If you are anything like me or any marketer I’ve even known, you want to do the research and cover all your bases before diving into any project. This is super cliche, but we did do some of the work for you. These are five books we recommend that will help you craft your brand story. And if you don’t have the time, stamina, or basic desire to read them on your own, stay tuned for our in-depth book reviews. 🙂 

Do you have a brand story? Can you describe your in a 20-30 second elevator pitch? 

Unfortunately that is what the test is. Can you describe your business, what you do, why you love it, why customers will love it, and why customers should trust you in 20-30 seconds? Yes, we will give you up to 30 seconds on your first try 🙂  

Luckily for you, Team OMG! has done the research AND the reading. That, paired with our years of working in marketing, we’ve decided on five books to recommend to help you craft your brand story.

Building a Storybrand, centers around a 7-part model that helps brands support their customers as the center (hero) of their own story. By making the customer the center of their own journey, businesses can create messaging that resonates more with their customers, thus creating more sales. 

 There are Seven Key Elements of this Framework: 

• Character: Identify what the customer wants.
• Problem: Define the challenges or obstacles the customer faces.
• Guide: Position the brand as a mentor with empathy and authority.
• Plan: Provide a clear path or solution for the customer.
• Call to Action: Encourage the customer to take specific steps.
• Avoid Failure: Highlight the negative outcomes of inaction.
• Success: Illustrate the positive results of following the brand’s guidance. 

Basically, it is the “hero’s journey” that anyone that has a BA has studied and it centers around these key principles: 

• Customer as Hero: The customer, not the brand, should be the central figure of the story. 
• Clarity Over Complexity: Simplify messages to ensure they are easily understood. 
• Address Internal Problems: While external problems are evident, addressing customers’ internal challenges fosters deeper connections.

To implement the StoryBrand Framework, businesses should clarify messaging, align marketing materials, and train their teams to maintain consistency in customer communications.

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

– Simon Sinek

A key example Sinek uses is Apple Inc. Apple’s success is attributed to its clear sense of purpose: challenging the status quo and thinking differently. This “Why” resonates with customers and inspires loyalty, setting Apple apart from competitors who may focus solely on “What” they offer.

Watch Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk here. 

And this fabulous animated summary here.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

– Robert Cialdini

Drawing from extensive research in psychology, marketing, and social science, Cialdini identifies six fundamental principles of persuasion that are consistently effective across different situations. 

• Reciprocity: People feel obligated to return favors or concessions offered to them. In marketing, providing free samples increases sales due to customers feeling indebted. 
• Commitment and Consistency: Once someone commits to something, especially in writing or publicly, they are more inclined to follow through to maintain a consistent self-image.
• Social Proof: People often look to others to determine their own actions, especially in uncertain situations. This is one of the reasons testimonials and user reviews are so effective. 
• Liking: We are more likely to be persuaded by individuals we like. Physical attractiveness, similarities, compliments, and cooperative behavior enhance likability which increases sales. 
• Authority: People tend to follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts. Endorsements from professionals or celebrities can lend credibility to a product, swaying consumer decisions.
• Scarcity: The perception of scarcity enhances the value of an item. Limited-time offers or exclusive products create a sense of urgency, prompting quicker decision-making. 

Dotcom Secrets is a digital marketing playbook that teaches entrepreneurs how to grow their online businesses using sales funnels and conversion strategies. The book focuses on proven techniques to attract, nurture, and convert leads into loyal customers.

Key Takeaways:

• Sales Funnels – How to build and optimize digital sales funnels that guide potential customers through a structured buying journey.
• The Value Ladder – Businesses should offer a series of products at increasing price points to maximize customer value.
• Customer Journey – Understanding the customer’s needs and guiding them with strategic messaging increases conversions.
• Hook, Story, Offer – Capturing attention with an engaging hook, storytelling, and a compelling offer improves sales.
• Email Marketing & Traffic Sources – Effective email sequences and diversified traffic sources (organic, paid, and affiliate) drive consistent growth.

This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs looking to master online sales and digital marketing. 

Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change 

– Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler 

Effective leaders must be influencers, i.e. they must be able to bring behavioral change. Unfortunately, it’s hard to change people—be it to get yourself to do something you dislike, to get your child to obey you, or to get criminals to turn over a new leaf. After studying top leaders and influential people around the world, the authors uncovered several common principles and strategies that can be learned and replicated. By mastering them, you too can become a powerful leader and change agent. 

Central to the book is the framework of Six Sources of Influence, which categorizes the forces affecting behavior into two dimensions: motivation and ability, each at the personal, social, and structural levels.

• Personal Motivation: Aligning personal values and desires with the desired behavior to foster intrinsic motivation.
• Personal Ability: Enhancing individual skills and competencies to perform the desired behavior effectively.
• Social Motivation: Utilizing social networks and peer pressure to encourage the desired behavior.
• Social Ability: Providing social support and resources to facilitate the behavior.
• Structural Motivation: Implementing incentives and rewards to reinforce the behavior.
• Structural Ability: Modifying the environment and systems to make the behavior easier to perform.

By addressing all six sources, change agents can create a comprehensive strategy to influence behavior effectively.