The Significance of Video Storytelling for Your Brand
Astounding. Proliferate. Explosive.
These are just a few of the words that have been used to describe the significant increase in online video consumption in the last five years… and there are no signs of it slowing down.
In 2016, 3.4 billion users are viewing, uploading, sharing, and liking online video content. There is nothing small about this data. According to DOMO 2016 Data Never Sleeps 4.0, for every minute of the day:
- Snapchat users watch 6,944,444 videos.
- YouTube users share 400 hours of new video.
- Instagram users like 2,430,555 posts.
You simply cannot ignore these numbers. They prove that videos have got to be a key tool in your company’s marketing toolbox.
The Importance of Brand Marketing via Video
Video offers a rich, immersive experience to viewers. It is an ideal medium for quickly explaining your brand’s origins and sharing your brand values. This is important because knowing the story and mission behind a brand builds a foundation of trust between a company and its customers. Without trust, customers won’t click.
The number one thing to remember about video storytelling is that your story is not actually about your company. It’s all about your customer.
For example, how does your company’s story relate to or affect your client? Why do you do what you do? What can you offer your customer that no other company can?
When you answer these questions in a readable video format, viewers can see faces and reflect on personal mannerisms. They can hear voices and emotionally respond to correlating music. They can get a complete sense of who you are and how you can help them.
Creative Video for Social Sharing
There is no one right way to use a video as promotional material. However, the most effective way could be via social sharing. When you offer a video that is fun, unique, relatable, and engaging, your brand followers will want to share it with their friends. Those friends will share it with their friends, who will share it with their friends. And with more and more video getting shared on social media (Facebook live being a big one), a video is becoming more of a real-time way to connect with your customers.
Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:
- Create animated stories
- Highlight a humorous situation related to your industry
- Make a how-to video
- Interview guests
- Offer a challenge
- Tell a personal story
- Shoot a short documentary
- Film video testimonials
- Show what goes on “behind-the-scenes”
- Educate your viewers on a product
One of Gary Vaynerchuk’s viral videos that gained up to 12,000,000+ views and 4000+ shares
When you regularly offer people interesting and useful information, you are enabling a long-term relationship to form. This benefits both parties when customers gain confidence in your brand, and your brand will have the opportunity to satisfy your customer’s product or service need. It’s a win-win situation.
Why You Need To Produce Video Data
You see the videos on every platform you visit, and you see the numbers of the video data that is being consumed. If you fall short of producing video, you might be losing out on some potential business. These days, without video, your company is missing the boat. Don’t let that happen to you. Use powerful and entertaining videos to share your message and increase your sales.
Annabelle Smyth – Freelance Writer in Salt Lake City, Utah
She enjoys writing about leadership, HR, employee engagement and personal productivity. She has most recently worked with BambooHR & CMOE. When not writing and educating herself, you can find her hiking the canyons with her dog and friends.