Personal stories count, too...
While on the phone the other day with a portrait client, we talked about storytelling.
She mentioned that her team was looking to evolve the type of content that she shares on social.
Currently, everything she shares online is all meant to create teachable moments for those she serves, and that is by her design.
Which is not a bad thing by any stretch, but, expertise-driven stories are only half the story.
As a result, I suggested that she should consider including more personal stories within her content.
I then shared personal examples, as well as from several clients, that illustrated how impactful it is to create relevant and valuable teachable moments for an audience.
She responded by saying, “Oh yeah, I already share personal stories in my presentations.”
Wait, what?
I was confused by that statement as I assumed that she approached her personal life as a no-go zone when it came to her business.
Regardless, I told her that if she’s comfortable sharing personal stories from a stage, then she needs to do the same in her content.
Not necessarily the same exact stories, but ones that ultimately provide your audience with a more well-rounded look into who you are.
After all, if you’re a business owner, you’re in the business of building relationships. And part of that process is to provide your audience a glimpse into your personality.
Does that mean you share every detail of your personal life? Absolutely not.
But, if you can share bits and pieces that are equal parts revealing, relevant and relatable to those you serve and provides them a healthy dose of your human being-ness, then fire off that social post or blog article.
While these pieces of content aren’t going to transform your clients, they do act as the glue to the expertise-driven stories that will keep them engaged and ready to learn more from you online.
The next time you find yourself searching for content, dig deep for a personal story that you can spin into something that will allow your audience to learn more about you.
You might be surprised at how much engagement that post generates :)