Every Great Story Is the Same Story. Your Marketing Should Be Too.
I accidentally ruined movies for myself years ago.
Well… maybe “ruined” isn’t the right word. Let’s say I can never watch them the same way again.
Once you see the pattern, you can’t unsee it.
Every great story follows almost the exact same formula. It has for thousands of years.
And the funny part? That same formula is one of the best marketing lessons I’ve ever learned.
The best marketing makes your customer the hero of the story.
I first learned this from Donald Miller and his StoryBrand framework.
It completely changed the way I write websites, advertisements, emails, and sales pages. Honestly, it even changed how I teach entrepreneurship.
The framework itself is built around something storytellers have known forever.
Every memorable story has the same basic ingredients.
- A hero.
- A problem.
- A guide.
- A plan.
- A call to action.
- Success.
- Failure if they don’t act.
Once you know those seven pieces, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.
Batman has Alfred.
Luke Skywalker has Obi-Wan and Yoda.
Harry Potter has Dumbledore.
Frodo has Gandalf.
Rocky has Mick.
Neo has Morpheus.
Maximus has Proximo.
Daniel LaRusso has Mr. Miyagi.
Will Hunting has Sean Maguire.
Dewey Finn has the principal (whether she likes it or not).
Buddy the Elf has Papa Elf and eventually his dad.
Happy Gilmore has Chubbs.
Tommy Callahan has Richard.
Moana has Maui.
Lightning McQueen has Doc Hudson.
Woody has Buzz.
Even Finding Nemo follows it.
They’re all different stories.
They’re also basically the same story.
The hero faces a problem.
Someone with experience shows up to guide them.
The hero gets a plan.
The hero has to make a decision.
They either succeed or fail.
That’s it.
Thousands of years of storytelling condensed into a framework that fits everything from The Odyssey to Happy Gilmore.
You’re welcome. You’ll never watch movies the same way again.
There is a reason this formula keeps showing up.
Human beings are wired to understand stories this way.
We naturally place ourselves in the shoes of the hero.
I certainly did.
When I was six, I wasn’t pretending to be Alfred.
I was Batman.
Now think about the average small business website.
“We’ve been serving the community since 1987.”
“Our family has owned this company for three generations.”
“We’re passionate about customer service.”
“We’ve won these awards.”
That’s all fine.
But none of it answers the question sitting in your customer’s head.
“How does this make my life better?”
Customers care about themselves first.
That isn’t rude. It’s human nature.
Every person who lands on your website is trying to solve a problem.
Your job is to show them that you understand that problem and can help them solve it.
That changes everything.
Imagine two lawn care companies.
The first says:
We’ve proudly served Central Virginia for over 25 years. Our family-owned company has won multiple landscaping awards and is committed to excellence.
The second says:
You deserve a yard you’re proud to come home to. We’ll handle the mowing, edging, trimming, and cleanup on a schedule you choose, so you can spend your weekends doing something more enjoyable (watching football, playing with your kids, etc) than pushing a mower.
One talks about the business.
The other talks about the customer.
One makes the company the hero.
The other makes the customer the hero.
Which one would you call?
This lesson applies to almost every business.
A CPA isn’t selling tax returns.
They’re helping someone stop worrying about the IRS.
An estate planning attorney isn’t selling legal documents.
They’re helping parents make sure their kids are protected.
A personal trainer isn’t selling workouts.
They’re helping someone fit into clothes they haven’t worn in years.
When I first started, I made this mistake.
I would always talk a lot about me.
Degrees, awards, personal character.
All true.
None of it mattered until I connected those things back to the client’s problem.
They care about how you can transform their lives.
That’s the story they care about.
Notice something else in all those movies.
The guide never becomes the hero.
Yoda doesn’t defeat Darth Vader.
Alfred doesn’t stop the Joker.
Mr. Miyagi doesn’t win the karate tournament.
Morpheus doesn’t defeat Agent Smith.
The guide gives wisdom, a plan, and confidence.
Then the hero wins.
That’s exactly how your business should position itself.
Your customer gets the spotlight.
You simply help them get there.
Weekend Exercise
Think of one business idea you’ve been considering.
Now write down these three things.
- Who is the hero?
- What problem are they trying to solve?
- How does your business guide them toward success?
If your first draft spends more time describing your business than your customer, rewrite it.
The more your customer sees themselves in your marketing, the more likely they are to believe you understand their problem.
And people buy from businesses that understand them.