7 Actionable Tips To Make Top Notch Video Storytelling

In today’s digital landscape, video storytelling is a powerful tool to build and showcase your personal brand. Whether you’re a business owner, keynote speaker, author or professional services provider, creating effective videos is a game-changer. But before you hit that record button, there are some important things to consider. In this article you’ll find 7 actionable tips for top notch video storytelling.

1. Define Your Video’s Purpose

Grab a pen and paper, and start by thinking about what your video is all about. What do you want to convey to your audience? Who are the people watching your videos? Having a clear purpose and understanding your target audience is essential to create videos that amplify with your personal brand.

At 1marketingidea we work with brands that leverage storytelling for different purposes. Some are looking to build a YouTube library with evergreen content while some look to short-form social media vertical videos to stay top of mind.

Before you start production of any video, close your eyes and visualize a member of your desired audience. Once you have that mental picture, ask yourself how they would consume your content. Are they on their phones? Are they on the road? Do they work from home? Are they parents? Do they watch YouTube videos at night on their couch? Do they have access to videos on their work computers?

Defining your video’s purpose starts with a “persona” or a fictional user that represents your target audience. Once this user is clear in your mind, you then define objectives and long-term goals.

2. Plan Your Shots

Creating a video is like telling a great story, and every good story starts with a plan. That’s where a storyboard comes in – it’s your visual roadmap. It helps you keep your ideas organized and ensures you cover all the essential elements. You might think it’s a bit of extra work at the start, but it actually saves you time as you go along.

With a storyboard, your planning becomes more efficient. You can decide ahead of time on your shots, angles, and sequences, so you’re not wasting time during the shoot trying to figure things out. Plus, it makes editing a breeze because you already know which clips to use and how they fit together.

Storyboarding also brings better organization and visual clarity to your video. It helps you make sure your content aligns with your main messages and goals, making your storytelling more effective. In the end, you get a more professional and polished video that captures your audience’s attention

3. Keep Your Visuals On-Brand

Your personal brand is all about your special style, and your videos should mirror that style. Think of it like telling your own story. Your personal brand has distinct colors, fonts, and visual elements that make it stand out. Choosing these elements wisely ensures your videos match your brand’s identity. This consistency is the key to helping your audience easily recognize and remember you.

When your videos consistently reflect your brand’s unique style, it becomes more memorable. Your viewers start to associate your chosen colors, fonts, and visuals with your personal brand. This strengthens your presence in the digital world, making you stand out and leaving a lasting impression. In a way, it’s like creating a video – by sticking to your personal brand’s special style, you make yourself more recognizable and memorable in a crowded online landscape.

4. Evoke Emotions

In the world of video content, it’s not just about conveying information; it’s about forging a profound connection with your audience. Understanding the psychology behind this connection is key. Humans are emotional beings, and our decisions are often swayed more by feelings than by facts. This is where visuals, music, and storytelling play a pivotal role. When you skillfully employ these elements, you can evoke emotions in your viewers.

Emotions have a powerful influence on memory and engagement. When your videos trigger emotional responses, be it joy, inspiration, curiosity, or a sense of belonging, your audience forms strong, lasting connections with your content.?

This emotional engagement not only makes your videos more memorable, but it also enhances your personal brand. By consistently creating videos that elicit specific emotions closely tied to your brand’s identity, you cement the association between those feelings and your brand. Your audience starts to connect your brand with these emotional experiences, making it more memorable and distinctive.

5. Engage the Senses

Experiment with camera angles, lighting, and audio to make your videos more captivating. Great visuals and sound can enhance the viewing experience. Play with natural lighting or add some cool lighting effects to set the mood.

The first time I started experimenting with different angles and got one of them right, I felt like Martin Scorsese for a second. My videos were certainly not 3 hours long but it was very rewarding.

Not just for your ego but also your videos’ quality, your audience will notice it. Trust me.

6. Edit Like a Pro

When it comes to video creation, editing is a big deal, and it’s got to be on point. You need to strike the right balance – overloading your video with too many sound effects or excessive edits can annoy your audience and make them click away. On the flip side, if you don’t do enough editing, your video might not shine as much as it could.?

And since simple video editing is all you’ll be in this for, you wouldn’t even have to buy the latest video editing software that cost a pretty penny.

Any of the ones mentioned in this video should get the job done.

Your best bet is to trim away any repeated parts, fix any bloopers if they happened, and keep the fancy transitions and effects to a minimum. As long as your shots flow smoothly, you’re on the right track. So, even if you’re a natural in front of the camera and don’t use too many “Umms” and “Likes,” a bit of polishing through editing can make your content more engaging without overdoing it.

7. Encourage?Audience Participation with Calls to Action (CTAs):

This part is super important. Think about what you want your viewers to do after they’ve watched your video. If you don’t want them to move on, explicitly guide your audience on what action to take. Here are a few examples of calls to action (CTAs):

• Leave a comment
• Subscribe to a newsletter
• Follow for more
• Visit us at (website)
• Buy the course/report/ebook/PDF

Brendan Kane, author of One Million Followers emphasizes the importance of creating content that encourages conversation, and strategically placed CTAs are instrumental in fostering that engagement. Make the process easy and inviting for your audience to participate, and watch as your post transforms from a passive scroll to an active interaction.

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Conclusion:

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, videos have become a big part of personal branding.?

At 1marketingidea our belief is that every successful personal brand does not focus on only increasing engagement but also to have their viewers stick around longer and find a place where they feel supported, inspired and empowered. A community, if you will.

The 7 actionable tips we’ve just shown you can help you do just that.

About the Author

Daveeed Wagner is a Fractional CMO, and keynote speaker. 1marketingidea is the trusted advisor and counselor to many influential thought leaders and businesses. As a strategic experiential marketing consulting firm we help companies with increased customer engagement, brand loyalty, and long-term growth.