3 Common StoryBrand Marketing Mistakes and How to Fix Them

As a small business owner, you may have heard about the power of storytelling marketing, especially when it comes to building your brand and connecting with your customers. But let’s be real—actually implementing StoryBrand Marketing can be confusing. Maybe you’ve tried it before, and it didn’t work out as planned. You might feel frustrated watching other businesses thrive using StoryBrand brandscript while your efforts seem to fall flat.

I get it. As a certified StoryBrand guide who has worked with dozens of small businesses, I see common mistakes that many business owners make when trying to implement this framework. But don’t worry, these mistakes are fixable. In this post, I’ll cover the three most common StoryBrand marketing mistakes and how you can avoid them to craft a message that resonates with your audience.

Mistake #1: Misunderstanding What StoryBrand Marketing Really Is

One of the biggest misconceptions small business owners have about StoryBrand Marketing is thinking it’s about telling their business’s story. You might think you need to craft a beautiful narrative about how your company was founded, your passion for the business, or the history of how your brand came to be.

This is not what StoryBrand is about. StoryBrand isn’t about creating a literal story, like a novel or a memoir. It’s about using a framework to help clarify your message. At its core, StoryBrand follows the hero’s journey, a storytelling method used in popular films like Star Wars. The key is understanding that your business is not the hero—your customer is. You are the guide, the Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda, helping them through their journey to solve their problem.

Instead of crafting a story about your business, you need to focus on your customer. What do they want? What problems are they facing? How can your product or service be the solution they’re looking for?

Fix:

Shift the focus away from your business’s story and focus on your customer’s journey. Use the StoryBrand 7-part framework:

1. A Character: Your customer is the main character. Identify what they want.

2. Has a Problem: Address their external problem (the obvious challenge), internal problem (how this problem makes them feel), and philosophical problem (why it’s morally wrong that they have this problem).

3. Meets a Guide: You are the guide, showing empathy and authority. Demonstrate that you understand their struggle and that you’ve helped others solve the same problem.

4. Gives Them a Plan: Offer a simple, actionable plan that helps them move forward.

5. Calls Them to Action: Use a clear and direct call to action, inviting them to take the next step.

6. Helps Them Avoid Failure: Make it clear what they stand to lose if they don’t act.

7. Leads to Success: Paint a picture of the success they’ll experience once they engage with your business.

Mistake #2: Telling the Wrong Story

Another common mistake I see is business owners telling their own good story instead of the customer’s. As much as you may love your brand’s origin story—whether it’s how your grandfather started the business 50 years ago or how you’ve been passionate about the industry since you were young—your customers don’t care. What they care about is how your business can solve their problem.

Your customers are looking for a solution, not a backstory. They want to know how your product or service is going to help them, and if you focus too much on your own narrative, you’ll lose their attention.

Fix:

Your business’s story is not the focus—your customer’s story is. The story that matters is the one your customer is living, and your role is to be the guide who helps them solve their problem. To create effective StoryBrand marketing strategy, you need to be paying attention to the challenges your customer is facing and position yourself as the solution.

Let’s use an example. Say you’re a plumber, and your marketing talks about how your family has been in the plumbing business for generations. While that’s great for you, it doesn’t speak to the customer’s need. Instead, you should focus on their current problem: a broken pipe or clogged drain. By addressing the issue they’re experiencing and showing that you have the experience to fix it, you’re positioning yourself as the guide they need.

Ask yourself: How can you help your customer avoid failure and instead experience success? Focus on solving their problem, and they’ll be far more likely to engage with your business.

Mistake #3: Failing to Use the StoryBrand Framework in All Aspects of Your Business

The final mistake I often see is business owners limiting StoryBrand marketing to a few areas, like their website or social media. While that’s a great start, StoryBrand Marketing is a framework you can—and should—use in all aspects of your business. Whether it’s creating marketing materials, coaching your team, or crafting your sales pitch, the StoryBrand framework should be woven into everything you do.

Think about how you communicate with your team. Are you helping them understand their role in the bigger picture? Are you addressing their internal problems—such as feelings of frustration or confusion—and showing them how they can avoid failure and succeed in their job?

Fix:

Don’t limit the StoryBrand framework to external marketing. Use it in your internal communications as well. For instance, when coaching your team, use the same approach:

• Clarify the problem they’re facing.

• Offer a plan to solve it.

• Guide them through the process with empathy and authority, showing that you’ve dealt with similar challenges and overcome them.

The same principles apply to your sales strategy. If you can clearly outline your customer’s problem, position yourself as the guide, and present a clear plan to solve it, your sales conversations will become far more effective.

The beauty of StoryBrand Marketing is that it taps into how the human brain is wired. We all respond to stories because they help us make sense of the world. When you apply the StoryBrand 7-part framework in your marketing, sales, and internal communications, you’ll create a message that resonates deeply with your audience.

Ready to Fix Your StoryBrand Marketing?

If you’ve been making these StoryBrand Marketing mistakes, don’t worry—you’re not alone, and it’s never too late to fix them. By shifting the focus to your customer’s story, positioning yourself as the guide, and applying the framework across all areas of your business, you can start creating clear, compelling marketing that drives results.

Are you ready to take your messaging to the next level? At Sean Garner Consulting, we help local small businesses build, fill, and optimize their sales funnels using StoryBrand Marketing. If you’re struggling to create a clear brand message that resonates with your customers, I’d love to help.

Schedule a call today, and let’s talk about how we can use the StoryBrand framework to help you grow your business and dominate your market. You can also book a free consultation at SeanGarner.co.

Let’s start crafting a message that sets your business apart and positions you as the guide your customers need.