How to Tell YOUR Story and Make it Profitable

In a previous blog post, we talked all about adding value to your social media content in order to make yourself (i.e. your personal brand) stand out. After all, why blend in when you were born to stand out? Are you sharing your story for the service of others?

One of the best ways – in fact, I’m going to go a step further and say THE best way – to get a wider audience to stop the scroll and listen to what you have to say, is by storytelling. No, I’m not suggesting that anyone shares Mother Goose Fairy Tales on LinkedIn or Facebook; what I’m saying is that sharing elements of YOUR story – your reason why, your values, your interests, the good, the bad, and even sometimes the ugly – is the very best way to grow your reach.

By narrating parts of your story, other people:

Identify and/or relate to you because of a shared or similar experience
Understand more about who you are and the things that are important to you
Learn things about the world, themselves, and interpersonal relationships through your journey
Recognize that they aren’t alone
Develop respect, trust, and loyalty to you and your brand

Storytelling isn’t a difficult task, but it does take a little practice to get it right.

And, it can be a challenge in the beginning to feel comfortable being vulnerable and opening yourself up to potential judgment or critique. However, the initial effort and bravery required will be more than worth it in the end – I promise!

Now that we’ve established the importance of telling your story, let’s chat about how to get started.

One of the most common obstacles I hear from the clients I work with, is that they – initially – don’t know what to say. It is very, very normal to worry that no one will be interested in your perspective, or that you have nothing “original” to contribute. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t question his/her relevance at some point or other.

However, if you learn anything from me, let it be this – you have more to offer than you think, your value is more than you know, and there are people out there who want to hear what you have to say. Trust me on this.

Once you’ve given yourself the necessary pep talk, here are some places to look for inspiration:

Photographs of you, your family, etc.
Books for memorable passages
Pinterest for meaningful quotes or images
Your social media timeline for memories of important events
Past journal entries
Friends and family for funny, endearing, or thought-provoking memories
Social media accounts of those you admire for ideas (NOT to copy their content, but to see how and what they share)

Once you’ve found the necessary inspo, I recommend that you just jump in and get started. Know that almost everything takes some trial and error to get right so don’t get discouraged when certain posts get more traction than others. In fact, keep track of what posts do well and what ones don’t – usually there is a reason why (again, be ok with the trial and error thing).

And, as you immerse yourself in this wondrous world of online storytelling, keep these additional tips in mind:

Make a point – to ensure that your content is relevant it should be purposeful. Think about what it is that you are trying to communicate with your imagery and/or words.
Generally speaking, keep things positive. This isn’t to say that you can never share a bad experience, but avoid “venting” and always try to end with a note of positivity.
Remember who you are serving – no one is interested in a revolving door of someone’s accomplishments and accolades. Telling your story isn’t about you – it is about connecting, relating, and building trust with your audience.
Make sure that your content sounds like you. In order to be believable, be as authentic as you possibly can.

Have additional questions for me?

Drop me a line – helping people establish their online voice and tell impactful stories is what I do.

I would be honoured to help you get started.