PBNN Series: E13299 – ANALOGIES

Steve Harper and storytelling coach Michelle Tamara Cutler explore the power of analogies and metaphors in communication, breaking down how they shape understanding and engagement. Michelle uses the analogy of a restaurant to illustrate the importance of website presentation and user experience, emphasizing that a website is like a front-of-house—its design, clarity, and accessibility determine whether visitors stay or leave. She expands this idea further, comparing social media platforms to different spaces within the restaurant: Instagram as the cocktail bar, LinkedIn as the business lounge, and a Substack or blog as a cozy reading nook. Even the often-overlooked aspects of a business, like customer service and communication, function like a restaurant’s bathrooms—if they’re neglected, people will question the quality of the entire establishment. Michelle also introduces her upcoming workshop on using storytelling to strengthen SEO, reinforcing that human-centered content remains essential in digital marketing. 

The Art of the Analogy: How to Make Your Ideas Click

Analogies are the bridge between what we know and what we’re trying to understand. When you say “this is like that,” you turn an abstract idea into something your reader can see, feel, and navigate. In communication—whether you’re pitching, writing a bio, or explaining your services—good analogies make your message memorable. Overdo them or mix them? You’ll lose the room.

Here’s how to use them well.

Analogy vs. Metaphor (and why it matters)

• Analogy: an extended comparison to explain or clarify. It often has “legs”—you can build it out.
• Metaphor: a poetic substitution to evoke meaning. (“Her heart is a locked room.”)
• Simile: a metaphor that uses like/as. (“Life is like a box of chocolates.”)

For practical communication—websites, decks, proposals—analogies usually carry more weight because they organize understanding.

My favorite working analogy: Your website as a restaurant

• Website = Front of House. Clear signage (navigation), specials (core offers), hours & location (contact/CTA). If I can’t tell what’s on the menu, I won’t order.
• Instagram = Cocktail bar. Vibes, conversation, quick hits of flavor—but it’s not the main meal.
• Substack/Blog = Reading nook. Slow sips, depth, and return visits.
• LinkedIn = Business center. Credentials, partnerships, proof.
• Bathrooms = Maintenance. If the “little things” (bios, links, alt text, outdated posts) are messy, people question the kitchen.

This single analogy lets you explain brand voice, IA, content strategy, and SEO without techno-babble. It also scales: you can keep extending the “restaurant” world to cover offers (tapas), lead magnets (amuse-bouche), and testimonials (reviews).

Rules of the road

1. Keep one world at a time. Don’t fish in one paragraph and fly a rocket in the next. Mixed metaphors confuse.
2. Make it do work. A good analogy should clarify decisions—what belongs where, what to cut, what to emphasize.
3. Build, don’t toss. Let the analogy run a few beats so readers can walk around inside it.
4. Stay human. AI can summarize; it can’t live your world. Your lived details make the bridge sturdy.

Quick framework to craft your analogy

1. Pick the world: restaurant, garden, map, theater, toolbox.
2. Map the parts: “Homepage = host stand,” “Services = menu,” “CTA = order button.”
3. Stress-test it: Can it explain 3–5 decisions you need to make? If not, choose a different world.
4. Write one paragraph that carries the analogy from A → B → CTA.

Common pitfalls (and fixes)

• Overuse: If every paragraph is an analogy, none are. Use one strong structure per piece.
• Cliché: If it feels tired, it is. Pick a world you actually know (restaurants you worked in, trails you hike, studios you love).
• Literalism: Don’t over-explain. Give just enough detail to unlock understanding, then move on.

Mini-prompts to try today

• “Explain your About page as if it were a trailhead sign.”
• “Describe your service tiers as a tasting menu—what’s the prix fixe, what’s à la carte?”
• “Write your homepage hero as a theater marquee: what lights up?”

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Bottom line: Choose one vivid world, stay inside it, and let it carry the complexity for your reader. When your analogy has legs, your message lands—clearly, quickly, and with staying power.