Getting Started

This is the place to start to get to know all about the Story Funnel

DISCLOSURE: Some of the links are affiliate links. This means if you click on them and end up buying or subscribing, I’ll either get a small commission or a cool hoodie!

Welcome to The Story Funnel!

Below are all the posts about the Story Funnel in order of how they should be read as well as a brief description. We'll also put in some examples as we make them. This page will be updated as we post more.

Introduction

The basics of what Story Funnel is and how we'll go about building one.

Hooking Prospects with Pathos

Part one of the Story Funnel is hooking prospects. We do this with Pathos or an emotional appeal.

What's Your Core Value?

Val·​ue: something (such as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable -- Merriam-Webster. Your Brand's Core Value is the first thing to understand before you can get your story straight.

What's Your Big Idea?

The big idea is your brand's north star. Without one, you will be lost in the sea of noise that is the internet.

Parts of the Hook Stage

The hook stage is the noisiest stage of the Story Funnel because it’s the one with the most amount of competition and literal noise.

Building Customers with Logos

At this stage, we want our new customers to be so happy with their purchase, that they don’t unsubscribe or return our offering. The way to do this is to make it as easy as possible to start using your offering to do the intended job.

What Are Your Customers Wants/Needs?

Your messaging needs to pull at the need while also giving the dopamine hit of want. You can never get to the need without the want satisfied. It’s like the gatekeeper to the inner sanctum.

What is Your Structure and who do you Serve?

What are you selling and who do you sell it to. That seems like a simple question but if you don't have your story straight, it can get confusing.

Paying Off Advocates with Ethos

Ethos is all about the credibility of the messenger or their bonafide’s. We look up to those that have achieved what we want to achieve or look/act/like what we like. That’s part of the reason celebrities endorse products and services -- it signals that said brand can be trusted.

What Are the Conventions & Requirements for your Brand?

Conventions and Requirements are the frameworks in which all similar offerings must adhere. If an offering does not comply with generally accepted conventions (e.g. testimonials from medical doctors) then prospects will be skeptical.

What is Your Brand's Thru-line?

A thru-line is a theme or idea that runs from the beginning to the end of a story. For us story nerds, it’s the story arc/spine that hooks us in in act one, builds our suspense in act two, and payoffs the result in act three.

Parts of the Pay Off Stage

The future health of your brand and your follow on products and services you provide heavily depends on this stage because your fans and advocates are the ones that will tell their friends and family about your brand and are the most likely folks to buy from you again.