How to Incorporate Storytelling Into Your Video Marketing Strategy

They help us to form deep mental and emotional connections with whatever the subject matter at the heart of those stories is.

So, how important is storytelling when it comes to video marketing?

Well, the short answer is very important. Narratives increase engagement first and foremost because they play on your curiosity. Think about it – when you’re reading a good book or you get really into a TV show, part of what keeps you hooked is wanting to know what comes next. That same principle applies when storytelling is used in marketing.

Of course, you only care what happens next if the story is done well. If a plot is poorly put together, people don’t stick around to see the outcome because they simply do not care.

First off, and this goes without saying, you need to know how to tell a good story. People have short attention spans, so remember you need to start strong and keep a light pace throughout. And don’t spell absolutely everything out for your audience. The best narratives take a ‘show, don’t tell’ approach. Let your viewers anticipate each and every turn. It nurtures that all-important engagement.

When it comes to actually starting work on your project, like with any other type of marketing content, you need to outlay your goals and objectives and figure out who your target audience is going to be. Having the end-point in mind will make the journey towards it so much easier to put together, plus will help to keep the overall focus of the video where it needs to be.

One way to do this is to create a story that centres around a protagonist who could be based off of your ideal client avatar, or you could go as far as to create a documentary about a topic. All good stories follow an arc whereby that protagonist encounters challenges and ultimately searches for a solution. What challenges do your clients face? And how exactly does what you provide give them the solutions they need? Really think about how you can weave these things into a story, and don’t be afraid to incorporate any extra key points that you believe are vital for your target audience to know.

Finally, when you have all of the groundwork done on the writing, it’s time to choose a format. When it comes to video, you typically have the option of live-action or animation. Think about what exactly it is you’re trying to illustrate throughout your story before you make the final decision, and don’t forget to consider what your audience wants to watch too.

Animation definitely provides more flexibility and a larger capability for portraying wilder concepts that perhaps wouldn’t be possibly with live-action. However, the latter may provide more raw emotion, and help your viewers connect because they are looking directly at real people. You need to work out which format will best help you to achieve the objectives you set out before you started the project as this will help you to make the best choice.