Latest / ThinkInsideTheSquare / 36: Crafting Your Brand's Story on Squarespace: Mastering Immersive Storytelling for a Captivating Website

Transcript

36: Crafting Your Brand's Story on Squarespace: Mastering Immersive Storytelling for a Captivating Website · ThinkInsideTheSquare

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: In a world that is quickly being dominated by AI content, I want to help you harness the power of your unique voice to create content that really resonates with the humans who visit your Squarespace website, and that's exactly what we'll do in this episode of Think Inside the Square.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Think Inside the Square, a podcast full of tips and tricks to help you create a Squarespace website that you're proud of.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, becca Harpain, squarespace expert and creator of InsideTheSquarecom.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: In this episode, we're going to explore how to use storytelling to transform your website content and encourage more people to interact with you and your business online.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: For a transcript of this episode, along with the links to any resources mentioned, visit insidethesquaredco.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Forward slash podcast.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: The term Squarespace is a trademark of Squarespace Incorporated.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: This content is not affiliated with Squarespace Incorporated.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: I've been designing websites for well over a decade, and getting copy the actual text from my clients to put on their websites was always one of the biggest struggles.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: It seems like no one really knew exactly how to talk about themselves online, and that's why I wanted to create this episode.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: We're going to talk about how you can find your tone, how to establish your point of view, and I'll share one of my favorite storytelling tactics that can help you really create amazing and engaging copy.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: Before we jump into storytelling, just a quick word about branding.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: Your brand is essentially your company's personality.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: It's so much more than just a logo and a cool color palette.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: It's the feeling that you evoke in people when they encounter your business On Squarespace.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: You can build your brand through your design choices, but also the languages you use.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: A strong brand it goes beyond just the aesthetics, the cool fonts and the interesting images.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: Your brand is about what you stand for, the value you offer, the story you tell and how you tell it.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Stories they're powerful because they tap into human emotions.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: They allow you to connect with visitors on a deeper level, making them feel something and remember.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: You Think about it.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Have you ever been captivated by a tale, some heartwarming anecdote or a product's origin story?
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: That's the magic of storytelling.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: The storytelling tactic I'm going to share with you totally transformed my business when it came to how I created copy to really resonate with my audience.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: But before we talk about that, I wanted to talk really quickly about the tone of your brand voice.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Keeping your brand voice consistent throughout your Squarespace site is super duper important.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Imagine for a second that you're having a conversation with your customer in line at a coffee shop.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: Wouldn't it be super weird if you started out really friendly and chatty and then suddenly you switch to like stiff and formal language?
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: That conversation would be a little jarring, right?
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: That's exactly what happens when they read content on your website that doesn't have a consistent tone.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: So in your copywriting, think about having this signature voice and try to come up with two to three adjectives that clearly describe it.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: Are you playful and approachable, like a friendly neighbor offering advice?
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: Maybe you are more professional and polished?
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: You're this trusted expert guiding the way?
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: Whatever your brand's personality is, it should shine through consistently in your content.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: For my content at Inside the Square, I try to be friendly, supportive and informed.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: I hope that's the vibe that you get Now.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: If you aren't sure what your tone is, here's an AI trick for you.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Take your best performing content, like your top converting sales page or your most popular blog post, maybe the email that got you the most sales.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Copy that text and open up a chatbot like ChatGPT or Google Gemini.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Tell that AI.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: I'm going to share some written content with you.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: I want you to use three adjectives to describe the personality and tone of this content.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: If it doesn't describe it in a way that you like, that could be an indicator that you really need to shift your focus in the way you're writing your copy and telling the emotional side of your story.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: So again, two to three adjectives and for inside the square, I focus on friendly, supportive and informed.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: Once you have a clear understanding, those established definitions of your brand's personality, your brand's tone, it's time to work on the narrative, the actual storytelling part of your copy.
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: The narrative technique that I want to talk to you about in this episode is called the hero's journey.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: Have you ever noticed how a lot of your favorite stories share this similar rhythm?
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: They've got this hero just living a normal life and then a mysterious challenge throws everything into disarray.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: The wild adventure happens, there's tests, there's triumphs, there's new friends and finally they return home forever changed.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: That's it, my friend.
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: That's the hero's journey concept in a nutshell.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: Now I've got a lot of other content to share with you about this.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: I'll include some links in the show notes if you want to read more about the hero's journey concept, but I want you to think about that as kind of a roadmap for your own website content.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: But here's the trick that a lot of people miss when they're creating their own copy, you are not the hero.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: Your website visitor is the hero.
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: You are the thing that they're missing.
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: You are the support with the goal that they're aiming for.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: You are there to help them along their journey to reach this point of transformation in their lives.
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: So when you write copy for your website, remember you're not the hero, you're the helper.
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: They are the hero.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: Again, this is a super high-level overview of this complicated storytelling framework and I'll have links in the show notes if you wanna learn more.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: But this narrative technique that you can intertwine with the hero's journey is focusing on building an emotional connection through your storytelling.
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: Now, we all know the feeling of getting swept away by a good story, one that tugs at our heartstrings or makes us laugh out loud.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: You remember Chicken Soup for the Soul?
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: That entire corporation was based on the idea that good stories are what people want to read, and we can weave that same magic into the content for your Squarespace website.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: Think of your ideal customer, your ideal client.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: What are their biggest worries, their deepest desires?
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: Maybe they yearn for a sense of security or crave the feeling of accomplishment, or maybe they just want to feel more confident.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: The key is to tap into those emotions through your website stories.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Don't just tell people what you do.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: Show them how your product or service can make them feel.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: I want you to paint pictures with your words.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: Share relatable anecdotes, let your passion shine through and where you can share success stories from people who have taken that transformation.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: Show them the heroes that have gone before them so they can follow in their footsteps.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: When people are reading the content on your website, I don't want them to think they're reading a website.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: I want them to experience a feeling and that kind of connection that'll build loyalty and keep them coming back for more.
