Why do we find stories so engaging? Why do tall tales stand clear and vibrant in our memories when facts and figures have long since faded?<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s because stories have been the backbone of humanity from day one. But how do you craft a story? Is there a formula? A concrete set of steps?<\/p>\n
In this post, I\u2019m going to answer those questions by sharing the eleven essential ingredients you need to tell irresistible stories with video.<\/p>\n
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Our ancestors told stories \u2014 long before written word \u2014 to communicate and pass on knowledge. Committing these stories to memory, each generation then told them to the next. In this way, storytelling acted as an instrument for survival.<\/p>\n
Regardless of why we are so enthralled by stories, the fascination we have with them creates an opportunity for you. Marketers have been talking about this opportunity in increasing volume in recent years.<\/p>\n
Yep, today we\u2019re going to dive into the art of storytelling \u2014 but through the lens of video.<\/p>\n
Video can be a compelling medium for storytelling because you\u2019re able to show rather than tell. And with new, amazing technology like 360 video<\/a>, showing is arguably easier \u2014 and more exciting \u2014 than ever.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re showcasing an event<\/a>, launching a product, or simply engaging your social media audience<\/a>, using story in your marketing videos can help your brand stand out from the noise.<\/p>\n Note: In your videos, you don\u2019t necessarily have to present the following elements in this order. In fact, many of them might show up simultaneously.<\/em><\/p>\n Your story needs context. You must set the stage before your story can make sense.<\/p>\n The setting typically answers what Journalism calls the five Ws: who, what, where, when, and why.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re making a video about your customer (we\u2019ll address why you want to make the video about your customer \u2014 and not yourself \u2014 in a moment), the setting should address the following questions:<\/p>\n Grabbing attention is critical for online videos. So when it comes to building a setting, be creative and aim to make viewers curious. In some cases, this may mean starting your story in the middle of the action.<\/p>\n Frodo Baggins. Luke Skywalker. Harry Potter. Behind every great story is a great hero, otherwise known as the protagonist.<\/p>\n The protagonist is the focal point of a story. It\u2019s also what most businesses get wrong in their marketing.<\/p>\n When we make something that people fork out cash for, it\u2019s easy to think our marketing should be about that product, right? But the reality is consumers \u2014 just like you and me \u2014 think mostly about themselves.<\/p>\n If you shine the spotlight on your company, viewers will quickly grow bored.<\/p>\n So in your stories, make sure your customer is the protagonist. You can and should feature your brand, too, but only as a supporting character. (More on that below.)<\/p>\n Your protagonist must be relatable<\/a>, someone your audience can identify with and care about. Root for, even.<\/p>\n This means you must actually know and understand your audience, of course, which is something else altogether. But let\u2019s assume you do know who your ideal customer is.<\/p>\n Tell their story.<\/p>\n Kurt Vonnegut once shared a bit of timeless advice about writing a great story<\/a>: \u201cEvery character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.\u201d<\/p>\n Giving your protagonist a goal is the key to a meaningful story. The whole plot hinges on it. After all, if your main character doesn\u2019t want something \u2014 if they are perfectly content in life \u2014 what\u2019s the point?<\/p>\n Boring.<\/p>\n So ask yourself: What is your protagonist\u2019s ultimate goal? What do they seek? What are they working toward?<\/p>\n Your hero needs a villain, your protagonist an antagonist. Yin-yang and all that.<\/p>\n This nemesis acts as the obstacle that\u2019s preventing your protagonist from reaching their goal.<\/p>\n In your videos, the obstacle could be the problem your product addresses, whether it\u2019s bad breath, rainy days, or that three o\u2019clock snack craving.<\/p>\n Ah, here\u2019s the best part \u2014 when things get interesting!<\/p>\n Conflict arises when the protagonist encounters the obstacle, when the hero meets the villain.<\/p>\n Translation: Conflict describes the active struggle of the protagonist (your customer) as they reach for their goal.<\/p>\n This gap between the protagonist and their goal creates what\u2019s called dramatic tension \u2014 the feeling of suspense that hooks us. You likely know it by a simpler name: drama.<\/p>\n Take it from famous playwright David Mamet: \u201cThe audience will not tune in to watch information. You wouldn\u2019t, I wouldn\u2019t. No one would or will. The audience will only tune in and stay tuned in to watch drama.\u201d<\/p>\n You need only to turn on the television to witness our addiction to drama. The Real Housewives, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Bachelor\u2026 should I go on?<\/p>\n This genre \u2014 reality TV \u2014 is dripping with drama (a bit too much for me personally, but clearly someone enjoys it!).<\/p>\n Finally \u2014 finally \u2014 we\u2019re to you.<\/p>\n So now you know your story must have a setting and a protagonist. And you know the protagonist should want something that\u2019s blocked by an obstacle. All of this causes conflict, for which we crave resolution.<\/p>\n But how?<\/p>\n Enter the mentor. This wise sage comes on the scene to help the protagonist get closer to their goal.<\/p>\n Remember when I mentioned that your story needs to be about your customer, not your brand? Here\u2019s part of the reason why: When you make the story about a character your audience identifies with, they begin to see themselves in the story.<\/p>\n Then when you \u2014 the mentor \u2014 help the protagonist achieve their goal, your potential customers realize that you are integral to their success.<\/p>\n They imagine themselves using your product. They envision what their lives would look like with your handy little widget in it.<\/p>\n Things click into place, and they understand the connection between you (or your product) and a better version of themselves.<\/p>\n So you may not be the star of the show, but there wouldn\u2019t be a show without you, dear mentor.<\/p>\n One way the mentor helps the protagonist is by giving them a token (not the Chuck E. Cheese\u2019s kind). In fictional stories, tokens are often gifts with supernatural qualities.<\/p>\n The lightsaber Obi-Wan Kenobi gives Luke in Star Wars is a token, as is the magical Elvish blade Bilbo Baggins offers Frodo in The Lord of the Rings.<\/p>\n The token in your story could be your product or service \u2014 a gift that empowers your protagonist so that she may overcome the obstacle and achieve her goal.<\/p>\n In this captivating video from AirBnB<\/a>, the Berlin apartment acts as the token (offered by AirBnb) that helps Catherine give her father peace.<\/p>\n The time before the mentor helps the protagonist \u2014 while they have an unsolved problem \u2014 is known as the \u201cbefore state.\u201d<\/p>\n For your customers, the before state is life without your product. It\u2019s here that you should really zero in on the pain point that your product addresses.<\/p>\n Make it hurt!<\/p>\n Any guesses what this is? Yes, the \u201cafter state\u201d describes the situation after the protagonist reaches their goal. It\u2019s where you should emphasize your product\u2019s benefits.<\/p>\n Together, the before state and after state form what\u2019s called the storytelling arc.<\/p>\n You can spot the arc in most good customer testimonial videos. The typical structure goes something like this:<\/p>\n Why do we love to hear and tell stories? Because good stories make us feel something.<\/p>\n And the same should be true of your marketing videos.<\/p>\n Evoke emotion. Yes, exacerbate your customer\u2019s pains and stress your product\u2019s benefits. But above all, be human.<\/p>\n1. Setting<\/h3>\n
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2. Protagonist<\/h3>\n
3. Goal<\/h3>\n
4. Obstacle<\/h3>\n
5. Conflict<\/h3>\n
6. Mentor<\/h3>\n
7. Token<\/h3>\n
8. Before State<\/h3>\n
9. After State<\/h3>\n
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10. Emotion<\/h3>\n