Why My English Degree Might Be the Best Marketing Tool I Ever Earned
When people learn I have a master’s degree in English Literature, they usually ask the same question:
“How did you end up in marketing?”
It’s a fair question.
At first glance, Shakespeare, Victorian novels, and literary theory don’t seem to have much in common with SEO, branding, websites, or advertising.
But after more than a decade helping businesses grow, I’ve realized something:
My English degree didn’t lead me away from marketing.
It prepared me for it.
Marketing Has Never Really Been About Marketing
Technology changes.
Algorithms change.
Social media platforms come and go.
Artificial intelligence continues to reshape how businesses communicate.
But one thing has remained remarkably consistent throughout history:
People connect through stories.
Every purchase is emotional before it becomes logical.
People don’t simply buy products.
They buy confidence.
They buy trust.
They buy belonging.
They buy solutions.
Most importantly, they buy the stories they believe about themselves after making that purchase.
Great marketing understands that.
Every Business Has a Story
One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make is believing their business isn’t interesting.
They’ll tell me:
“We’re just an insurance agency.”
“We’re just a furniture store.”
“We’re just an accounting firm.”
No.
You’re never just anything.
Behind every business are people.
There are families.
Dreams.
Late nights.
Risks.
Generations of experience.
Customers whose lives are a little easier because your business exists.
That’s the story.
And it’s usually the part businesses forget to tell.
Literature Teaches You to Understand People
When you spend years studying literature, you aren’t simply reading books.
You’re learning why people make decisions.
You’re studying conflict.
Motivation.
Relationships.
Fear.
Hope.
Identity.
The best novels aren’t remembered because of beautiful sentences.
They’re remembered because they reveal something true about being human.
Marketing works the same way.
The businesses that understand people almost always outperform the businesses that simply advertise to them.
Branding Is Character Development
One of my favorite ways to explain branding is this:
Imagine your business were a character in a novel.
Who would it be?
How would it speak?
What values would it have?
What promises would it make?
Would people trust it?
Every great story has a consistent voice.
Great brands do, too.
Branding isn’t choosing a logo.
It’s defining a personality that people recognize and remember.
SEO Is Storytelling, Too
Many people think SEO is just keywords.
It’s much more than that.
Google—and increasingly AI-powered search—is trying to understand which businesses provide the most helpful answers.
Helpful content isn’t created by stuffing keywords into a page.
It’s created by answering real questions with genuine expertise.
That’s storytelling.
Each blog article becomes another chapter.
Each service page helps solve another problem.
Each customer success story builds another layer of trust.
SEO isn’t just technical.
It’s narrative.
Good Marketing Doesn’t Interrupt People
It Helps Them
The best stories don’t force themselves on readers.
They invite them in.
The same is true for marketing.
Instead of shouting louder than everyone else, effective marketing helps people feel understood.
It answers questions before they’re asked.
It removes uncertainty.
It builds confidence.
It says:
“We understand where you are—and here’s how we can help.”
That’s much more powerful than simply saying:
“Buy from us.”
AI Can Generate Content.
People Create Meaning.
Artificial intelligence is an incredible tool.
I use it.
Many marketers do.
But AI can’t replace the human ability to understand nuance, emotion, experience, and connection.
It doesn’t know what it feels like to build a business from scratch.
It doesn’t know the excitement of opening your doors for the first time.
Or the fear that comes with investing everything you have into an idea.
Those experiences shape stories.
Stories create brands.
And brands build relationships.
Why Storytelling Is at the Heart of Everything We Do
When I founded Stinson Communications, I never wanted to become another agency that simply checked marketing tasks off a list.
Anyone can post on social media.
Anyone can run ads.
Anyone can build a website.
What matters is why those things exist in the first place.
Every website should tell a story.
Every brand should have a voice.
Every campaign should help people feel something.
Because when customers remember your story, they remember your business.
And when they trust your story, they’re far more likely to choose you.
The Best Marketing Begins with Understanding People
My master’s degree didn’t teach me how to optimize a website or launch a digital ad campaign.
It taught me how to listen, analyze, communicate, and understand what motivates people.
Those skills have become the foundation of everything I do.
At Stinson Communications, we believe every business has a story worth telling. Our role is to uncover that story, shape it into a compelling brand, and share it in ways that build trust, create connection, and inspire action.
Because marketing isn’t just about getting noticed.
It’s about being remembered.
