E42: StoryBrand Messaging Mistakes That Keep You Stuck
If you’ve ever tried to write a StoryBrand brand script and thought, “Why doesn’t this sound right?” this episode is going to save you a TON of stress.
After coaching hundreds of small business owners as a Certified StoryBrand Guide, I can tell you exactly where most people go wrong.
Spoiler: it’s not the framework itself, it’s HOW people are using it.
In this episode, I break down the biggest StoryBrand messaging mistakes that keep business owners confused, stuck, and sounding like everyone else. You’ll learn what to fix, how to simplify your message, and how to actually use your brand script so customers listen and buy.
Here’s what we get into:
Why most people totally misunderstand what a brand script actually is
The seven parts people skip or mess up (and why it matters)
Why your message should sound simple
How mixing ideas destroys your clarity fast
Why your story shouldn’t be the hero story
Why your brand script will never be perfect on the first try
The biggest reason your message still isn’t working
And how AI can help, but also completely sabotage your message if you’re not careful
If you want a clearer message, better marketing, and a way to stand out online without guessing, this episode is your cheat code.
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Sean Garner is a marketing consultant and Certified StoryBrand guide dedicated to helping small business owners grow and dominate their industries. He created the Marketing Domination podcast to teach people how to combine storytelling with strategic marketing to help businesses connect with customers and stand out online.
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MARKETING DOMINATION PODCAST
Sean Garner (00:00.812)
All right, this episode is all about StoryBrand messaging mistakes.
Sean Garner (00:50.786)
If you're getting started with StoryBrand messaging, it can feel confusing and frustrating. Maybe you wrote a brand script or had a StoryBrand Guide create one for you and it just doesn’t seem to work.
If you've heard of StoryBrand, you already know how important it is to have a clear message so customers will listen. But after being a certified StoryBrand coach and guide for over five years, I still see people running into the same roadblocks. These mistakes keep them from actually using this powerful tool to stand out online.
So if you want a clear brand message that works and you want to avoid the most common mistakes small business owners make, we’re breaking it all down today. Welcome to Marketing Domination.
Common StoryBrand Messaging Mistakes
Sean Garner (02:06.358)
The first mistake: people don’t understand what a brand script actually is. They think they’re writing a literal story. They’re not. A brand script is a seven-part framework you filter all your marketing through.
Think of it like a brand sheet you’d use for graphic design. Your brand sheet has your colors, fonts, and logos. You don’t post that online as a flyer, but designers use it to keep things consistent. A brand script is the same thing, but for your words. It’s not a script you read. It’s not a story. It’s seven key talking points that follow the arc of story, which is what makes your message compelling.
1. Not understanding the seven parts of the framework
Sean Garner (04:27.138)
The next mistake is not understanding the seven parts or leaving some out because you think they’re “not important.” They all matter.
Here’s a quick overview.
Character
This answers one question: what does your customer want? Not demographics, not psychographics. Just what they want from your product or service.
Problem
Your customer has a problem at three levels.
External: the obvious problem.
Internal: how that problem makes them feel.
Philosophical: why it’s just wrong they even have to deal with it.
Most business owners stay at the surface level. But when you go deeper, customers stop saying “maybe they can help” and start saying “this is my person.”
Guide
This is the part where you finally talk about yourself — and only to position yourself as the guide, not the hero. You do that with empathy and authority. Show them you get their problem and that you’ve solved it before.
Plan
Give them a simple three step plan. Keep it obvious and easy. They need to look at it and say, “Yeah, I can do that.”
Call to action
Clarity wins. Don’t be vague or clever. You need a direct CTA and a transitional CTA like a lead magnet.
Failure
This is where you remind customers what happens if they do nothing. We aren’t fear mongering or doom casting. Just the real pain they’re already feeling or will keep feeling if they don’t act.
Success
Show them the outcomes, both immediate and long term. Paint the picture of the better life they get after working with you.
2. Not being clear or consistent
Sean Garner (09:19.022)
The only real way to mess up a brand script is by making it unclear or inconsistent.
If people read your messaging and say “I don’t get it,” you lost. Clarity is the whole point. And if your brand script sounds too simple, great — you’re doing it right.
Consistency matters too. All the parts need to connect. If you say the customer’s biggest problem is their nutrition, but all your products are workout plans, nothing fits. Confusing stories lose. Clear stories win.
3. Making the story all about yourself
Sean Garner (11:20.141)
Another mistake is making the story about you. I hear business owners say, “We want to tell our story.” I love you, but your customers don’t care about your story. They care about their problem.
Your customer is the hero. You are the guide. Your job is to help them win the day. Telling your personal story doesn’t make you more money. Clarifying their story does.
4. Trying to make it perfect before using it
Sean Garner (12:25.231)
Next mistake: thinking your brand script has to be perfect on the first try. It won’t be. Messaging is guessing, testing, and refining.
At our agency, we update our own brand script every quarter. A tiny word change can attract a completely different type of customer. For example, switching from “build your business” to “grow your business” filtered out the wantrepreneurs and brought in established business owners who want to scale.
Words matter. You need to refine them.
5. Not using the brand script everywhere
Sean Garner (14:31.617)
Another mistake: not using your brand script everywhere. Some people use it for their website and emails... and then never touch it again.
Your brand script is a tool. A tool only works based on your level of execution. If you aren’t using it in sales, social media, videos, presentations, and internal communication, your message will get fuzzy fast.
Use it everywhere if you want it to work.
6. Copying directly from AI tools
Sean Garner (15:56.141)
One of the newest mistakes is plugging your brand script straight into ChatGPT or StoryBrand AI and thinking it’s perfect.
AI is great. We use it every day in our agency. But AI is like a yes man. It gives you what it thinks you want to hear. It doesn’t know the nuance of your business or your customer.
AI should be your starting point — not your final answer. Use it to brainstorm, not to copy and paste.
Sean Garner (17:46.233)
I hope this helps you better understand the StoryBrand brand script and avoid the messaging mistakes that keep small businesses stuck. Clarity always wins. People buy the words you use. And if you want a message that works across all of your marketing, this is the foundation we build for all our clients at Sean Garner Consulting.
Whether we’re doing your SEO, website, or sales funnel, we start by clarifying your brand message so your business can grow and you can dominate your industry.
If you want help creating your brand script, book a call with me at seangarmer.co. The link is in the bio. I’d love to show you how we can help your business stand out online.
