Seven steps to effective café messaging

Donald Miller is the author of Building a StoryBrand, a bestselling book used by thousands of companies to improve their customer communication. His background in public communication and narrative writing helped him develop a simple but powerful marketing framework that any direct-to-consumer brand can use. It works across industries—and it works especially well for coffee shops.

At its core, StoryBrand helps business owners clarify their message by positioning the customer as the hero and the business as the guide. In the world of coffee shop brand messaging, this is a critical shift. Most cafés talk too much about themselves and not enough about how they help customers succeed.

This article breaks down all seven steps of the StoryBrand framework, explains how each step works, and gives clear examples that any café owner can use. It is a practical, step-by-step guide for anyone who wants their café marketing to connect more deeply and perform more effectively.

1. Identify the hero: your customer

Every story needs a protagonist. In the StoryBrand framework, your customer is the hero. Not your barista. Not your roasting process. Not your origin list.

The hero has a goal. That goal is often simple and emotional. They want to feel alert. Or seen. Or safe. Or smart. They are not thinking about your machinery or sourcing practices. They are thinking about how their life will improve if they step into your café.

Example

A young professional orders the same drink every day on the way to work. They are not shopping for novelty. They are seeking routine, reassurance, and confidence. That is their story. You play a supporting role.

2. Define the problem clearly

Good stories need conflict. Your customer faces real problems. The external problem might be that they cannot find good coffee near their office. The internal problem might be that they feel judged in specialty cafés. The philosophical problem might be that good coffee should be easy to enjoy.

Most coffee shops only address the external layer. But lasting customer loyalty is built by solving the internal one.

Example

Your menu is too complex. A first-time customer feels intimidated. Your barista says, “Want me to recommend something you’ll actually enjoy?” That solves more than confusion. It solves fear.

3. Be the guide, not the hero

Your café is the guide. Not the hero. A guide’s job is to empathize and lead. To say “we get it” and “we’ve helped people like you before.”

This is the most common failure in coffee shop marketing. Most brands talk about their own journey, their values, their gear. But the customer does not want to join someone else’s story. They want support for their own.

Example

You post a reel about your baristas helping people discover their taste preferences, not about your team’s latte art trophies. That builds trust.

You are not selling coffee

4. Give them a plan

If the customer does not know what to do, they will not act. The plan must be simple. Clear steps they can take to reach their goal.

There are two kinds of plans. A process plan, which tells them what happens next. And an agreement plan, which reduces risk and builds confidence.

Example

Your menu says, “1. Pick your beans. 2. Choose your brew method. 3. Let us guide the rest.” That gives clarity. And clarity builds action.

5. Call them to action clearly

Most cafés hint at what they want customers to do. The StoryBrand model tells you to stop hinting. Start asking.

Your café should have both direct and transitional calls to action. A direct CTA might be “Try our tasting flight.” A transitional one might be “Follow us for brewing tips.”

Example

Every takeaway cup includes a QR code that says, “Want to brew this at home? Scan for the guide.” That drives repeat behavior.

6. Explain what is at stake

If your customer does nothing, what happens? This is the part most businesses skip. But stories without stakes are forgettable.

Be honest. Not alarmist. Just clear about the consequences of inaction.

Example

Your brew class poster reads, “Still struggling with bitter home coffee? We’ll fix that in 90 minutes.” That creates urgency.

How to survive (and maybe thrive) as a coffee shop owner

7. Show them the win

People buy outcomes. Not processes. Not features. Not even products. They want what those things deliver.

Show them what success looks like. Use visuals. Use testimonials. Use real stories.

Example

Your Instagram post reads, “This is Hassan. He used to only drink mochas. Now he brews pour overs with his daughter every weekend. His favorite bean? Our Rwandan natural.” That is a transformation. That is marketing.

The shift

The StoryBrand framework is not a design trend or a campaign idea. It is a full shift in how you see your role in the customer’s life.

Apply it to your signage. Your menu. Your service script. Your Instagram bio. Your homepage. Anywhere customers encounter your brand.

Clarity wins. Relevance wins. Position your café as a guide that helps your customers succeed. And they will come back not just because the coffee is good, but because the story made them feel like they belonged.