Most marketing fails because it’s confusing. Companies talk about themselves—their features, their history, their awards—while customers tune out.
StoryBrand, developed by Donald Miller, flips the script. Your customer is the hero. You’re just the guide. This simple shift transforms how you communicate.
The Problem with Most Marketing
Visit any company’s website. You’ll likely see:
- “We are the leading provider of…”
- “Our innovative solutions…”
- “Founded in 1985, we’ve been…”
- “Our mission is to…”
This is noise. Customers don’t care about your journey. They care about their own.
When marketing is confusing, customers don’t buy. Not because your product is bad, but because the brain ignores what it doesn’t understand. Clarity wins.
The StoryBrand Framework
StoryBrand applies classic storytelling structure to marketing. Every great story follows this pattern—Star Wars, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings. Miller codified it into seven elements:
1. A Character
The hero of the story. In your marketing, this is your customer, not you.
The character wants something. They have a desire—a goal they’re trying to reach, a problem they want solved.
Define clearly: What does your customer want?
- “Business owners want more customers”
- “Developers want to ship faster”
- “Parents want their kids to succeed”
One clear desire. Not five. One.
2. Has a Problem
The hero faces an obstacle. In storytelling terms, this is the conflict that makes the journey necessary.
StoryBrand identifies three levels of problems:
External Problem - The tangible, surface-level issue
- “My website is slow”
- “I can’t find qualified candidates”
- “My sales are flat”
Internal Problem - How the external problem makes them feel
- “I feel embarrassed by my outdated site”
- “I feel overwhelmed by hiring”
- “I feel like a failure”
Philosophical Problem - Why this is fundamentally wrong
- “Companies shouldn’t lose customers to slow technology”
- “Talented people deserve to be found”
- “Hard work should lead to growth”
Most companies address only external problems. But customers buy based on internal feelings and philosophical beliefs.
3. And Meets a Guide
Here’s where you enter—but not as the hero. You’re the guide.
Think Yoda, not Luke. Gandalf, not Frodo. Haymitch, not Katniss.
A guide has two characteristics:
Empathy - You understand the hero’s struggle
- “We know how frustrating slow websites are”
- “Hiring is exhausting. We get it.”
Authority - You have the competence to help
- “We’ve helped 500 companies improve load times”
- “Our platform has placed 10,000 candidates”
Empathy without authority makes you sympathetic but unhelpful. Authority without empathy makes you arrogant and unrelatable. You need both.
4. Who Gives Them a Plan
Heroes need guidance. They need to know what to do next.
Your plan provides clarity. It removes confusion and risk. Two types:
Process Plan - Steps to work with you
- Schedule a call
- We analyze your needs
- Implement the solution
Agreement Plan - Commitments that remove fear
- “No long-term contracts”
- “Money-back guarantee”
- “Free migration assistance”
Plans reduce friction. They answer “but how does this actually work?“
5. And Calls Them to Action
A story without a climax is boring. A website without a call to action is pointless.
Two types of CTAs:
Direct CTA - The primary action you want
- “Buy Now”
- “Schedule a Demo”
- “Start Free Trial”
Transitional CTA - For those not ready yet
- “Download the Guide”
- “Watch the Video”
- “Take the Assessment”
Be direct. “Buy Now” works better than “Learn More About Our Solutions.” Clear CTAs make the next step obvious.
6. That Helps Them Avoid Failure
Stakes matter in stories. What happens if the hero doesn’t act?
Paint the negative outcome:
- “Without faster hosting, you’ll keep losing customers to competitors”
- “Bad hires cost six months of salary in lost productivity”
- “Companies that don’t adapt get left behind”
This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s honesty about consequences. The pain of inaction should be clear.
7. And Ends in Success
The happy ending. The transformation the customer achieves.
Show the after state:
- “Fast, reliable hosting that makes customers want to stay”
- “A team of A-players who drive growth”
- “Confident, sustainable business growth”
Be specific about outcomes. Vague promises don’t resonate.
The BrandScript
StoryBrand provides a tool called the BrandScript—a one-page document that captures all seven elements for your business.
| Element | Your Business |
|---|---|
| Character | Who is your customer and what do they want? |
| External Problem | What obstacle do they face? |
| Internal Problem | How does it make them feel? |
| Philosophical Problem | Why is this wrong? |
| Guide (Empathy) | How do you show you understand? |
| Guide (Authority) | What proves you can help? |
| Plan | What are the steps to work with you? |
| Call to Action | What do you want them to do? |
| Avoid Failure | What negative outcome do you help avoid? |
| Success | What positive outcome do you enable? |
Fill this out before writing any marketing copy. It forces clarity.
Applying StoryBrand
Your Website
Above the fold should answer:
- What do you offer? (clear headline)
- How will it make my life better? (subheadline)
- What do I do to get it? (CTA button)
Remove anything that doesn’t serve these questions.
Your Elevator Pitch
Formula: “We help [character] who [problem] by [solution] so they can [success].”
Example: “We help developers who waste hours on deployment by automating their CI/CD pipeline so they can ship features daily instead of weekly.”
Your Email Marketing
Every email should:
- Identify with a problem
- Position you as the guide
- Offer a clear next step
Your Sales Conversations
Listen for problems. Empathize genuinely. Demonstrate authority briefly. Present a clear plan. Ask for the sale.
Common Mistakes
Making yourself the hero - Your success story matters less than their transformation.
Too many messages - One clear message beats five scattered ones.
Weak CTAs - “Learn More” doesn’t tell anyone what to do.
Ignoring internal problems - External features without emotional connection fall flat.
No stakes - If nothing bad happens by not buying, why buy?
Vague outcomes - “We make things better” means nothing.
StoryBrand in Practice
Before StoryBrand
“ABC Software was founded in 2010 with a mission to revolutionize enterprise workflow management through innovative AI-powered solutions. Our industry-leading platform leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver seamless integration across your technology stack.”
After StoryBrand
“Tired of losing hours to manual data entry? Our software automates your workflow in three clicks. Schedule a demo and get your evenings back.”
The second version:
- Names the problem (manual data entry)
- Offers a solution (automation)
- Provides a plan (three clicks)
- Calls to action (schedule a demo)
- Promises success (get your evenings back)
Same product. Clearer message. Better results.
The Bottom Line
StoryBrand isn’t complex. Its power is in simplicity.
Your customer is the hero. They have a problem. You’re the guide who helps them win.
Say that clearly. Say it consistently. Say it everywhere.
When customers understand what you offer and how it helps them, they buy. When they’re confused, they leave.
Clarity converts. Confusion doesn’t.
Position your customer as the hero. Watch your marketing transform.