Storytelling is a tradition shared by every recorded culture in the history of humans. From hieroglyphics to Hallmark movies, it seems we’ve always had an innate desire to tell our tales. But what is the value of storytelling in marketing, particularly through video? And how can you create your own brand story video?
Why you need to tell your brand story
Stories help us find meaning in a complicated world. They evoke emotion and inspire us to take action—both of which are VERY helpful for turning leads into customers.
Your brand story is more than just “fluff”, it’s an important piece of your inbound marketing strategy.
Video is the most compelling way to communicate your brand story, as it allows you to use movement, sound, and even art to appeal to viewers’ emotions.
What makes a good brand story video?
Your brand story should do the following:
- Embody your “why”: What is your business’s purpose? The reason you do what you do? This is the heart of your brand story.
- Address and solve a challenge, problem or pain point: Although the video is the story of your brand, everything should be customer-focused. This is accomplished in your brand video by demonstrating how you make life better for the people or businesses that use your product or service.
- Demonstrate why your brand is unique: What do you offer that no one else does? Why should a prospect choose you over a competitor? Your unique strengths should be a focal point of your brand story video.
- Appeal to emotions: Joy. Camaraderie. Pride. Even fear can be an effective emotional appeal (think home security systems). A story is meant to make the audience feel something...aim for the heart!
What are some tips for creating a brand story?
It may seem daunting to fit all those elements into one short brand story video. Here are some suggestions to point you in the right direction:
- Nail down your brand personality: If your brand was a person, what would that person be like? Assign human qualities to your brand. Some examples are: “friendly and adventurous,” “understanding and relatable”, “brainy and sophisticated.” Use that personality to determine things like voice, fonts, colors, and imagery.
- Develop buyer personas: A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of the ideal buyer for your product or service. You can create personas using data you collect as well as your own experiences with your customers.
For example, a travel excursion company might have personas like “Samantha and Noah: A newly married couple in their early 30s with no children, a high travel budget, and a desire for culturally authentic and adventurous experiences.”
Once you are able to personify your audience, it will be easier to craft a brand story video that appeals to them. - Get in character: Once you have solidified the buyer personas you are hoping to reach with your video, think about what specific challenges and problems they face that your business solves. Try to imagine the emotions attached to these challenges. Imagine how they would feel to find a solution, and what their experience would be like once their problem was solved.
For example, a mortgage lender might wish to reach first-time home-buyers with their brand story video. First time home buyers may experience excitement, anxiety, and apprehension all at once as they embark on the journey to home-ownership. Narrowing down lenders could be quite stressful. But at the end of the search is an incredible sense of joy and accomplishment when those shiny keys are handed over. The lender’s brand video should take the viewer on a journey through each of these emotions.
Being able to understand the emotions your personas might feel throughout the buyer’s journey is key to making a phenomenal brand story video. - Tell your story without actually telling your story: You’re likely pretty eager to include plenty of brand messaging and facts about your business. Resist the urge! Video as a medium frees you from having to tell your story in a blog post format. Don’t TELL your audience how your business will make them feel secure, relieved, satisfied, or empowered...make them FEEL it.
Here’s an excellent example from Barbie. Instead of saying something like, “we empower young girls to look towards limitless possibilities for the future,” they created this touching brand video that tells the story without even including a single doll until the last few seconds.
- Avoid generic nonsense: What does that mean? Take a look…
Telling your brand’s story with video is a challenge, but it presents a wonderful opportunity to attract and engage leads. If you could use some assistance with anything related to your video marketing strategy, we’ve got you! Reach out to the experts at Tobe.
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