THE NEED TO CREATE USER EXPERIENCE WITH PRODUCT-LED STORYTELLING

Ask a brand, “what is user experience?” and most of them will answer how the user feels when he or she uses their website and app to solve their problem. Many have stereotyped their mind to think that user experiences can only be applied to their website and apps.

Wait. I need to explain the part of the website further because that is our interest in this blog. Many people think that user experience can only be applied to websites when customers solve their problems directly from the website. An example is eCommerce websites. This makes them relax and call any writer to handle their web copies. Provided the website shows their services, they are just OK with it.

But if you’re this way, you’re wrong. Even though you sell soaps or writing services, your website should have a touch of user experience if you really want to convert your visitors.

To buttress this point further, I borrowed the meaning of user experience from Product Plan.

Product Plan’s definition of user experience destroyed the narrative that user experience is not only when a user is directly using your product; a narrative that most brands have engraved on their minds. The moment a prospective customer enters your website through whatever path, whether by mistake or intention, you need to show user experience every step of the way.

Show them that you can solve that problem in your blog posts, emails, copies on your web pages. If you still think that user experience should be applied to your products, just so you know, your product is not only what someone buys.

I’m glad Marketing Insider supports me in this.

“A product can be defined as anything that we can offer to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that could satisfy a need or want.” ~ Marketing Insider

So if you’re waiting to get a customer’s money before expending efforts in creating user experiences on what they buy from you, you might not even sell.

I guess I’ve tried enough to change your stereotyped knowledge of user experience.

For the sake of space, let’s shorten the user experience to UX.

There’s no need to define UX because Product Plan already did a good job, but I want to chip in something. To apply UX, you need to make it subtle. UX has to make the customer see that you could solve their problem, but you need to do this without the users noticing what you did.

Hootsuite did this so well in their post that explained social media monitoring tools. They knew that customers always wanted to compare products, so they made themselves shine in the users’ eyes by focusing on what and how the users will benefit.

Did you notice their use of storytelling in making the user know how their software helps them without the user even noticing? Users won’t probably notice that the blog was from Hootsuite. Most times, they are only interested in seeing what solves their problem.

Let’s go into explaining storytelling.

A GLIMPSE INTO STORYTELLING

Storytelling is simply telling stories. Yes, it sounds like a definition from a child, but it is what it is. Besides, are you interested in the meaning, or how to apply it in creating sweet user experiences?

Let me tell you something really important.

As a brand, you need stories to sell. Why so?

Stories connect with readers. They are relatable that the readers see that your brand understands the problems they are facing, which makes them see you as the only one with the perfect solution to these problems.

Yes, it’s that magical. But it’s not also that magical. Lol. Follow me.

Many brands make the mistake of telling the wrong type of stories. Now, there are three types of stories you could choose to tell:

1. Customer stories

2. Product stories

3. Company stories

Check companies that tell stories but still have the problem of getting the interest of prospective customers. They tell company stories. These company stories are just stories that expose details about the companies, their values, their growth, bla bla bla bla. One thing about company stories is, the reader notices how you hype yourself.

Yes, that’s how it sounds to users. You are ranting. No one cares about you, not even your most significant achievement or award.

Mehnnn, can you solve my problem? If you can’t, then stop bothering me. That’s how readers scream in their heads when your copies are filled with company stories.

If I were you, and I wish I were you so you could really get this. I would recommend product stories. Why would I choose it over customer stories? You thought the customers matter, right?

Give me a minute to answer that question.

Customer stories are success stories of customers that have used your product. Yes, prospective customers want to see if your product has worked for others. I mean, testimonials and reviews are really important. But is that it?

Imagine a website with just testimonials. Just testimonials. What do you see on that website? I see DOOM.

Don’t get me wrong, you can use company stories and customer stories but don’t use them too much. In my opinion, the ratio of company stories to customer stories should be 10:30. Then product stories can take 60%. Do you get it now?

Now, let’s talk about the Oga, Product stories.

Product stories are stories that show how your product can help users solve their problems. Victor Eduoh, a product-led storytelling guru, gave it a definition that’s easier to understand.

Remove the SaaS part from your mind. He used it because he’s a SaaS Marketer. I want you to focus more on the concept, not the channel.

Looking at his definition, Product-led stories are a means to the end, user experience.

To know how to apply product stories, you need to understand the parts of a story.

ACT-ONE

This is the beginning of the story. It is an exposition of the character and the conflict that will lead you to Act-two. You need to target your stories to a specific set of people. It is what makes stories relatable.

Don’t think exposing the character or your target audience and their problems will exhaust a page just like the novels. You could do this with just a few words. Convertkit does this well by introducing their web copy with their target audience, who are creators (Character), and followed it with social media algorithms (as the conflict)

Let me tell you what this short intro to their copy did. The word “creators” has already called the attention of creators. Any creator that would see this would not look away.

Let me tell you how this affects the user experience of Convertkit.

Convertkit was specific about its audience. They filtered their copies to resonate with just creators. This is really important because they would be focused on using languages that creators understand.

The truth is two people think differently but targeting your audience makes the category you focused on connect more with you. You speak to them directly. Two creators might think differently, but they still have this similar way of thinking that brings them into one class, “creators.” So leverage on this.

