Hey there,

Every person and company is guilty of this self-promotion sin. Here’s how you can avoid it.

One thing you should know

Ever scroll through social media and see posts like, “I’m so humbled to receive this award,” or “I’m honored to…”?

It makes you cringe a little, right? Yeah, me too.

These posts are problematic because they are only about the author and have nothing to do with the reader.

But if we can turn a selfish post into a captivating story, that’s where the magic happens.

Every story has an arc. Many of them go like this:

1. Happy hero living the dream

2. Something flips their world upside down

3. They embark on a journey

4. With about 10 minutes left in the movie, they conquer all of the obstacles to reach their goal

5. And they live happily ever after

Whether you’re watching a Disney movie, Star Wars, or Fast & Furious 6, they all follow the same structure. And that’s saying a lot because none of the Fast & Furious movies have a plot.

You can make your posts captivating using the acronym CORE:

1. The Challenges you faced

2. What you had to do to Overcome them

3. The Result

4. Your Expectations for a bright future

Here’s why this works:

People love stories. You’re subtly showing off your expertise while setting the tone for who you are. And that’s how you win hearts (and maybe even some awards) in the process.

One thing you should do

Case studies are a great way of telling a story that promotes you without anyone realizing it. Sneaky, right?

If you’re selling anything for any length of time, you have success stories. And these stories of triumph show that you’re a problem solver with a service/product that can also help the viewer.

Think of someone you’ve been able to help. Break down their story using CORE:

1. What was their Challenge?

2. How did you Overcome it and help them?

3. What was the Result of their decision?

4. And what is your Expectation for future clients?

This framework will help anyone in any industry.

If you’re a commercial builder, it can go like this:

Challenge
X Company had a unique piece of land with an 8% grade [I’m making this up because I clearly didn’t win an Emmy for building stuff]. After searching for months for the right builder, they became discouraged by either being turned down or getting a quote so expensive that they thought the project would never happen.

Overcome
Until they met us. We have experience in building on complex properties. Our creative team got to work surveying the land and giving them an estimate and a clear plan for staying under budget and on time.

Result 
Today, we participated in their grand opening, where another thriving business opened its doors to the community. We saved them thousands, allowing them to reinvest in their company and growth.

Expectation
That’s one of the things we love about working with our clients. No matter the challenge, we’re always ready to help them achieve their dreams.

Wouldn’t you rather watch a video where someone told the story above versus “I am so humbled to announce the successful ribbon cutting of…”

And another thing

We love a good story because we like to imagine ourselves as the hero.

Tell a story in which the customer or client is the hero, and you’ll keep people captivated 100% of the time.

If you want to learn more about how to tell a story with your brand, there’s no one better at it than Donald Miller. He has a lot of free resources. Here’s just one video of many where he breaks down the concept.

If the hacks that keep writing the Fast and Furious franchise can do it, I know you can, too.

What do you think I should write about next? Just hit reply and let me know.

Until next time,

Will