Turn your story into marketing that actually works
Hey friends —
Last week, we talked about something most businesses skip.
Not platforms.
Not posting schedules.
Not “what should I use AI for?”
We talked about story clarity.
The frustration your customers feel.
The transformation you create.
The real reason people choose you.
So the natural next question is:
“What do I actually do with that?”
Because a clear story sitting in your notes doesn’t grow your business.
Using it does.
What This Looks Like in the Real World
Quick example from my world.
As a side project, I co-host and produce a podcast called Hedge Heads. It’s focused on ag hedging.
In that space, most content does the same thing:
They recap the markets.
They report what already happened.
They repeat the headlines.
We don’t do that.
We focus on the story behind the market:
Why things are moving
What’s actually driving it
What might happen next
That’s the difference.
We’re not sharing information.
We’re helping people make sense of what’s happening.
How That Turns Into Content
Everything starts with one core story each week.
From there, we don’t reinvent the wheel over and over.
We just reuse the same story in different ways:
• The podcast (long-form conversation)
• A newsletter (clear breakdown of the idea)
• Multiple social posts (short, specific angles)
That shift has mattered.
We still have more podcast listeners than newsletter subscribers.
But lately, the newsletter has been catching up fast.
And the biggest driver?
Breaking one clear story into multiple pieces of content throughout the week.
Where AI Comes In
AI doesn’t replace the story.
It helps you use it more consistently.
Instead of starting from scratch every time, we take one story and ask:
“How many ways can we tell this?”
3 Ways to Turn One Story Into a Week of Content
Take one story from your business.
Example:
“Customers come to us overwhelmed because their books are behind. We help them feel back in control and confident.”
Now use AI to multiply it.
1️⃣ Turn Your Story Into Multiple Posts
Prompt
Here is a core story about my business:
[paste your story]
Turn this into:
• 3 short social media posts
• each starting with a real-life situation a customer would recognize
Keep them simple, conversational, and specific.
This helps you move from:
“We offer bookkeeping services…”
To:
“Ever avoid opening your books because you already know it’s not good?”
That’s what people respond to.
2️⃣ Turn Your Story Into a Simple Newsletter
Prompt
Based on this story:
[paste your story]
Write a short newsletter that:
• explains the problem customers face
• shows how we help
• keeps the tone practical and relatable
This is exactly how we extend our podcast into email.
Same idea.
Clearer format.
Different audience touchpoint.
3️⃣ Break One Story Into 3–5 Angles
One story should not equal one post.
It should equal several.
Prompt
Based on this story:
[paste your story]
Give me 5 different angles I could use to talk about this:
• one focused on the problem
• one on the outcome
• one on a real-life example
• one that challenges a common misconception
• one that is simple and direct
This is how you stay consistent without feeling repetitive.
One More Layer: Images That Actually Mean Something
This is something we’ve leaned into heavily with Hedge Heads.
Most content in our space uses:
• charts
• headlines
• standard graphics
They’re fine. But they all look the same.
So we started using AI to create visuals that tell the story.
Like:
A chaotic newsroom to represent market noise
A “corn bull” character to represent market momentum
Those images aren’t random.
They reinforce the story we’re already telling.
That’s the key.
Prompt: Create Visuals That Match Your Story
Prompt
Based on this story:
[paste your story]
Give me 3 visual concepts I could create with AI images that represent this idea in a simple, symbolic, or slightly exaggerated way.
Avoid generic stock-style ideas. Make them memorable and tied to the story.
You don’t need more content.
You need content people remember.
A Simple System to Try This Week
If you want to test this:
Pick one story.
Then use AI to create:
• 3 posts
• 1 short write-up (email or caption)
• 1–2 simple visual ideas
That’s more than enough for a week.
Why This Works
Most marketing feels hard because it starts from scratch every time.
When you start with a clear story:
You’re not guessing anymore.
You’re not chasing ideas.
You’re just telling the same truth in different ways.
AI is really good at helping with that part.
One Small Note
The story work we’ve been talking about — and the way we turn it into content — is something we’ve been refining over time.
We recently pulled it together into a simple workshop called The Story Discovery Lab for teams that want to work through it together.
If you’re curious, you can learn more here:
Or submit this form if you'd like details:
One More Thought
You don’t need more ideas.
You need one clear story used well.
Everything else gets easier after that.
— Ryan
Keep Working Together
If this helped you think about your marketing differently, pass it along to another business owner.
That’s how this grows.
And if someone shared this with you, you can read past issues or subscribe here: