… that’s not how everyone else will see it!
Don’t get in your own way.
The only way you’ll know if it’s going to be worth your time and valuable to you is by starting.
Don’t talk yourself out of starting!
Out of all the people I know and have worked with, they all agree that getting started is the hardest part and, once they got over the first few times of putting themselves out there, they started to look forward to the process!
How and where to share your story
Telling your story is only part of this process – where you share it and how you do it are two essential pieces of the puzzle!
Ultimately, this is a personal thing and it has to suit your preferences or else you’ll never stick to it.
With that in mind, read through a few of these ideas to help you crystalize the ‘where’ and ‘how’ of your storytelling process:
- Which platform works best for you? For business owners, I really believe LinkedIn is the best place to be – I just don’t think you can find the kind of people you want to be reaching anywhere else
- Share your story in all the content you create, not just on social media. It could be through your podcast episodes, blog posts, or elsewhere, but finding the right way to tell your story in each medium is a must
- Whatever you create, repurpose it. This is a lot easier if you start with long-form written content, even easier if you use audio, and even easier still if you start with video! If you’re creating content, you have to be repurposing it to get maximum value from the work you put in
- LinkedIn certainly isn’t famous as a platform for storytelling… but it is heading that way and you can be part of the movement to change it! People love seeing that kind of content on LinkedIn and it’s becoming a lot more common. Don’t shy away because you think it’s not professional
If you need more pointers or inspiration, browse through the Content 10x blog and podcast – I mean, you’re here already… why not stay a little longer?
Even better, if you’re thinking about sharing your story through videos… go you! I’ve got just the thing to help you kickstart the process:
The Simple Guide to Getting Started with Video on LinkedIn!
It’s a detailed guide that runs through everything from equipment to on-camera confidence to help you hit the ground running with your videos. It’s totally free… that’s how much I believe in the power of video – I want everyone to feel confident enough to try it out!
Good luck on your storytelling journey. Remember to tag me in your posts – I just love to see if my suggestions have helped people, so remember to @content10x wherever you’re posting!