How to Use the Hubspot Storytelling Diagram in Your Marketing
The Hubspot storytelling diagram is a simple visual tool that helps you plan marketing stories that grab attention, build emotion, and move people to act. By mapping your narrative before you write, you can turn scattered ideas into a clear, strategic story that supports your brand and your goals.
This guide walks you through the key parts of the diagram, how to apply them to blog posts, videos, and campaigns, and how to keep your story focused on the customer from beginning to end.
What Is the Hubspot Storytelling Diagram?
The storytelling diagram popularized by Hubspot is a one-page visual outline of your story. It shows how your message should rise and fall over time so you can keep audiences engaged instead of losing them in the middle.
At a high level, the diagram helps you organize:
- The opening hook that earns attention
- The conflict or tension your audience cares about
- The turning point where new insight appears
- The resolution that offers a clear path forward
Using a diagram like this before you draft content saves time and makes your final piece sharper and more persuasive.
Core Elements of the Hubspot Story Arc
The Hubspot storytelling framework follows a classic story arc adapted for marketing. You can think of it as four major phases that guide how your content unfolds.
1. Setup: Establish Context and Characters
In the setup, you introduce:
- Who the story is about (your customer, not your brand)
- Where they are starting from
- What they want to achieve
This stage should be short and clear. The goal is to make the audience see themselves in the situation right away.
2. Rising Action: Highlight Conflict and Stakes
Next, you show the problems, friction, and obstacles that stand between your character and their goal. The Hubspot diagram emphasizes that tension is what keeps people paying attention.
To build strong rising action, focus on:
- Specific pain points and frustrations
- Real consequences of not solving the problem
- Emotional impact, not just data
3. Climax: Reveal the Insight or Turning Point
The climax is where something changes. In a marketing story, this is usually:
- A new approach or idea
- A key lesson learned
- A pivotal decision or discovery
The Hubspot storytelling diagram uses this peak as the highest point of emotional energy in the narrative. From here, the tension starts to resolve.
4. Resolution: Show Results and a Clear Next Step
Finally, you resolve the conflict and show the outcome. This stage should:
- Demonstrate transformation or improvement
- Connect results to the earlier conflict
- Offer a specific, realistic next step
In many campaigns, this is where your product, service, or process appears as part of the solution, not the hero of the story.
Step-by-Step: How to Use the Hubspot Diagram
You can use the Hubspot storytelling structure for blog posts, email sequences, landing pages, or video scripts. Follow these steps to build your own diagram before you write.
Step 1: Define Your Audience and One Core Goal
Before touching the diagram, decide:
- Exactly who you are speaking to
- The single action you want them to take
- The main problem your story will address
Write these at the top of your planning document so every part of the story supports them.
Step 2: Sketch the Story Arc
On a blank page, draw a simple rising and falling line. This mirrors the arc from the Hubspot storytelling diagram. Label the four main sections:
- Setup
- Rising action
- Climax
- Resolution
This sketch becomes your roadmap for everything you write.
Step 3: Fill in Each Section With Bullet Points
Under each label, add short bullets instead of full sentences. For example:
- Setup: who the character is, their goal, their environment
- Rising action: 3–5 obstacles, objections, or failures
- Climax: the breakthrough idea, decision, or shift
- Resolution: what changed, how life looks now, next step
Staying in bullet form keeps you focused on structure rather than wording too early.
Step 4: Map Emotions Along the Arc
The Hubspot storytelling philosophy stresses emotional movement as much as logical flow. Next to each stage, note the feeling you want the audience to experience:
- Curiosity or recognition in the setup
- Tension, frustration, or urgency in rising action
- Relief, excitement, or clarity at the climax
- Confidence and motivation in the resolution
These emotional cues guide your tone, examples, and word choices later.
Step 5: Align Your Call to Action With the Resolution
At the end of your diagram, write the call to action that best fits the final emotional state. Common options include:
- Downloading a guide
- Starting a free trial
- Booking a consultation
- Sharing the story with a colleague
Make sure the action feels like the natural next step after the resolution, not a forced pitch.
Applying the Hubspot Framework to Different Formats
Once you understand the diagram, you can adapt the Hubspot storytelling method to any content format.
For Blog Posts
- Use the setup as your introduction
- Turn rising action into main body sections with subheadings
- Make the climax a key insight or case study moment
- Use the resolution as your conclusion and call to action
For Videos and Webinars
- Storyboard scenes that follow the arc
- Match visual changes to emotional peaks and valleys
- Summarize the climax clearly before the final pitch
For Email Sequences
- Email 1–2: setup and rising action
- Email 3: climax and new perspective
- Email 4: resolution, proof, and call to action
Best Practices When Using the Hubspot Diagram
To get the most from the Hubspot storytelling diagram, keep these principles in mind.
Keep the Customer as the Hero
Your brand is the guide, not the main character. The diagram works best when it follows a customer’s journey from struggle to success.
Ground the Story in Real Problems
The more specific the conflict and stakes, the more believable your story. Use real customer language, quotes, or scenarios whenever possible.
Use the Diagram as a Living Document
Update your story map as you gather data, feedback, and test results. The Hubspot approach to content encourages iteration, not perfection on the first try.
Where to Learn More About the Hubspot Storytelling Model
You can explore the original storytelling diagram and examples on the official Hubspot blog at this article on storytelling diagrams. It offers visual references that pair with the steps in this guide.
If you want additional help creating story-driven funnels and campaigns around this framework, you can also visit Consultevo for consulting resources and strategic support.
Turn Ideas Into Impact With a Simple Story Map
The Hubspot storytelling diagram turns abstract marketing messages into clear, compelling narratives. By outlining your setup, conflict, climax, and resolution before you write, you can create content that feels cohesive, emotionally resonant, and aligned with your business goals.
Start with a single campaign or article, draw the arc, and practice filling it in. Over time, this simple diagram can become a default part of your planning process and a reliable way to make every piece of content more engaging and effective.
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