{"id":57046,"date":"2021-12-23T22:33:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-24T02:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=57046"},"modified":"2021-12-29T10:23:07","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T14:23:07","slug":"all-marketers-tell-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/all-marketers-tell-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"All Marketers Tell Stories: Seth Godin’s 5 Principles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are the principles in the book All Marketers Are Liars<\/em>? What is Seth Godin’s formula for successful marketing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In All Marketers Are Liars (<\/em>also titled All Marketers Tell Stories)<\/em>, Seth Godin argues that good marketing is spreading ideas through good storytelling. Everyone is a marketer because everyone has ideas to spread. Often, the story you tell about your idea is just as important as the idea itself. His principles of storytelling can be applied to product marketing, dating, politics, job hunting, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn the five principles presented in All Marketers Are Liars<\/em> (All Marketers Tell Stories)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

All Marketers Are Liars (All Marketers Tell Stories)<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Godin is a writer, entrepreneur, marketer, and blogger. Published in 2005, All Marketers Are Liars <\/em>(aka All Marketers Tell Stories)<\/em> aims to improve your storytelling. His advice is helpful for people who are beginners or unfamiliar with the world of marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Godin breaks down his ideas into five principles. Telling a good story first requires understanding worldviews and how consumers process information. Once you start thinking like a consumer, Godin says, you can tailor your story to make a good first impression. He then discusses avoiding the fine line between telling a story with a fib (stretching the truth in a way that resonates with the customer) and committing fraud. In the final principle, he talks about common marketing obstacles you may encounter, as well as how to overcome them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Marketing 101<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you hear the word \u201cadvertising,\u201d what do you think of? If catchy jingles, milk carton ads, or TV infomercials come to mind, you\u2019re probably thinking of outdated marketing techniques<\/a>. Because advertisers traditionally addressed mass audiences, they succeeded by appealing mainly to people\u2019s needs, and eventually, their wants. Often, companies spent a little on advertising, because their main focus was on increasing profit by cutting production costs. Godin argues that because of advances in technology, old marketing<\/a> is outdated and ineffective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Some marketers believe old marketing isn\u2019t completely obsolete. One marketing expert found that old marketing techniques like promotional gifts, coupons, and slogans are still effective<\/a>. You should tailor your use of old-style advertising to your specific product and campaign.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In All Marketers Are Liars (All Marketers Tell Stories)<\/em>, Godin takes a broader view of modern marketing in this book. Instead of thinking of marketing exclusively as trying to sell a product<\/a>, he believes marketing is spreading ideas. <\/strong>He argues that you can market just about anything: products, services, job qualifications, religions, political candidates, and more. Which makes the marketplace\u2014or all the different forums in which you can spread ideas\u2014a pretty big place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, new marketing places more focus on the consumer<\/strong>. According to Godin, new marketers must keep up with the constantly evolving marketplace and changing consumer demands. He therefore urges new marketers to understand that they are not in charge\u2014customers are. Your customer will be a major influence on your marketing because you must tailor the ideas you\u2019re spreading to customer feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Godin\u2019s view of marketing as focusing on the spread of ideas<\/a> to the consumer soon won converts in the industry. In 2008, the American Marketing Association (AMA) echoed Godin\u2019s view when they updated their definition of marketing<\/a>. The new definition described marketing as an educational process that benefits marketers, consumers, and society as a whole. This definition differs from the AMA\u2019s previous one, which defined marketing as a function that delivers value to customers for the benefit of companies.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Power of Storytelling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Because people often buy based on emotion rather than need, Godin argues that it\u2019s important for marketers to appeal to beliefs and feelings. This can involve lying by a certain definition. Godin defines lies as stories people tell themselves, which marketers build on.<\/strong> The consumer\u2019s belief in a marketer\u2019s lie makes it true\u2014and our belief in how a product will make us feel is what we\u2019re really buying. Therefore, he uses the terms lying and storytelling interchangeably. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Godin says storytelling is one of the best ways to communicate with potential customers and address their beliefs and feelings. And because of an increasing amount of media options and consumption<\/a>, there are more ways to tell complex, yet subtle stories about products. Podcast ads, YouTube ads, influencer sponsorships, email marketing, ads on blogs, social media marketing<\/a>, and brand partnerships are just a few examples of the opportunities new media afford marketers.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principle 1: Appeal to a Worldview<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Godin\u2019s first principle of modern marketing is that a good story starts with a specific worldview. To be effective, your marketing story must jibe with your prospective customer\u2019s worldview, the set of beliefs, values, and biases that determines how they see and interact with the world.<\/strong> While everyone has the same basic wants and needs (food, shelter, to be happy, healthy, and so on), Godin explains that their worldview determines how they fulfill them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, consider the difference between someone on a Keto diet (which emphasizes consuming a high percentage of fat) and someone on a plant-based diet. Both people probably feel that they have found a dietary lifestyle that balances health and nutrition. Their different solutions to a common goal reflect different worldviews. When your marketing story not only addresses a customer need but also validates their worldview or beliefs, Godin believes the customer is more likely to use your product and keep coming back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with similar worldviews or beliefs often group into small niches or micro-communities. Godin says a marketer\u2019s success lies in finding the right group of people with a shared worldview and telling them a compelling story that aligns with it. Godin warns that worldviews can change collectively or individually. If your customers\u2019 worldview changes but your story doesn\u2019t, you could quickly lose a big portion of your audience, so you should pay attention to your customers and social changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding and Changing Worldviews<\/strong>

Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/em> suggests another way to define worldviews, which he calls paradigms<\/a>. He defines paradigms as the lenses through which you see the world and that shape how you interpret your situations and surroundings. These interpretations dictate your behavior, much like Godin\u2019s idea of worldviews influencing you to buy a product.

Our sense of self is often tied to our worldview. We usually have an automatic, defensive response to information that threatens our worldview, and therefore, our sense of self. We also tend to dismiss facts that don\u2019t conform to our worldview<\/a> (also known as confirmation bias<\/a>). This can be tricky to navigate as a marketer. So how do you do it? 

Covey offers an answer for how to change a perspective. He proposes becoming aware of your biases, identifying the worldviews you want to adopt, and shifting your perspective. While his writing is geared toward individuals wanting to adjust their worldviews, advertisers can tailor his ideas to their marketing story to thoughtfully address a worldview<\/a>. Ask yourself: What bias are you addressing? How does your product answer that worldview? Does it offer a better solution or new reality?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Appeal to a Worldview<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Now that you know what a worldview is, how can you use that to tell a better story? How do you tell a story that doesn\u2019t conflict with your customer\u2019s worldview? In addition, how do you control the story around something that could be viewed as a negative? In All Marketers Are Liars (All Marketers Tell Stories)<\/em>, Godin says using three tools\u2014frames, euphemisms, and oxymorons\u2014can help you align your story with a worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n