A story funnel helps you outline your story ideas and overcome writer’s block. But how does this work for your business?
If I were to tell you to write a topic that your patients would like to read, what would it be? How would you weave this topic so that they are engaged in it, see its value more, and take action?
How would you make your content easier for people to find among millions of websites that talk about the same things that you’re writing about?
This is where telling your personal story stands you out.
Many successful brands have a formula to create content that attracts and retains various audiences throughout the year. If you want to target, let’s say, people with migraines, there are various ways to optimize your content for that population.
And one common way is to use the story funnel.
The story funnel for business storytelling
Many manual therapists who are advocates for pain science and patient-centered care have trouble telling their stories. They are often used to sharing facts and data, but these lack the emotional aspects that drive action and change behavior.
By adding your personal stories to your content, you can bridge that gap between the analytical and emotional parts of the brain. This will help you distinguish yourself from the noise.
If you follow the story funnel for business, you can divide your stories into three categories: evergreen, seasonal, and newsworthy (or timely).
Evergreen content
Some topics aren’t likely to change much for years or even decades. For example, topics about COVID-19 pandemic or the 2021 Summer Olympics will likely change within one day. But the biography of Confucious or the chemical reactions that make bread rise aren’t likely to change much or at all for a long time.
(Of course, in 25 to 100 years, the pandemic and the 2021 Olympics might be evergreen because these events have already happened.)
Evergreen topics stay relevant regardless of when your audience reads them. They often cover a broad range of topics.
For example, you might talk about how cluneal nerves might affect low back pain. Or you might talk about why sleep is important to manage pain and how patients can get better sleep.
Seasonal content
This type of content is relevant for a specific time of the year. It can be based on a holiday, a weekend, or an observance month.
For example, you could write about the relationship between migraines and springtime. Or you could cover how college students can manage anxiety and migraines during their final exam week.
Newsworthy content
Fresh science! A group of Belgian researchers reviewed 13 studies on the relationship between insomnia and chronic low back pain. While they found a strong relationship between the two, they found that other factors, such as gender and physical comorbidities, may not have a strong association with insomnia.
For your content and audience who like science news, this would be considered newsworthy because it was just published in July 2021.
Timely content also pertains to what’s going at your clinic. One of your staff is having a baby soon, or a former intern who worked at your clinic last year has graduated and is now working with you.
Of course, if you’re offering a sale, like exercise bands or continuing education courses, then these are also newsworthy topics.
These types of content can be matched to the message you want to deliver. There are three things you can match based on the story funnel:
What you value
Are you a physical therapist who also enjoys jazz music, rock climbing, or salsa dancing?
Do you also enjoy learning about how the nervous system and socioeconomics affect chronic back pain?
Well, share your interests! Value builds a foundation between you and your audience. If you value science and research, you will likely attract certain people who like these topics and share your science stories.
Likewise, if you value outdoors activities, independent living, or a school of thought in manual therapy, it can also develop a certain culture in your brand.
Who you are
This refers to who is at your practice — you, your therapists, web developer, receptionist, your cat or dog. It can also be your patients and community members whom you have formed a strong relationship with.
Characters like these can build trust and familiarity with your practice and brand. So if patients get to know them better on social media, they would recognize who is working there when they come to your practice.
What you offer
This is where you sell your products and services or promote an event. Your audience are more likely to invest in this stage of the story funnel once they get to know, like, and trust you more.
How to use the story funnel
It’s quite easy to come up with your story once you get the hang of it. Using the story funnel, you can combine its axes to generate some ideas.
For example, the insomnia study mentioned earlier would be newsworthy (new research, people often like that) and what you value (science).
That newsworthy topic could tie to an evergreen topic (e.g. low back pain) or a seasonal one (story of a patient who had less back pain after having several nights of good quality sleep).
Another combo could be what you offer and evergreen. If you’re a massage therapist, you could talk about what Swedish massage is (offer) and give a little history and demonstration (evergreen).
A seasonal topic of what you offer could be about why giving a gift card for a massage therapy session is the perfect gift for your mom and/or dad (think Mother’s Day and Father’s Day).
The possibilities are almost endless, and the story funnel provides a guide that makes it easier for you to generate your own personal stories.
If you need help to get started, let’s see how I can help you. Email me: nick@thenickng.com