Positioning using storytelling

Wait, First: What Is Positioning, Anyway?

Let’s start with the basics. Positioning is just a fancy word for how people think about you when they hear your name. That’s it. No big corporate jargon, no secret tricks.

You know how when someone says “Starbucks”, you think “coffee, everywhere, sometimes burnt”? That’s Starbucks’ positioning. When someone says “the local indie coffee shop down the street”, you might think “cozy, knows my order, good pastries”. That’s that shop’s positioning.

Positioning isn’t what you say about yourself. It’s what other people believe about you. You can tell everyone “I’m the most reliable plumber in town” all day long. But if you show up late three times, people will position you as “the flaky plumber”.

It’s not about being the best at everything. It’s about being the best at one specific thing in people’s minds. Let’s take pizza places as an example. You have:

• “Fast pizza: 20 minutes or free” (positioning: speed)
• “Artisan pizza: slow-fermented dough, fancy toppings” (positioning: quality)
• “Cheap pizza: $5 large pies” (positioning: price)
• “Family pizza: kids eat free on Tuesdays” (positioning: family-friendly)

All of these are different positionings. None is “better” than the other. They just appeal to different people. Positioning using storytelling is just using stories to get people to pick which of those spots you want to fill.

Think of it this way: if you’re at a party, and someone asks “what do you do?”, you don’t want to say “I sell honey”. You want to say something that makes them go “oh, that’s cool! Where can I buy it?” That’s positioning. Stories make that happen way more often than just listing facts.

Why Stories Work Better Than Bullet Points For Positioning

Humans are hardwired for stories. We’ve been telling stories since we lived in caves. It’s how we pass down information, how we connect with each other, how we remember things.

Studies say we remember stories 22 times better than plain facts. But you don’t need a study to know that’s true. Think about the last time you watched a movie, or read a book, or listened to a friend tell you about their day. You remember the story, right? You don’t remember a list of facts they told you.

When you tell someone a fact, only the language part of their brain turns on. When you tell them a story, their whole brain lights up. They feel the emotions, they picture the scenes, they connect with you. Let’s test this:

Fact: “Our software has 99.9% uptime.”

Story: “Last Valentine’s Day, a small bakery owner called us crying. Her old system crashed, and she lost 200 orders for heart-shaped cookies. We built our software so that never happens to anyone again.”

Which one sticks with you? I’d bet it’s the second one. The first one is nice, but it’s just a number. The second one makes you feel for the bakery owner, and it makes you trust the software more.

Here’s a simple table to show the difference between facts and stories for positioning using storytelling:

See the difference? The story gives context. It gives a reason to care. That’s why positioning using storytelling works better than any list of features or benefits.

Another big reason: stories don’t feel like sales pitches. When you list facts, people put up a wall. They think “you’re trying to sell me something”. When you tell a story, they put their wall down. They think “oh, tell me more about that”. That’s a huge advantage when you’re trying to get customers.

How To Do Positioning Using Storytelling, Step By Step

It’s not hard. You don’t need to be a writer, or a marketer, or have a big budget. Just follow these 5 steps, in order.

Step 1: Figure Out What Makes You Different (No, Really)

First, you need to find your “thing”. What is the one thing that makes you different from every other business like yours? It doesn’t have to be huge. It just has to be true.

Don’t say “we’re the best” or “we’re the cheapest” or “we have the highest quality”. Those are claims, not differences. Claims are easy to make, hard to prove. Differences are specific.

Here are some examples of real differences:

• Dog walker who sends 30-second daily videos of your dog playing
• Coffee shop that roasts beans in-house every morning
• Plumber who answers the phone in 2 rings
• Kids’ clothing brand that uses pre-shrunk fabric (no shrinking after wash)
• Accountant who only works with outdoor brands

Not sure what your difference is? Ask your current customers. Send them a quick email: “Hey, we’re trying to figure out what makes us special. Why did you choose us over the other guy?” Their answer is your difference. I promise, they’ll tell you exactly what it is.

One more tip: don’t try to be everything to everyone. If you’re a plumber, don’t say you do “residential, commercial, emergency, remodeling, everything”. Pick one thing: “the plumber who shows up on time”. That’s enough.

Step 2: Find The Story That Fits That Difference

Now that you know your difference, you need a story that explains why you have that difference. The story has to be 100% true. No making stuff up. People can smell a fake story from a mile away.

The story should answer the question: “Why do you do that thing?” Let’s take the dog walker example. Difference: sends daily videos. Why? Maybe:

“I started dog walking because my rescue dog Milo had separation anxiety. I realized most walkers just let dogs out in a yard and left. I wanted to show owners their dogs were okay, so I started sending videos.”

