Develop a Creative Strategy: Turn Users Into the Story
What is the Turn Users Into the Story Strategy and when should I use it?
Stop trying to be a poet. Nobody cares about your brand’s 'authentic journey' or whatever buzzword you puked into the brief this morning. The Turn Users Into the Story Strategy is about admitting you aren’t the main character. You’re the tool, the backdrop, or the punchline. Use this strategy when your actual user behavior is more interesting than your marketing department’s fever dreams. If people are using your product in ways you didn’t intend—or ways that are slightly embarrassing—congratulations, you have a soul. Use it before your competitors bore everyone to death with a manifesto. Now.
How to execute this strategy effectively
Execution requires you to stop talking and start listening, which I know is hard for your ego. You need to crawl through the comments, the weird subreddits, and the niche tags where people are actually living. Find the friction. Find the hacks. Find the things they do with your product that would make your legal team sweat. Then, instead of fixing it or hiding it, put a spotlight on it. It’s not about high production value; it’s about high recognition value. If the user sees themselves and thinks, "How did they know I do that?" you’ve won. If they cringe, you’ve probably tried too hard. Good.
Example: TikTok – "It Starts on TikTok" (2020).
TikTok didn’t hire A-list actors to tell you how 'creative' the app was. Instead, they took actual, chaotic user videos—grandmas doing renegade dances, sea shanty singers, and oddly satisfying rug cleaning—and slapped them onto giant billboards and TV spots. They didn’t polish the grit; they scaled it. By showing that the platform was a reflection of collective weirdness rather than a curated gallery, they made everyone feel invited. It worked.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed in 4C Framework
Company INSIGHT
TikTok provides the tools and the algorithm to make anyone viral. Their strength is the sheer volume of unfiltered, raw human creativity happening every second.
Category INSIGHT
Social media apps usually try to look polished and curated. TikTok broke this by celebrating the messy, the unedited, and the weirdly specific user moments.
Strategy:
Pivot from being a tech platform to being a cultural mirror that validates the user's everyday reality.
Customer INSIGHT
People are tired of being sold a fake version of life. They want to feel like they belong to a community where being 'cringe' is actually a badge of honor.
Culture INSIGHT
In 2020, the world was stuck at home and desperate for connection. People turned to each other for low-stakes, high-joy distractions rather than traditional media.
Strategy:
Pivot from being a tech platform to being a cultural mirror that validates the user's everyday reality.
Company INSIGHT
TikTok provides the tools and the algorithm to make anyone viral. Their strength is the sheer volume of unfiltered, raw human creativity happening every second.
Category INSIGHT
Social media apps usually try to look polished and curated. TikTok broke this by celebrating the messy, the unedited, and the weirdly specific user moments.
Customer INSIGHT
People are tired of being sold a fake version of life. They want to feel like they belong to a community where being 'cringe' is actually a badge of honor.
Culture INSIGHT
In 2020, the world was stuck at home and desperate for connection. People turned to each other for low-stakes, high-joy distractions rather than traditional media.
Why is Turn Users Into the Story a Great Strategy?
Real people are significantly more interesting than your brand guidelines.
Social proof that isn't staged or plastic.
Lowers the barrier for new user entry.
Creates a feedback loop of organic content.
Humanizes even the most soulless corporate entities.
When you stop acting like a gatekeeper and start acting like a mirror, people actually want to look at you. It’s the difference between being a lecturer and being the life of the party. Just don't make it weird.
! When not to use the "Turn Users Into the Story" Strategy
Don't use this Strategy if your users actually hate you or if your product is legally required to be boring.
Steps to implement: Stop Ignoring Your Only Real Friends
Stalk your users (legally, for once)
Go where they hang out. Not the focus groups where they lie to you for a twenty-dollar gift card, but the actual trenches. Look for the weird hacks, the complaints that turned into features, and the inside jokes. If you aren't a little bit confused by what you find, you aren't looking deep enough. Get uncomfortable.
Identify the 'Uncurated' Truth
Find the content that looks like it was filmed on a potato. That’s the gold. TikTok didn't look for cinematic masterpieces; they looked for the sea shanties and the chaos. You want the stuff that feels like a secret handshake. It’s about the vibe, not the pixels. Filter for honesty, not for beauty.
Kill your brand's ego
This is the part where you delete the 'About Us' section of your brain. Your brand isn't the hero; it’s the stage. You need to be okay with your logo being tiny or your colors being wrong if the user story is right. If you’re worried about 'brand consistency,' you’ve already lost the plot. Let go.
Scale the chaos appropriately
Take that raw user energy and put it where it doesn't belong. Stick a vertical phone video on a 50-foot billboard. It creates a cognitive itch that people have to scratch. The contrast between the 'official' medium and the 'unofficial' content is what makes people stop scrolling or driving. Make it big and loud.
Invite the next wave
The campaign shouldn't just show the story; it should ask for more. When people see themselves on screen, they’ll try to out-weird the last person. You’re building a playground, not a museum. Keep the door open and wait for the next batch of beautiful nonsense to roll in. Then do it all again.
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