The intentions of Convertkit in targeting one audience made it pick that problem that most creators would be facing, marketing themselves. The first few words in the copy called the attention of creators to the instability of their marketing success because of the constant changes in social media algorithms.

Who in his right senses wouldn’t buy if they have this problem?

ACT-TWO

This is where the storyteller builds the story to become exciting and shows how much the problem affects the protagonist and how he is struggling to survive. Doing this would make the story long, so this can’t really be done in copies.

But Ubergame does this so well by building a story with few words.

Now, look at how short this story is. Do you realize you could build a story of 100 pages with these two events: having two kids to support and having a $1000 mortgage due in a week. But Ubergame gave a summary, and it’s even filled with suspense. You could do this too.

ACT-THREE

This is the resolution of the protagonist’s issues. It can either be a happy ending where the wishes of the protagonist are granted or a sad ending where he doesn’t get what he wants.

But in this case, the only option is to have a happy ending. No one would like to buy a product that doesn’t get his problem solved.

Utiva does this well by stating one thing many learners want to be solved: engaging better and increasing comprehension rate.

It is worthy to note that they wouldn’t have done this well if they didn’t understand their audience. Utiva understood that people who take online courses find it difficult to understand what they are taught. So Utiva decided to establish a happy ending of comprehensiveness if only learners could trust them and buy their services.

So you see? Understanding your audience is the only way to write good, relatable copies that would convince people that you’re the best person to help them.

Project your product as a means to their happiness.

Before I go over the benefits of using product-led storytelling, it might baffle you why I’m using web copies as examples only and not apps or blog posts.

Let me answer your question.

No one will download your app if they don’t get how it can help them. Convincing your audience to take that step to download your app begins with your websites, social media posts, and blog posts. I didn’t use blog posts as examples because I wanted to put across the message that you could actually write concise stories and still create delightful user experiences.

Besides, not every company that gets to the heart of prospective customers does it through blog posts.

Shocked?

Stay with me.

Content marketing was and is still the key to getting into the emotions of people if done well. But creating blog posts is not the only form of content marketing, and not all companies will succeed by creating blog posts even though their blog posts are top-notch.

This is why I’m still saying understanding your audience is the key.

Look at Utiva.

Their blog is not updated, but they are making waves because they are using another form of content marketing, which is, hosting free masterclasses every Saturday. This is the best way to draw customers because no learner will pay them to learn a technical skill because of how perfect their blog posts are, but how well they can teach. The free master class is an opportunity to show people how well they teach and if done well, it convinces them to go for a paid course.

Lol. This is not a promotional post.

Now, Convertkit won’t survive if they host master classes on how creators should use Convertkit. This is because creators that really want to learn read and watch a vast number of videos. Creators are more interested in how they could market their products. Well-optimized blog posts and YouTube videos seem like the best option to get into their heart because creators want to see themselves learning new things every day.

But every business that wants to be successful needsa website.

“If you don’t have a website, then you don’t have a business.”

SO WHY CHOOSE STORYTELLING FOR YOUR USER EXPERIENCE

I must have subtly talked about this while explaining the parts of storytelling. In short, I did. But it’s best to state them clearly to understand what you’ve been missing out on by not using product-led storytelling to give your audience this user experience they so desire.

EMOTIONS ARE BUILT WITH STORIES

Have you heard the saying, “people buy with emotions and later logic?” Well-written stories put readers in a scenario where they get to feel what it’s like to have that lingering problem. If you are speaking to the right audience, the tendency of selling your digital product is very high because you’ve connected to their emotions.

And guess what?

People don’t think straight under the influence of emotions.

YOU GET TO HAVE THE ATTENTION OF THE READER LONGER

Attention is one thing that readers are not willing to give you. It’s not their fault, though, because most times, it’s unintentional. It’s unfortunate that the moment they set their eyes on anything associated with your brand, something else is right there, grabbing their attention again.

Since you can’t be there to kill other things that distract them, you have to play your part by making them focus on you and you alone even though it’s one minute longer and longer and longer until you are done telling them what you want to say to them. How can you do this? Product stories.

YOUR AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS YOUR PRODUCT BETTER

Which of these are better?

My course can help you learn to program faster and get good jobs as soon as you enter the labor market.

OR

Sarah took my course by December 2020, and she was already teaching her mates how to program with C++ by February 2021. In March 2021, Sarah graduated with loads of resources that would guide her on being relevant in the programming market. I also connected her with some gurus in the field, and she was smart enough to have them be her mentors.

Guess what? Sarah called me today and told me she was on her third job as a programmer in a big company, and the employer for her first job is calling her back with an offer to increase her salary.

What did you notice?

The first one seemed more like a statement than the second that thoroughly explains what my course will help my learner do. In the story, I talked about both features and benefits, which is more converting than the first one with just plain and boring benefits.

Do you see that it’s not always about stating the benefits? Everyone claims their products to be the best, but you can convince your customers by making them understand your product. Use stories to tell them these and not just plain words.

I guess this post has accomplished that one aim that has been in my mind since I began writing it: showing you why product-led storytelling is the best way to create excellent user experiences for your customers.

I hope you got my point. My next post will be on how to do this. Yes, I understand that not everyone will know how to do this. So keep an eye out for it!