My social copy has driven over $2,000,000 in sales.
One of the most important reasons for that?
Stories.
People love stories - they’re wired to connect with them.
But for a while, I wasn’t sure how to use storytelling properly in my content.
Storytelling was what my wife would call "spaghetti bolognese" in my head.
- Where to start?
- What to write about?
- Why would anyone care?
- How do I stop getting sidetracked?
With events from your whole life to write about, it's hard to focus and write a structured story.
That's where frameworks are so freaking useful.
But as I done more research, I found this framework that changed my storytelling forever.
And helped me on my way to driving $2,000,000 for myself and clients with social posts.
Here’s my 6 step social storytelling framework you should save and use today (if you want to drive sales on social):
1. Show the life before
The problem with most stories is they’re unrelatable.
The writer doesn’t explain the pain they were in where it all started.
Take the time to give context to where you were.
2. Present an obstacle
Every good story has an enemy and a hero.
This is where you introduce the enemy. The thing you (the hero) are fighting against. The thing that is stopping you from getting to the other side.
Make it clear what the obstacle is so the reader remembers.
3. Demonstrate issues the obstacle causes
Don’t assume your reader understands what issues the obstacle causes.
(that’s my rule 101 of Social Copywriting by the way: be understood at minimum)
You want your reader to be on the same page as you, where the story is going and feeling your pain with you.
If in doubt, list out all the real life issues that are caused. Just a simple list.
Complete clarity. Black and white.
4. Show the steps needed to overcome
Now you’re teasing the reader into the solution.
Almost like a map, show your reader the directions you found that were needed to get to the destination. You’re showing the reader competence that you had an escape plan.
Write these out clearly and concisely, so the reader feels like they can steal it for themselves if they find themselves in this situation you’re in.
5. Explain how you overcame it
Here’s where you need to be vulnerable and transparent.
Don’t write the things the reader should do to overcome it. Write the exact things you did to overcome it. Even if you messed it up a bit and didn’t do it the “textbook” way.
This is YOUR story, after all.
6. Present life after overcoming the obstacle
My top tip: give away the life after in your hook.
Feels counter intuitive right? But it’s not.
By giving away the “after” in your hook, you create this huge curiosity gap.
Any scroller who catches your hook will be saying “how the hell did they get there? Now I MUST read on.”.
Just make sure you give specific details on the “after” at the end of your story.
Give your reader the hero’s ending.
TL;DR:
- Show the life before
- Present an obstacle
- Demonstrate issues the obstacle causes
- Show the steps needed to overcome
- Explain how you overcame it
- Present life after overcoming the obstacle
But this framework isn’t anything groundbreaking.
It’s a rip off of the story arch movies and films use.
Look at how the stories and character journeys play out in movies and films.
Apply the same journey to events in your life.
If it works for blockbuster movies?
It’ll work for you too.
Cheers,
Matt Barker
P.S. if you spend too much time writing content and need a faster way to write consistently...on Wednesday 9th October I'm hosting a free Zoom training called "The 5 Minute Daily Writing System". Over 50 folks are signed up already, join us here.
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