We all have stories to tell, whether it’s about a new product or resolving a customer service issue. Whatever you’re trying to say, it’s important to analyze what needs to be told and to whom in order to strengthen your brand’s reputation and, ultimately, the bottom line.

Get started crafting the most effective story with these tips:

1. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.
This is where the good ol’ SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) comes in handy. Figure out where you stand as a company, internally and externally, and create stories to fill any gaps.

For example, one of our clients recognized a missing opportunity to share the ease of their import process in order to increase their North American footprint – they saw a gap in their client’s understanding and wanted to tell a story to fill it.

Here’s a free SWOT analysis template you can use to start!

2. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes.
Once you determine a gap, think like a customer. What would concern you about your own product? Cost? Quality control? To go a step further, actually speak to customers or research historical trends to determine their pain points. Once you figure out their worries, you can begin developing a story arc and messaging strategy to alleviate specific concerns and highlight solutions to ease their minds.

3. Find the best story solution for your problem.
Our client’s goal is clear: create peace of mind for potential North American customers about their import process. For us as an agency, that means telling a story about security, reliability and efficiency. This involves focusing content around the chain of command, quality checks and testimonials from current clients, and figuring out which platform is best to tell it on.

What steps have helped you craft the perfect story for your organization?