3 Powerful Ways To Use Video Storytelling In Your Online Marketing

It's always such a pleasure to introduce my guest bloggers who i know always add value and share their heart out to help and be of service! Today i'm excited to introduce to you Mark Flores who is the Founder and Director of Falcon Creative!

I have many clients ranging from those who are already running their own established business and some who are starting out - but i know they all have one thing in common and that is wanting to know how to use video to tell their story that will help them connect with their ideal clients!

As a video strategist and a producer, Mark is an expert at creating videos for businesses and so i couldn't thing of anyone else so perfect to share on this topic!

Read on as he tells us 3 Powerful ways to use video storytelling in your online marketing!

Fideliz x

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I started my video production journey way back in 2000 when I was studying Television Production at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, a small town in New South Wales, Australia. I remember shooting and directing my first video assignment titled “3 ½ Disk” about a Uni student who’s floppy disk (yes, floppy disk!) was stolen that contained his precious assignment and we follow his ordeal of tracking it down. When it was time to showcase our short video in class, everyone thoroughly enjoyed ours and we received a high distinction mark for it. I realised then that I had a knack for story-telling and that’s what I thoroughly enjoying doing today – using video to help our clients attract their ideal customers, raise their market profile and engage their audience. A large portion of our video strategy involves utilising the power of story-telling.

So you probably guessed it, that’s what I want to share with you here: How to use video to tell your story that truly connects with your target market.

As a video strategist and producer, I’ve noticed that video content in the business world is in a totally different place than where it was 5 years ago. These days, audiences are becoming more engaged and connected with videos that use the power of story-telling and brings out the human element. Videos that are overly scripted, structured and filled with statistics are getting less attention.

Take Nike for example. If you notice in their commercials, they rarely (if at all) talk about their shoes and products. They give us inspiring stories about athletes and everyday people to make us feel that they are something more than just a shoe company.

Here are 3 simple ways to use the power of story-telling in your videos:

1. Let The Story Move You Before You Move The Story

Whenever we begin a new video project with our clients, the first thing we do is we want to get to know their story. We want to find out what excites them, what they’re passionate about, what causes them pain and frustration, what message they’re trying to communicate and why. We look for the moments when we can see their eyes light up, or sometimes makes them tear up. We listen to their language, the words they are using, the rhythm and tone they’re generating.

People love to share their story; it’s part of our DNA so it’s not a long wait when we witness our clients connecting with their story and being truly enthralled in the moment. That’s when we know we’ve got what we’re looking for. In effect, we too become moved by their story as if we truly know what they’ve been through or going through. As soon as that happens, we become inspired to make the best video for them and that’s when it becomes powerful.

One of the mistakes that a lot of video creators make is they force the story, rather than the story influencing their actions to flow more naturally. Musicians will tell you that crafting their best songs happens when the song moves them and not the other way around. So before you pick up your camera, do your best to connect with your story and let it inspire you.

If you can’t connect with your own story, how can you expect others to?

2. Paint The Scene

Video is both a visual and auditory experience. Your job is to tell your story that enables your audience to easily picture it in their heads. If you’re using narration or words, try using descriptive, vivid and emotive language. Start with a specific location and time. If you want to venture into the past, you can give an example of an event that marks a significant moment for you. Choose a unique experience that you went through that people could relate to and paint a picture of it as if you’re viewing your life on the big screen.

You might notice that a lot of films and documentaries open up with the “establishing shot”, such as showing a wide shot of a theatre, or a group of sales people in a corporate setting, or a city skyline, or a cinematic view of the mountain ranges. You might want to open up with your office building, or your staff working, or if you like Gary Vaynerchuk you can show yourself taking a phone call in the middle of the city streets or perhaps even a close-up of yourself inside an Uber.

By painting the scene, you are giving your audience the opportunity to create their own interpretation, giving their own meaning to the experience thus it relates to them more deeply and personally. It also allows your message to be communicated in the most effective way so that your audience truly understands what you’re trying to tell them.

3. Use Emotion

This doesn’t mean it has to be overly dramatic and make people cry, there are many dynamics to emotion – fear, sadness, frustration, excitement, joy, bliss, etc. Humans are emotional creatures and we use our emotions as a guiding system. Remember the saying, “People will forget what you said and what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

People relate to stories about pain and pleasure and by showing a sense of vulnerability about yourself in the story, it allows you to bring out the human side that people can connect with. People love stories about real people.

Have a think about what type of things evoke emotion in you from your favourite film or television show: Language, music, humour, colour, rhythm, extraordinary characters, transitions, sound effects and graphics can all play their part in influencing how we feel. The type of music you choose will have a massive impact to your video. There’s the timing of each cut such as how fast or slow one scene moves to the next. A black and white scene can feel different to a colour scene. The type of humour used will obviously be important, as well as the type of video technology or platform used for example, a live video can inspire more engagement than a pre-recorded video. Or a 360-degree video can influence people to be more interactive. Overall, be more aware of the type of emotional experience the viewer will be immersed in.

In conclusion, consider moving away from the traditional “selling” of your products and service in your marketing videos. These days, people no longer want to be bombarded with more information and they are more likely to engage, like and share videos with great stories. Your unique story is what will set you apart from everyone else and something you’ll be remembered for.

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Mark D. Flores is the Founder and Director of Falcon Creative, your video experts for your micro or small business. As a digital video strategist and producer, Mark utilises his natural skills in creativity and over a decade of professional experience in business, film and TV to help his clients share their unique message, captivate their ideal audience and raise their profile using video.

Outside of business, Mark is very passionate about life - Music (playing guitar, singing, gigging, jamming, recording), watching films, spending time with his wife and 2 cavoodles, travelling, etc.

Mark also provides 1:1 mentoring to entrepreneurs at the early stages of their business who need the on-going support and proven blueprint to develop an attraction model that results in business growth.

Don't forget to download your free eBook "How To Captivate Your Target Market With Video" on their website: