Every creative faces the same nagging question: Is this work good enough to share with the world?

Before you even reach the “good enough to publish” stage, there’s an earlier and crucial step: “Good enough for feedback.”

 Let It Go: Seeking Feedback to Refine Your Work

Just like Elsa in Frozen, you sometimes have to let it go to truly discover the magic within. Your initial goal with your manuscript should be to get it good enough to present to a developmental editor. Later, it needs to be ready for feedback from early readers. The same goes for your book cover, title ideas, and description—all these elements should go through the feedback stage before they are polished to perfection.

This might sound obvious, yet many authors struggle because they spend too much time refining their work alone, without seeking outside perspectives. The key is to share your work with a select few trusted individuals to gather the feedback necessary to make it “good enough for publication.”

 Embrace Imperfection: Letting Go of Perfectionism

Elsa had to learn to embrace her powers and let go of her fears. Similarly, you need to be comfortable with sharing imperfect, and sometimes even messy, work. It requires a willingness to let go of perfectionism and embrace the messiness of the creative process.

Whenever I find myself stuck, I ask, “Is this good enough for feedback?” If the answer is yes, seeking feedback becomes my top priority. The sooner you get feedback, the sooner you’ll uncover what you need to move forward.

 Discover Your Creative Magic

Remember, sometimes you have to “let it go” to truly know. By embracing feedback and letting go of the need for perfection, you’ll discover the magic within your creative process and transform your work into something truly spectacular. So, take a cue from Elsa, and let it go—because that’s when the real magic happens.

How to use storytelling in marketing

Before you can put your story to paper, it’s best to follow the steps below. This will ensure that your story aligns with your ideal client and the problem you solve.

1. Identify your ideal client
2. Pinpoint their problem. What keeps them up at night and why?
3. How do you solve that one problem?
4. Describe the transformation that takes place.

Once you have these four points jotted down, you can begin to apply them in various places.

Website examples of storytelling in marketing

Your website is an important place to use storytelling. The following examples show how stories can be portrayed in a variety of ways, while still connecting with your audience.

1. Tell the story of your business but turn it upside down. Rather than ending with the solution. Start with it. “We do ____,” or “We don’t _____.”
2. Describe who you are and position yourself in a way that resonates with your ideal client. This example simply talks about “doing good work” and then goes on to describe how they help “world-bettering” brands do more.

Doing good work for brands that do good

We’re a certified B Corp marketing agency with bright ideas, results-driven services, and an adventurous spirit.

Social media examples of storytelling in marketing

You can do the same thing on social media. Oftentimes, this is an easier area to focus on because it’s not as overwhelming as an entire page of website content. 

Within one caption, you can:

1. Tell an actual story — about a client experience or describing how your product/service helped someone’s life/business.
2. Add social proof. Testimonials are a quick, concise, and credible way to describe how your business was the solution.
3. Teach something. Lessons easily come in the form of stories. By educating your audience, you can show the value of your services. If you want to book more one-on-one clients, teach them the importance of investing in your service, but do it through short stories, small sets of tips, and other bite-sized pieces of content.

The importance of positioning yourself as the guide

In stories, there is often a hero and a guide. The hero is the leading role, while the guide is their supporting star. With your marketing content, don’t be the hero. When you write your website content, don’t put yourself in that position. Instead, your client should be the hero, with you as the guide. The two examples above did that precisely, positioning themselves as the ones who help you (the client) drink sustainably and do good work. This makes the client not only feel good but invested in these brands.

If you need help using storytelling in marketing, reach out here. We can help you frame a website, identify a brand strategy and more, all using the art of storytelling.