We all want to write great marketing copy for our floristry business, so we asked our marketing partners, Jane and Helen from Queen Bee, to share their insights into what makes compelling content that will grab our audiences’ attention. Here’s their story………….
Jane and I are in absolute agreement that our favourite advert at the moment is for iPhone 14 promoting the Action Mode feature. It’s school sports day and mum and son have a moment of silent togetherness before the race begins and mum races alongside her son (pushing other parents out of the way), to film him crossing the finishing line.
It’s not flashy, it’s not high tech, it’s not telling us all the stats behind Action Mode, it works because it tells a story that resonates with the audience it’s trying to reach. Every mum I know related to this advert, and secretly wants to try out Action Mode.
Storytelling, whether through video or words work! After all, people don’t buy goods and services, they buy relationships, stories and magic! This is absolutely something you as a florist business owner can do too. When it comes to your content, from blogs to social media, emails to website, it should never be sell, sell, sell, instead think ‘what’s the story I can tell here’.
By creating a voice for yourself, storytelling allows you to truly connect with your customers on an emotional and human level – we are built to connect with a story, empathise with characters, and react to a narrative.
There are an endless amount of stories and so many sources of inspiration that using this method to build a relationship with your customer also means you never run out of things to say. You can talk about the same product/service again and again without it sounding repetitive or boring!
How do you create a story?
Stories usually comprise a leading character (you or someone your target audience can relate to), a conflict or a problem they face (usually your target audience’s pain points), and finally, the solution they discover (closely tied to your offerings/products) – all of which are tied together with a narrative.
Where do I find my stories?
Stories (not the social media variety!) are literally all around you…you just have to start looking out for them. Now you’re more attuned you’ll be amazed by how many things that happen to you, or someone you know, each day that can be turned into a story for your floristry business.
Here’s 3 ways to find stories that will elevate your content marketing:
- Write down the most interesting thing that happened to you today.
Do this every day, whether it’s on your Notes app or in a journal, and you’ll start to build up a bank of stories that can inspire a bit of storytelling. Think about how you can take one of these stories and make it into one that is relatable to your audience and shows you in a positive light. For example perhaps you turned up with flowers and couldn’t get into the wedding venue. This instantly has drama to it and hooks your audience. How did you feel, how did you solve the problem (in a way that meant you saved the day!). What do you want your potential customer to take away from this story? That all your years of experience makes you awesome in a crisis?
- Keep a document that contains all the reviews and lovely comments you’ve been left by customers.
What’s the first thing you do when someone recommends a person, place or product? Read the reviews! That’s what your customers are doing too. Let’s put these reviews front and centre by building an amazing story around them that makes it impossible not to choose you. For example, a bride emails you with a glowing review about you and your flowers. Don’t just share it with a ‘thank you.’ Write about the journey you had with the couple, highlight what was special, funny, memorable about the day and weave in what you did to make Ah-mazing. Did you source an impossible to find flower (because you always go the extra mile); did you deliver the bride’s bouquet yourself (because you believe in the personal touch). Don’t underestimate the small things you do – these are what will influence your potential customers’ decisions.
- Write down your truisms – the things you agree with and perhaps even more importantly the things you don’t!
When you know what you stand for, what your values are, then there’s often a tale to tell around why these are things you hold true in your floristry business. For example, perhaps you don’t believe in a minimum budget for wedding flowers. Maybe you could get on your soapbox and champion this belief? Can you tell a story around an enquiry you had? How did it make you feel? What did you do and how did this shape how you work with couples now? And most importantly how does this set you apart? People want businesses to stand for something meaningful and your long-term success is dependent upon far more than simply what you offer or sell. People buy from people they know, like and trust.
IMPORTANT: The most effective stories are true at their core. You can embellish here or there for impact, but if you want to be trusted your stories need to come from a place of truth… plus they’ll be so much easier to write and talk about.
So what’s your story?
Follow @we_are_queenbee for all things marketing and to hear more about their upcoming course for florists.
