How Artists and Creatives Can Use a StoryBrand BrandScript to Simplify Their Marketing: 9 Ideas
You created a BrandScript to make sure that the messages you use in your marketing are simple, clear, and consistent. You won’t be able to make the most of your BrandScript if it’s just sitting somewhere on your computer. And that could lead to time and money lost creating one in the first place. Here, you’ll learn ten different ways that artists and creatives can use a StoryBrand BrandScripts to connect with their audiences.
What is a BrandScript?
When you are looking for an easy-to-understand way of talking about your work - whether on your website, on social media, in your email marketing, or even in casual conversation - a BrandScript is an excellent place to start. A BrandScript is a tool that clarifies who your audience is, what they want, how your work can help them solve a key problem. A BrandScript also tells the audience how they can get it, and how it will make their lives better. Think of it like the key talking points for your brand. Every time you need to communicate about a project or what you do you already have all of the words that you need.
A Brand Narrative is your BrandScript in paragraph form. In this blog post you’ll also get ways to use that as well.
Do I Even Need a BrandScript?
A good sign that you need to take a long look at your messaging is if you can’t easily put into words what it is you do. And when you do talk about your work - does the person you’re talking to actually understand what you do and can repeat it back to you? Recently, I wrote about some other indicators that your messaging is muddy. But, if you a need more personalized idea of how clear your messaging is, take the StoryBrand Marketing Assessment.
Got My BrandScript - Now What?
If you’ve created a BrandScript for your project you may feel a little uncertain how to really implement it into your marketing. You do not want to be left thinking, "Great. Now what?”
Through my work as a StoryBrand Certified guide and as a marketer I have seen places to use the BrandScript time and time again - whether it’s online or in real life. So in this blog post you’ll get only ten of them. Use them and you’ll start to see how valuable a StoryBrand BrandScript can be to clarify your message so you can connect with your audience.
What does connecting with your audience look like? Check out this quote from Honnie who recently used a BrandScript to get people to watch his company’s promo video and register for an upcoming event.
BrandScripts have worked for Downstage Media’s clients, and the thousands of other brands that have used them. But it won’t do you any good if it’s sitting somewhere on your computer. Here are ten ways to put your StoryBrand BrandScript into action.
9 Ways Artists and Creatives Can Use A StoryBrand BrandScript
#1 Put on the About page
As an artist, you are often talking about your work, but believe it or not, audiences are often trying to see if your work is for them. Consequently, it’s important that you make them the focus of the About page of your website. A BrandScript helps put your work as just what they need for this moment right now. To that end, take the lines of the BrandScript and put them together into one paragraph that explains your work.
#2 Create an Overall Brand Playbook
As an artist, you may get asked to be on someone else’s podcast, guest on someone’s show, or add your bio to a program. With a BrandScript you’ll know exactly what to put in that bio - no matter how many words it needs to be. And often times you don’t have a lot of notice when you need to supply your headshot, logos, and bio. Take your BrandScript and add it to a Brand Playbook so you’ll have all of your logos, fonts, colors, and marketing messages handy in one spot.
Bonus? If you are working with someone else on a project, you can share the Brand Playbook with them so they’d have all of the guidelines they’d need to discuss you, your work, or the project itself.
#3 Use Throughout Your Website - Especially on Your Homepage.
If there is one place that your BrandScript should show up it’s on your website. The books Building a StoryBrand and Marketing Made Simple walk you through the optimal way to apply this clearer messaging to your home base on the web. Even without them, if you just had a separate section on your homepage with the BrandScript in order, you would have a clearer website than many others out there.
#4 Send It in an Email
You work hard to get people to subscribe to your email list so they can know about the work that you’re doing. Take your BrandScript, put it in paragraph form, and send it out via email to your existing email audience. Even if they haven’t heard from you in awhile, a BrandScript will help them know just what it is that you are up to - plus, how it benefits them and how they can come to your next show, book you for an event, or do whatever it is you want them to do.
#5 Send out an Automated Introductory Email
Once you’ve sent it out to your existing email subscribers, set up an automation so that new email subscribers can receive a welcome email as well. They will know that their subscription went through properly, plus - thanks to your super clear BrandScript - they’ll know what you are working on and how they can experience it.
#6 Create Signage Around It
Having simple, repeatable messages that you use throughout your marketing work IRL too. If you are going to a gallery, theater, or have an event you’re presenting at, take key lines from your BrandScript and use them on signage. This is especially helpful when you’re looking to get people to subscribe to your email list - a QR code with a call to action to subscribe, plus a benefit from doing so - is all you need.
#7 Shoot a Promo Video
Some people take the BrandScript Script and turn it into a promotional video or commercial for their brand. This is great to put on your homepage, on social media, and even use as a video email signature. Fellow StoryBrand Guide LuxLab simply used the BrandScript as the text, had members of their staff deliver it, and included b-roll to make their promo vide more dynamic. Even though this company writes scripts for videos all day long, the only copy they used for their own video was their BrandScript.
#8 Put on Your Packaging
Sending your work through the mail? Much like using signage in your lobby, you can use lines from your BrandScript on the packaging that you send out to customers. When stores order wholesale from DuHope, the packaging (created by fellow StoryBrand Certified Guide, Sarah J. Hackman from Hackman Creative.) arrives with messaging throughout it to give stores a tangible connection to the cause.
#9 Choose Any 2-3 Lines of Your BrandScript For Promotional Posts for Social Media
When it comes to social media, I’m a big proponent of only trying to sell your stuff 20 - 25% percent of the time and the rest of the time putting out content that is helpful, inspiring, or entertaining . I have created the PAGER model which gives you an outline for what to post when: each letter stands for a different kind of post to create in order to build your weekly content calendar. Since your BrandScript talks about your company, this would fit into the Promotional category. Choose 2-3 aspects of your BrandScript then add a Call to Action. Make a batch of them all at once, add them to your Content Stockpile, and schedule them with your scheduler.
More on using your BrandScript in your social media posts.
Get Your BrandScript Working for You
Imagine anytime you have to talk about your company you already knew exactly what to say. Every time. No more scrambling coming up with a blurb for the podcast you’re going to be on. No more frantically copying and pasting from various pages on your website.
That is the power of the BrandScript. It’s a way that you can make your marketing way easier, so you can create the work that you’re proud of.
Get a BrandScript at an Upcoming Live Workshop
To create your BrandScript join me at an upcoming StoryBrand Marketing Livestream. You and no more than seven other people will work to solidify your BrandScript, plus get a five point marketing plan.
