Show, Don't Just Tell: Key Ingredients to Story Crafting
- Sue Skavlem
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
June 2026 | Sue Skavlem
Why are case studies are the most powerful storytelling tool in your arsenal?
Everyone loves a good makeover story.
Or a makeover montage.
Honestly, I'm here for both.
A true brand story isn't just about a new product or sale—it’s about the transformation of who your business helped.
Show us where they started, the struggle they faced, and where they are now. People don't buy products; they buy the 'after' version.
What’s the 'after' you provide?
Here's how we show that.
When we show and tell, then we are taking information, a lot of information, and showing it in a visual way or encoded in an object. That whole idea of a picture speaks a thousand words is so true, whether it's a chart, or a graph, or a picture of a smiling face.
That simple picture is worth a thousand words. It's worth an entire four hours of well-crafted email.
It's worth showing people that you're showing up.
It's worth showing people that your product or your idea makes a difference.
It's worth showing people the truth.
And when you show the truth and when you have, have that visual, it helps people be invested in the story.
1 Before & After
This is the easiest and most user-friendly show and tell - IF you remember to grab the BEFORE photos.
When you show a before-and-after, you can show a sketch and the finished product, or you can show how something was organized before and how it's organized after. You can show tools that you're going to use, the ingredients you're gonna use, and the finished project or product. The before-and-after is the easiest way to do a Show & Tell.
Shine a light: Start with good lighting - even in the BEFORE photo
Snap BEFORE photos from 3 different angles
Keep a folder on your phone/or shared folder on Google Drive just for this project
Style your AFTER photo
Snap an AFTER photo from 3 different angles (with and without people)
Show the before & after on social media
Write a case study - here was the problem: look how we transformed it
Put that Before/After on your Google Business Profile, so it shows up in search results
Add the Before/After photos to a Past Project page on your website
Ask your client for a Quote on their experience that you can pair with your visuals
Now tell that transformation story - again and again.
2 The Messy Middle
The messy middle takes trust and vulnerability.
It's not perfect for every industry (see healthcare and/or surgery)
BUT for those of you who dare to show the struggle from BEFORE to the completed transformation AFTER - you're sharing something special.
You're sharing the struggle.
You're showing that what you're doing is valuable because of sweat equity.
Because of not getting it perfect the first time.
Because of trying. And then trying again.
IF you're an artist. This can be a time-lapse. IF you're a baker, this can be cake flops and fails... or piles of dishes & floury floors.
IF you're a construction worker, it can be mistakes & misunderstandings.
The best way to do this is a quick video clip.
Show the mess, and your face/reaction.
Do a voice-over telling them where it went wrong, and what you'll try next
Connect the current step to the past and the future.
Use the Work in Progress hashtag #wip
But the messy middle shows that you're human. It shows that it was hard. It shows that there was struggle. And again, it provides that sense of connection, that sense of investment, the sense of this didn't come easily, and it has value because it had struggle.
3 The Customer's Emotional Response
The third thing that show and tell really does, and this is the most important thing, is it captures a potential customer's emotional response.
Show and tell shows the before and after, which is great.
Sometimes it shows the messy middle.
But no matter what, it shows a story of there is a difference made because of what we're doing.
And that can capture anger.
It can capture grief.
It can capture pride.
It can capture struggle.
It can capture relief and enjoyment and excitement.
Whatever emotion that you're capturing, you are delivering and inviting people into that story when you show and tell, and that is why it is such an effective marketing tool.
Show and Tell mean opening your heart. Pulling back the curtain. And showing the value of WHY you're doing what you're doing.
And that will attract and connect to the right people.
About the Author
Sue from Skavlem Designs
When I make a design, I think – What can this do?
These designs don’t just exist. These designs DO. They work hard alongside you and your business. These designs are levers. They are sales. They are engaged customers. They are brand recognition that gets you that meeting.
Top 3 things I love to do: Read. Paint. Snowboard.
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