That’s a real story. It’s not fancy, it’s not dramatic, it’s true. It connects the difference (videos) to a real reason (Milo’s anxiety).

Your story doesn’t have to be sad. It can be happy, or funny, or just normal. Here’s a happy one:

“I started making candles because my sister loved lavender, and she passed away last year. Now we donate 10% of profits to her favorite animal shelter. Every candle smells like her favorite scent.”

That’s a powerful story, even if it’s sad. It makes people want to buy your candles, because they’re supporting a good cause, and they’re remembering your sister.

Stuck? Think back to why you started your business. What was the problem you were trying to solve? That’s almost always your story.

Step 3: Keep The Story Short, Stupid (Yes, That’s A Rule)

Stories for positioning using storytelling should be 2-3 sentences max. Maybe 50 words total. No longer. I mean it.

People have short attention spans. If your story is a whole paragraph, no one will read it. They’ll skim it, get bored, and move on. Remember: you’re not writing a novel. You’re giving people a tiny nugget of information they can remember.

Bad long story (300 words): “I started my bakery 10 years ago when I was 22. I went to culinary school in Paris, then worked at a Michelin star bakery, then moved back home because my parents were sick, and now I bake all the bread myself, and I use my grandma’s recipe for sourdough, and we have 10 types of croissants, and we host free tastings on weekends…”

Good short story (2 sentences): “I bake sourdough using my grandma’s 50-year-old recipe. After working in Paris bakeries, I realized nothing tastes better than home.”

See the difference? The short one gets the point across immediately. The long one is full of extra info people don’t care about.

If you can’t explain your story in 10 seconds out loud, it’s too long. Cut it down. Delete every word that’s not necessary.

Step 4: Put The Story Everywhere (But Not In A Weird Way)

Once you have your short, true story, you need to share it everywhere you talk to customers. Everywhere. But don’t scream it. Weave it in naturally.

Here’s a list of every place you should put your story:

• Homepage hero section (the first thing people see when they visit your website)
• About page
• Social media bio (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Business cards
• Email signature
• Voicemail message for your business phone
• Script for employees answering the phone
• Note you include in packages or orders
• Your elevator pitch (when someone asks “what do you do?”)

Let’s take the plumber example. Bad voicemail: “You’ve reached Acme Plumbing. Please leave a message.” Good voicemail: “You’ve reached Acme Plumbing. I’m the plumber who shows up on time because my mom waited 3 days for a water heater fix. Leave a message, I’ll call back in 10 minutes.”

That’s positioning using storytelling in a 15-second voicemail. It tells the customer exactly what to expect, and why you’re different.

Don’t overdo it. You don’t need to put your story on every single social media post. Just put it in your bio, and mention it every once in a while. If you post 10 times a day with your story, people will get annoyed.

Step 5: Let Your Customers Tell Their Own Stories Too

Your story is great. But customer stories are even better. Why? Because people trust other customers way more than they trust you. You’re trying to sell them something. Customers aren’t.

A testimonial that says “5 stars, great service” is useless. It doesn’t tell anyone anything. A testimonial that says “I was so nervous leaving my dog Bailey with a stranger. The daily videos made me feel like I was there. Now Bailey whines when he sees the walker’s car, he loves them so much” is gold. That’s a story that positions you as the trusted dog walker.

How to get story testimonials? Don’t ask “can you leave a review?”. Ask “what was your biggest worry before hiring us, and how did we fix it?”. That question will get you a story every time.

Share these customer stories everywhere too. Put them on your website, post them on social media, read them out loud when talking to new customers. They’re free marketing, and they work better than anything you can say about yourself.

Real-Life Examples Of Positioning Using Storytelling (That You Can Copy)

These are all real examples, from small businesses just like yours. Feel free to steal the structure, just make sure the story is true to you.

Example 1: Small Coffee Shop

Story: “We’re the only coffee shop in town that roasts our beans in the back every morning at 6am. My dad was a roaster in Colombia, he taught me that coffee tastes better when it’s fresh. Come try a cup, we’ll tell you which bean matches your favorite candy.”

Positioning: Fresh, family-owned, personal, community-focused.

Extra touches: They host free coffee tastings on weekends, their cups have a little drawing of their dad on them, they have a chalkboard that lists the roast date of each batch. All of this ties back to their core story.

Example 2: Freelance Graphic Designer

Story: “I design logos for small bakeries. I grew up helping my mom run her bakery, so I know how hard it is to stand out when you’re up against big chain grocery stores. Your logo should taste as good as your croissants.”

Positioning: Niche expert, understands bakery owners, empathetic.