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: So let's talk about how to tie this hero's journey and this emotional storytelling into some common places on your website, starting with your homepage.
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: Let's start with the homepage of your website.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: Now, this will be different for everyone because we all have a different reason for starting a Squarespace website, but the concept is still the same.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Remember, you are not the hero, the person who is going to be working with you, your ideal customer, your ideal client.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: They are the hero.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: So, at the very start of your homepage, don't start by talking about you.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: Start by talking about them and identifying them exactly where they are, their level for where they're at right now.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: Maybe they desire something better.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: Maybe they're frustrated with where they're at in their job, their career, their health journey, anything along those lines.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: Truly identify where they're at and speak to that through language.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: So the second, they read that first part of your homepage, they think, hey, that's me, I need that, and then you can present yourself as the solution to their problem.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: Think of structuring this in three parts starting off with identifying who they are and where they're at, then identify that you have the solution and then sharing maybe an anecdote or a success story that can really explain why you're the proven solution Something along those lines to structure your homepage.
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: Now, when it comes to that social proof part, a lot of people like to showcase logos for clients that they've worked with or partners that they have.
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: On my own website, I need to position myself as the Squarespace expert that I am, so I like to feature my Squarespace badges to show people that I have these certifications, that I know what I'm talking about.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: It makes them feel better about understanding I'm the person to help them because I've got proof that I can help them.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: Facts tell stories sell.
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: It's a quote from Brian Eisenberg.
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: At least that's what the internet told me.
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure if that's true, because it is a super common quote that is heard across sales and marketing blogs all over the internet.
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: Facts tell, stories sell.
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: So as much as you want to just share all of the facts about your business or what you're offering, especially on your homepage, start off with the story, identify that emotion and show how you can really relate to them and help them solve their core desires.
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: Okay, we talked about the homepage.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: I've got two other pages I want to talk about where we can incorporate this hero's journey framework and some storytelling.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: The next one it's got to be obvious the about page.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: Right, you knew I was going to go there.
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: All right, let's talk about your about page thinking.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: With this hero's journey concept, your about page is a good spot to share your own call to adventure that led you to create your business.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: How did you identify a gap in the market or a problem you wanted to solve?
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Highlight the emotions that drive your passion.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: Did you find joy in helping others succeed?
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: Are you driven by this desire to empower or inspire and explain how your business solves the problems faced by your ideal customer.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: Using that hero's journey framework, you position yourself as that guide who helps them achieve their desired transformation, and use emotional storytelling to connect with your audience.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: On my own about page, I like to talk about the first time I discovered CSS for Squarespace.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: I found out that I could create a code that would make my website do something I couldn't do just using the design menu.
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: I felt empowered, I felt intelligent and I realized that so many other Squarespace designers like myself could create code too, so I wanted to start teaching people how to do it.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: That right, there is what turned me from the hero into the helper in my own hero's journey framework.
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: So think about that emotional aspect to your own story and use it to connect with your audience.
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: Okay, we talked about your homepage and your about page, but there's one more page I want to cover your blog.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: I think every Squarespace-er should have a blog, but I will save that tangent for another podcast episode.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: Keeping this content to storytelling tactics, let's talk about a blog post framework.
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: My blogs are step-by-step tutorials for specific things, like how to customize the design of a digital product block in Squarespace, but what you can do, and what I should start doing, is include at least one emotional term inside your blog title.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: A captivating headline gets clicks, but if you have to keep that title technical, like I do, you can still use the hero's journey technique for the intro and the outro.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: You can really paint a picture of why this article will help them by clearly stating where they're at.
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: Don't forget to tap into those emotions your ideal customer feels related to the problem.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: Are they frustrated, overwhelmed, insecure?
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: Write in a way that honors those feelings, then present your solution as the solution that's going to empower them to overcome those feelings or challenges and achieve their goals.
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: I don't really do this for my own blog, but I need to start.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: Instead of a tutorial that says how to change the fonts on your Squarespace checkout page, how much more compelling would it be if I said what if you could decrease the amount of abandoned cards with one line of code?
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: Or maybe a tutorial for making a landing page in Squarespace?
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: My intro could include facts about how creating a custom navigation for your landing page had increased my conversions by 10%.
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: Wouldn't you want to learn how to do that too?
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Stories sell, my friends.
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: Stories sell.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: All right.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: I think it's time for a recap.
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: In this episode of Think Inside the Square, we explored the power of storytelling in creating compelling Squarespace website copy.
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: We discussed the importance of defining your brand voice before weaving storytelling techniques into your website.
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: You learned about my favorite tactic, the hero's journey, the framework that positions your website visitors as the hero on their journey of transformation, with your product or service as the helper to get them there.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: We talked about creating an emotional connection, with your product or service as the helper to get them there.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: We talked about creating an emotional connection with your audience by tapping into emotional terms in your storytelling.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: We want to foster a deeper connection with your audience to make them invested in the story they're reading, and no matter how much emotion you add or how closely you follow the hero's journey framework, it's important to clearly identify the problem your customer is facing and showcase how your product or service is the answer, and make sure that you keep the same tone across all of the pages of your website.
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: For links to more copywriting content that I love, check out the show notes for this episode at insidethesquareco forward slash podcast.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: I truly hope you enjoyed this content.
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: If you did leave me a review and be sure to subscribe to this podcast wherever you happen to be listening to this episode.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: But, most importantly, have fun with your Squarespace website.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: Bye for now.