I found out about this book by Donald Miller from two of my guitarist friends (on separate occasions). Both of them are pretty hip to developing their online presence & marketing. So, recently I finally made it a point to read this book from cover to cover.
The premise is interesting. By using the 7 elements of great storytelling, it helps to clarify the message of any business. Throughout the book, Donald Miller does a great job at introducing the various elements & how they relate to the big picture.
There’s a lot to digest as each element can take some time to understand. The immediate culmination of the work suggested in the book is the creation of your ‘brandscript’ which is the foundation for any content that you create onwards.
The cool thing about the book is that it shows you how the same elements can be used to create content on your website, e-mail marketing and any kind of promotion or messaging. To really maximize the material in the book, I would recommend reading it once through & then reading each chapter again. On the second attempt, you can do the exercises he suggests.
Taking time to understand the concepts can be a huge undertaking for most which is why there are various options (upsells) that are provided throughout the book. Storybrand now has an online course (yearly subscription option), various training options for corporates and even copywriter + certification training. There’s a whole ecosystem here build on what Donald has created. Powerful stuff!
In conclusion, I would recommend this book for anyone looking to simplify & clarify their business messaging. For musicians, this can work for band promotion, websites and product creation. Even for album, EP and single releases, there’s elements that can help create more successful launches in this book.
Pros: Great material, lots to digest.
Cons: The book may not be enough for most people to use as a stand-alone vehicle. Consider this an introduction to the Storybrand ecosystem.
TLDR: Recommended for musicians, entrepreneurs & business owners. If you read it once, there’s a lot of food for thought. If you use it, this can help improve your business.
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