Extra touches: They offer a free “bakery story audit” where they look at a bakery’s current branding and tell them if their story is coming across. They only work with bakeries, so they’re known as the go-to designer for that industry.

Example 3: Local Plumber

Story: “I’m the plumber who shows up when I say I will. My mom had a plumber cancel on her 3 times when her water heater broke, and she had to take cold showers for a week. I’ll never do that to a customer.”

Positioning: Reliable, empathetic, customer-focused.

Extra touches: They send a text 30 minutes before arriving, send a photo of the problem and the fix after they’re done, they never charge extra for same-day service. All of this proves their story is true.

Example 4: Online Yoga For Seniors

Story: “I make yoga videos for people over 60. My grandma couldn’t find any classes that didn’t move too fast, and she fell trying to keep up with a regular class. My classes are slow, safe, and you can do them in your pajamas.”

Positioning: Safe, accessible, understands seniors, low-pressure.

Extra touches: They have a private Facebook group for members to share progress, they send a birthday card to each member, they have chairs available for people who can’t stand for long. All of this makes their positioning stronger.

Example 5: Kids’ Clothing Brand

Story: “We make t-shirts that don’t shrink in the wash. I got so mad when my kid’s favorite dinosaur shirt shrunk after one wash, and he cried for an hour. All our shirts are pre-shrunk, guaranteed.”

Positioning: Parent-friendly, durable, solves a common problem.

Extra touches: They have a “grow with me” guarantee—if your kid outgrows a shirt in 3 months, they replace it for half price. They use 100% cotton, so they’re soft on kids’ skin. Parents love them because they don’t have to replace shirts every month.

Common Mistakes People Make With Positioning Using Storytelling

Everyone messes up at first. It’s okay. Just avoid these 5 big mistakes, and you’ll be fine.

Mistake 1: Making Up Stories That Aren’t True

This is the biggest mistake you can make. If you lie about your story, people will find out. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but they will. And when they do, they’ll never trust you again.

You don’t need a dramatic story. A small, true story works way better than a big, fake one. If you started your business to pay off student loans, that’s okay. You can say: “I started this business to pay off my student loans, but once I started working with customers, I realized I love helping people fix their leaks more than anything. Now I pay my loans, and I get to help people every day.” That’s true, it’s relatable, it works.

Don’t exaggerate either. If you’ve been in business for 2 years, don’t say 10. If you roast beans once a week, don’t say every morning. Keep it real.

Mistake 2: Telling A Story That Has Nothing To Do With What You Sell

Your story has to tie back to the value you provide to your customer. If you’re an accountant, don’t tell a story about your love for hiking. Unless you only work with outdoor brands, then it ties: “I love hiking, so I only work with outdoor brands because I understand how hard they work to protect the trails.”

If your story doesn’t answer the question “why does this matter to the customer?”, it’s useless. The hiking story for a general accountant doesn’t matter to the customer. The hiking story for an outdoor brand accountant does.

Mistake 3: Making The Story All About You

Positioning is about the customer, not you. Remember that. Customers don’t care about how great you are. They care about what you can do for them.

Bad story: “I’ve been a plumber for 20 years, I’m a CPA, I went to Harvard, I’m the best.” That’s all about you. The customer doesn’t care about your Harvard degree. They care that you’ll fix their leak fast.

Good story: “I’ve been a plumber for 20 years, so I can fix your leak in 10 minutes, so you don’t have to cancel your kid’s birthday party.” That’s about the customer. It tells them what they get out of hiring you.

Mistake 4: Using Big Fancy Words No One Understands

Keep it simple. Remember ELI5? Explain it like you’re five. Don’t use jargon, don’t use corporate speak, don’t use words that only marketing people know.

Bad jargon: “We utilize narrative-driven positioning to optimize customer acquisition and enhance brand loyalty.” What does that even mean? A normal person would read that and click away.

Good simple version: “We tell stories so people remember you, like you, and buy from you.” Everyone gets that. No fancy words needed.

Mistake 5: Telling Too Many Stories At Once

Pick one core story, and stick to it. Don’t tell the grandpa bee story, the never heat honey story, the wildflower story, the valley story all at once. Pick the one that matters most.

People get overwhelmed if you give them too much info. They won’t remember any of it. If you have multiple stories, pick the one that’s most unique to you. The other stories can be smaller, extra details. But the core story should be one sentence, max two.

Here’s a table of mistakes and fixes:

Simple Best Practices For Positioning Using Storytelling

These are small things you can do to make your positioning using storytelling work even better. They’re easy, and they make a big difference.

Best Practice 1: Test Your Story On A Friend First

Tell your story to a friend who doesn’t know your business. If they can repeat it back to you in their own words, it works. If they say “wait, what do you do again?”, fix it.

