Telling Your Stories
When Content Becomes Personal: My Journey Through Storytelling
I’m thrilled to dive deep into a topic that’s close to my heart and crucial for creators, coaches, and course creators everywhere: the power of personal storytelling in content creation.
In the world of copy and content, there’s a prevailing notion that it’s all about the reader, not about us, the creators.
But let’s face it, that’s only half the story.
The truth is, we’re in the business of connection, of building relationships with our audience through the stories we share, the experiences we recount, and the vulnerabilities we expose.
I’ve Always Believed In The Magnetic Pull Of Personal Stories.
They’re the threads that weave the fabric of our connections, making our audience feel seen, heard, and understood. That’s why I’ve anchored my content creation around a core content value: making people feel better for having engaged with my content.
Whether through learning something new, enjoying a moment of levity, or feeling a heart-to-heart connection, it’s about enriching the lives of those who stumble upon my work.
Take, for example, my journey through one of life’s harshest realities: loss.
In 2003, life threw me a curveball that would forever change my trajectory. I was widowed at 32, left to navigate the world as a single mother of two small children (my kids were 6 & 2 when their Dad died).
This part of my story, a marker of my resilience and transformation, was something I initially kept close to my chest, mentioned briefly on my About page, yet it was a pivotal chapter in my life.
It wasn’t until 2017, on the anniversary of my husband’s death, that I chose to share this deeply personal story with my audience in an email titled “In Loving Memory and a Personal Message of Hope.”
The outpouring of responses was overwhelming, a testament to the power of vulnerability in forging deeper connections. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: our stories, no matter how often we’ve shared them, are always new to someone in our audience.
They Provide Hope And Remind Us That We’re Not Alone In Our Struggles.
But sharing personal stories is not about airing every detail of our lives; it’s about finding the balance between personal and private. It’s about sharing those moments that illuminate our humanity, that make us relatable, that show we’re more alike than we are different.
For instance, a seemingly trivial incident like falling down the stairs while distracted by my phone became a metaphor for the importance of staying present, of paying attention to what’s right in front of us.
The ‘falling-down-the-stairs’ story I shared with my audience wasn’t just a humorous anecdote; it was a reflection on mindfulness in both life and business.
You might be wondering, what was the whole point of that email?
Sure, there was a pivot and a call to action—though I can’t quite recall what it was, whether it was to click through to a podcast, a blog post, or an offer. The real value, however, lies in the fact that we’re all human.
I don’t take myself too seriously, and that aspect of my personality makes me more relatable and approachable.
Sharing personal stories and experiences is invaluable because, like many of you, I find myself far more creative when I’m inspired or feel a genuine connection. While keyword-based articles, how-to guides, and case studies certainly have their place in content creation—a place that’s not disappearing anytime soon—I believe their presentation will evolve with AI.
It’s crucial to remember that you are the differentiator in everything you create.
Your energy, your voice, your humor, and even your highs and lows are all uniquely yours. Dr. Seuss said it best: “No one is You-er than You.” This is precisely why sharing personal stories and experiences is so important.
This post, part of a five-part series, originally began as an email series before I turned it into blog content and now video content. I discuss how to weave stories into learning content, using my experience at Funnel Hacking Live 2018 as an example. It was the last time I attended the event, and likely my last, but I shared my experiences and two significant epiphanies I had. Despite not using ClickFunnels anymore and having a love-hate relationship with it, the key takeaway is my willingness to share both my successes and failures. This transparency makes me more relatable in a world obsessed with highlight reels.
I’ve also shared stories that may seem trivial but are deeply relatable, like feeling exhausted at large events, which is a sentiment many share. Sharing your stories is crucial, and to help you get started, I challenge you to come up with three content ideas: share a heartfelt story about overcoming a challenge, something funny that reminds people not to take life too seriously, and a case study or recap of an event, webinar, or book that impacted you.
More than anything, it’s vital to give your content a chance to succeed by promoting it. When I started, I didn’t worry about what people thought because I was learning and growing. This ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach allowed me to dive in without fear. As you grow in your craft, remember to share your stories. They are what will set you apart in a world filled with AI and uniformity. And please avoid relying solely on templates. Learn to write well for the web, and study frameworks and best practices because those will truly help your business stand out.
That wraps up this video on the importance of storytelling in content. Keep an eye out for the next part of “Everything is Content,” where I’ll delve into the concept of the value deposit. For those interested in diving deeper, I’m hosting a live workshop on March 6th at 11 AM Pacific Time. You can register at my website, and if you can’t make it live, a recorded version will be available for purchase, or you can sign up for the next live session. I’m committed to running this workshop repeatedly to gather the data I need to understand where most people get stuck with their content creation.
Thank you for tuning in, and I look forward to sharing more insights in part three tomorrow.
