Video Storytelling Enhances Your Brand

Stories capture our interest for a reason. From childhood on, we are drawn to the lessons we learn, the journeys we embark upon and the chance to free our imaginations.

Stories also make messages stick. Remember that teacher that used to tell stories about what he was teaching and how those stories made you remember what you learned? That’s the power of storytelling. In fact, stories activate our brains in a way to make us relate information to our own experiences. According to Princeton researcher Uri Hasson, storytelling is the only way to plant ideas into other people’s minds.

As one of the most engaging mediums, video is ideal for storytelling. As opposed to a print article or block of text online, videos have the power to create both compelling and lasting memories in the minds of consumers. Here’s a perfect example of what we’re talking about:

What could have been a simple PSA is transformed into a personal story that has a gut-wrenching emotional impact at the end. Even though we saw this video weeks ago, we still remember it.

That’s why over 50% of marketers across the world say videos have the best ROI, and why shoppers who view a video in the pre-purchase stages are 1.81 times more likely to make a purchase than non-viewers.

Some people say all good content is storytelling. That’s a myth. Sometimes content is purely informational. Storytelling goes beyond that. It’s about emotions, authenticity, experiences, needs and driving to action.

The key to good storytelling is to make it part of your brand. It’s not as hard as you think as your business is full of stories. It’s the very reason your company exists and why you have developed products and services for customers. With a strong insight into who your customer is and what’s their point of view and you have the foundation for brand storytelling.

Yet marketers still rely on explainer videos that detail the features of a product or service. What’s missing? The emotional tug provided by storytelling. If you struggle with how to weave storytelling into your content here are a few tips

Make it Personal. Storytelling isn’t a group effort, it’s a distinctly personal one. A single voice telling a story is always more powerful. Think about how your brand was born, what inspired you to create the company and what your personal mission is. But most of all think about what the needs of the ‘audience’ were when doing so.

The Hero’s Journey. Writer and theorist Joseph Campbell believed in every story there’s a hero, someone you care about. The hero encounters a challenge. In dealing with the challenge, the hero’s life is changed. Your story needs a hero who rises to a challenge.

Tap into Imagination. The best stories are those in which the viewer suspends disbelief and enters the story. To make this happen, the storyteller needs to provide some space for the viewer to imagine themselves in the scene. Provide the narrative space to do that.

Sharpening your storytelling skills will improve the content of your videos. There’s nothing all that new to effective video storytelling — and done well, there is nothing more powerful.