StoryBrand 7-Part Framework (SB7)
CODEFLUSS uses the proven StoryBrand 7-Part Framework by Donald Miller. The core principle: Your customer is the hero of the story — not your company. Your company is the mentor (guide) who helps the hero solve their problem.
The 7 Elements
| # | Element | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Character | Who is your customer? | "Small businesses wanting to grow online" |
| 2 | Problem | What problem does the customer have? | "No professional website, no technical know-how" |
| 3 | Guide | Why are you the right helper? | "10 years of web design experience, 500+ projects" |
| 4 | Plan | What steps lead to the goal? | "1. Create project → 2. Choose design → 3. Publish" |
| 5 | Call to Action | What should the customer do? | "Start for free now" |
| 6 | Success | What does the customer achieve? | "Professional online presence in 30 minutes" |
| 7 | Failure | What happens if they do nothing? | "Potential customers go to the competition" |
Why SB7 Matters for the Page Builder
The StoryBrand schema is not just a marketing exercise — it's the content foundation for your entire website structure:
- Hero Section → Character + Problem: Addresses the visitor directly
- About Us / Guide Section → Guide: Shows your competence
- How It Works → Plan: Gives the visitor clear steps
- CTA Buttons → Call to Action: Direct and transitional calls to action
- Testimonials / Success Stories → Success: Shows the possible outcome
- Urgency → Failure: Motivates action
When you complete the planning, you'll have all the copy and content you need for a compelling website.
Further Resources
The StoryBrand Framework comes from the bestseller "Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller. If you want to dive deeper:
- 🌐 Official Website: storybrand.com
- 📖 Buy the Book:
- Amazon.com (English)
- Amazon.de (English)
The 3-Phase Wizard
The planning phase guides you through all SB7 elements in a guided 3-phase process:
Phase 1: Hero, Problem & Mentor
Define the foundation of your story:
- Character (Hero): Describe your ideal customer — their needs, desires, and challenges
- Problem: Formulate the specific problem from the customer's perspective. Consider three levels:
- External problem: What is the visible, tangible problem?
- Internal problem: How does the customer feel about it?
- Philosophical problem: Why is this fundamentally wrong?
- Guide (Mentor): Position your company as a competent helper — with empathy and authority
For each field, you'll receive helpful guiding questions to make formulation easier.
Phase 2: Plan & Call to Action
Define the path to the goal:
- Plan: Describe 3 clear, simple steps your customer needs to take
- Call to Action: Formulate your call to action in two variants:
- Direct CTA: The primary action (e.g., "Buy now", "Start for free")
- Transitional CTA: A low-barrier offer (e.g., "Download free e-book", "Subscribe to newsletter")
Phase 3: Success & Failure
Describe the possible outcomes:
- Success: Paint a concrete picture of success — what changes for the customer?
- Failure: Describe the consequences of inaction — what does the customer miss?
- Transformation: Summarize the customer's transformation (Before → After)
AI Assistance
The planning phase offers integrated AI analysis for each individual field:
- Fill in a field
- Click "AI Analysis" ✨
- The AI analyzes your text based on StoryBrand criteria
- You receive concrete improvement suggestions (max. 5 sentences)
The AI checks field-specifically — for example:
- For Character: Is the target audience clear? Is jargon avoided?
- For Problem: Are all three levels (external, internal, philosophical) addressed?
- For Guide: Does it show empathy AND authority?
- For Plan: Are the steps clear, simple, and logical?
- For CTA: Is it action-oriented with a clear benefit?
Requirement: AI analysis requires AI credentials, which you can configure under Credentials.
Read next how to evaluate and use your planning strategically in the Results section.