The 7 Secrets to Storytelling are in my book, The Truth About Online Marketing: and the 7 Secrets to Getting More Sales for Your Business. Over the next few blogs, let's take each secret and dive deeper into it.

First, here are the 7 Secrets:

1. Make sure that your story has an attention-getting beginning. Like a headline.
2. Grab every opportunity to tell a personal story.
3. Change quickly to a first-person narrative in the present tense.
4. Win an Oscar by getting back “into the moment” as you write or tell your story.
5. Develop the Middle by adding Interest Getters into your stories.
6. Pop your ending and make it stick.
7. Include Improv when you are “speaking” your stories.

#1 Make sure that your story has an attention-getting beginning.

Treat your first sentence like a headline and treat your second sentence like a sub-headline. This is because many forms of publishing do not include a place for your headline and sub-headline. Video doesn’t. FB posts, tweets, and other social media posts usually do not have a place for a headline.

So your first couple of sentences must drive interest and perform as powerfully as a good headline and sub-headline. Their single most important job is to encourage your readers to keep reading.

Jump into their exact thoughts

Also, the beginning should in some way tie in with what your intended audience is feeling at the moment. You can learn to easily jump into their exact thoughts if you did your earlier Avatar work correctly.

This is because you will know what their exact words are and when you use them in your post, you will increase your audience engagement.

A Great Example:

Suppose you sell a course for living a fulfilling, single life and your audience is thumbing through bridal magazines and reads your ad headline:

“The day I got my divorce was the happiest day of my life...”

This might seem like the worst idea...

...Or would it be?

"Here Fido!"

This type of copy is designed to repel the customers you don’t want. (Remember what we went over earlier when we discussed “dog whistle” copy? I learned it from Frank Kern who learned it from the late Dan Kennedy and then I learned more about it from Dan Kennedy when I learned about Dan Kennedy from Frank Kern.) It could turn out that this “repel” marketing strategy is exactly the perfect way to reach your Perfect Ideal Client.

Using dog whistle copy in its complete opposite platform as we’ve done here may pack an even bigger punch because of the irony.

Think about it. There might be one very unhappy would-be bride who happens to be your Perfect Ideal Client out there and this might be your perfect way to find her. Heck, you may even save her from an unhappy marriage and imminent divorce.

How’s that for the impact of learning and/or implementing good “copy?”

Or if you’re selling a course on how to have a happy marriage... Your sub-headline could read,

“The day I got my divorce was the happiest day of my life ...Says NO bride ever!”

Now, this open wouldn’t repel the happily engaged readers.

Either way, you’ve utterly captured their attention.

As you can see, this all ties in with knowing your audience and the Avatar work we did earlier.

Watch for the 2nd tip soon! And if you just can't wait for it, grab your copy today at: https://carrieglenncopywriter.mykajabi.com/thetruthaboutonlinemarketing

Carrie 👒