Storytelling in Customer Advocacy: Customers, Heroes, and Choosing Your Own Adventure

"Whether writing a story or attempting to sell products, our message must be clear. Always. If you confuse, you'll lose." - Donald Miller, CEO of StoryBrand

Customers as the Hero

Recently I have read a few excerpts from Donald Miller's book "Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen" and I feel as if I have found a goldmine of valuable information to drive customer advocacy. Donald Miller suggests that customers are the "heroes" of our brand's story and that we (whether it be as salespersons, marketers, etc.) are the "guides" to what our customers experience. As customer advocacy professionals, out job is to highlight the paths in the customer journey that empower customers, make the relationship interactive, and ensure that our customers feel heroic when they are elevated to brand advocates.

Advocacy: Choose Your Own Adventure

When I was younger, I loved "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. I remember going back and forth through the pages completed enthralled for hours as I crafted my own story. Similarly, advocacy marketing is a dynamic journey with endless paths, choices, and narratives. Your customers, as protagonists, navigate through their unique adventures with your brand as a part of the advocacy program that you guide them through. Here's how you can infuse the spirit of interactive storytelling into your advocacy program:

1. Interactive Touchpoints: Create touchpoints that encourage customers to actively engage with your brand. From interactive surveys and polls to gamified experiences, involve your customers in shaping their advocacy adventure. The more engaged they are, the richer their stories become.

2. Personalized Experiences: Tailor the advocacy experience to each customer's preferences. Offer personalized content, exclusive access, and targeted communications. By allowing customers to choose their level of involvement, you empower them to contribute to the narrative in a way that feels authentic and comfortable.

3. Empower Advocates as Co-Creators: Turn advocates into co-creators of their advocacy journey. Provide platforms for them to share insights, suggestions, and even contribute content. This collaborative approach transforms advocacy into a shared adventure, where both brand and advocate actively shape the narrative.

The Never-Ending Story

In the world of advocacy and storytelling, the narrative is not a static tale but a perpetual, ever-evolving story. As you navigate "The Never-Ending Story" of customer advocacy, consider these elements:

1. Continual Evolution: Advocacy is not a one-time event but an ongoing saga. Nurture the relationship with your advocates, ensuring that their stories continue to evolve alongside the changing dynamics of your brand, the products and services you offer, and their experiences.

2. Sequels and Spin-offs: Expand your advocacy narrative with sequels and spin-offs. Introduce new chapters, highlighting different aspects of your brand, product, or service; product feature launches, events, and marketing campaigns are all moments to add another level of intrigue to your brand's story. Each sequel adds depth to how customers experience your brand, creating new pathways for customer advocacy.

3. Episodic Storytelling: Embrace episodic storytelling by breaking the advocacy narrative into digestible episodes. Regularly share updates, achievements, and new stories to keep your audience engaged. Celebrate your customers as heroes during significant milestones of their relationship with your brand. This approach sustains interest and ensures that the narrative remains dynamic.