You can also test it on strangers. If you’re at a bar, tell the person next to you your story. If they ask more questions, it’s good. If they say “oh cool” and change the subject, it’s boring. Tweak it until people care.

Best Practice 2: Tie Your Story To A Feeling, Not Just A Fact

Facts are “we use organic flour”. Feelings are “my mom used to bake bread with organic flour every Sunday, and the smell filled the whole house. We use that same flour so your bread tastes like home.”

Feelings stick. People remember how you made them feel, not what you said. Tie your story to a feeling: safe, happy, nostalgic, relieved, excited, cared for. That’s how you make people remember you.

Best Practice 3: Update Your Story As You Grow

Your story shouldn’t stay the same forever. As your business grows, your story should grow too. If you start as a one-person dog walker, then hire 5 more walkers, your story might change from “I send videos” to “All our walkers send videos, because we know how scary it is to leave your dog with a stranger.”

Don’t keep a story that doesn’t fit anymore. If you add cat sitting, update your story to include cats. If you start selling beekeeping supplies, add that to your story. Just don’t change it every week, or people will get confused.

Best Practice 4: Use Visuals With Your Story

A photo of your grandpa with bees is better than a text story about him. A 10-second video of a dog playing is better than a text story about sending videos. Visuals make your story more real.

You don’t need a professional photographer. Use your phone. People like real, unpolished photos more than perfect stock photos. A blurry photo of your dog Milo is way more relatable than a stock photo of a perfect golden retriever.

Best Practice 5: Don’t Be Afraid To Be Small

Big stories are for big companies. Small stories are for small businesses. “I started this lemonade stand with my daughter to save up for her bike” is a better story for a local lemonade stand than “we’re the leading lemonade provider in the tri-state area”.

Small stories are relatable. People want to support small businesses with real stories. They don’t want to support faceless corporations. Embrace your smallness, it’s your superpower.

Conclusion

Positioning using storytelling is not some fancy marketing trick. It’s just telling people the real reason you do what you do, in a way that makes them care. You don’t need to be a professional writer. You don’t need a huge budget. You just need a true story that shows what makes you different, and you need to share it everywhere you talk to customers.

Remember: positioning is how people think about you. Stories are the easiest way to get them to think what you want them to think. It’s not about being the best, it’s about being remembered.

The next time someone asks “what do you do?”, don’t give them a list of facts. Tell them a tiny story. Watch how their face changes. That’s the power of positioning using storytelling. Try it for a week, I promise you’ll see a difference.

FAQs

What if I don’t have a “good” story?

Everyone has a story. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. “I started my laundry service because I hated doing my own laundry, and figured other people probably do too” is a perfectly good story. It’s true, it’s relatable, it tells people what you do. Even “I started this business to make money” is a fine story, as long as you add why that matters to the customer.

Can I use positioning using storytelling for a big company?

Absolutely. Big companies do this all the time. Think of Nike’s “Just Do It” story—it’s not about the shoes, it’s about the athlete in all of us. Apple’s story is “we make tools for creative people to change the world”. Even trillion-dollar companies use simple stories to position themselves. You don’t have to be small to use this.

How long should my story be?

2-3 sentences, max. If you’re writing it down, keep it under 50 words. If you’re saying it out loud, keep it under 30 seconds. Any longer than that, and people will stop paying attention. Short is better.

Do I have to tell the same story forever?

You can have a core story that stays forever, and smaller stories that change. The core story is the main thing that makes you different. Smaller stories can be about new products, new hires, new events. Just don’t change your core story every week, or people will get confused.

What if my story is similar to my competitor’s?

That’s okay, as long as it’s true to you. Two coffee shops might both have “family recipe” stories, but one is Colombian, one is Italian. They’re similar, but unique to each business. The details make it different. Don’t worry about being 100% unique, just be 100% true.

Can I use stories for positioning on social media?

Yes! Social media is the best place for it. You can post a photo of your grandpa with bees, or a video of a dog playing on a walk, with your story in the caption. TikTok and Instagram Reels are great for 10-second story videos. It’s way more engaging than a post that says “Buy our honey today!”

Is positioning using storytelling the same as branding?

They’re very close, but not the same. Branding is the whole look and feel of your business—your logo, colors, font, voice. Positioning is the place you hold in the customer’s mind. Positioning using storytelling is the tool you use to get that positioning. They all work together, but storytelling is just one part of branding.

What if I mess up my story at first?

That’s totally fine. No one gets it perfect the first time. Test your story, see if people respond. If no one cares about your grandpa bee story, try the “never heat the honey” story instead. Tweak it until it works. Most people won’t even notice if your story is a little off at first.