Author: Matt Kuhn – On Point Video Productions
Every startup struggles with how to get your message – your positioning or elevator pitch – out to the market as quickly as possible. Not only for potential customers, partners, complimentors, potential employees, and suppliers, but also investors and other stakeholders.
More and more startups are finding that short “explainer” videos do that as quickly and efficiently as possible. But not just any video, videos that are based on “storytelling” are especially powerful. There is science and plenty of data to prove it.
The Impact of Video on your Marketing Message
I’m sure you’ve been inundated with promotional emails touting the benefits of video, especially online videos promoted via Social Media or on your website. Here are some of the key stats on the power of videos:
- Having video on the landing page of your site makes it 53% more likely to show up on page 1 of Google. (Source: Mist Media)
- According to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video delivers the value of 1.8 million words of text. This adds up to about 3,600 typical web pages.
- According to Forbes, 59% of executives would rather watch video than read text. (Source: Forbes)
- Retail site visitors who view video stay two minutes longer on average and are 64% more likely to purchase than other site visitors (Source: ComScore)
Storytelling increases the Impact of your Video even further
Everyone loves to hear a good story. Whether it is a story in a book, movie, TV show, or conversation, a good story can intrigue and captivate almost anyone. So it should come as no surprise that storytelling is becoming a trend in video production as well.
Forbes indicates in a 2015 article that 92% of consumers want brands to make ads that “feel like a story”. Check out this awesome storytelling video from DollarShaveClub.com .
And there is science behind the increasing impact of storytelling in marketing. The article argues that ‘facts’ only activate 2 parts of the brain, whereas a well-told story could stimulate 6 or more areas. How’s that for having an impact on your audience?
A Recipe for great Storytelling Videos
If you’re looking to unleash the power of storytelling in your startup’s video, make sure to include these 5 critical elements:
- Evoke Emotion: By evoking Joy, Sadness, Trust, Anticipation, Fear, Surprise or other emotions, you increase understanding and retention.
- Focus on the Human Element: The protagonist in the story, or the person telling the story. People relate to people, and their stories.
- Maintain Context: Make sure your target audience can answer the “Why should I care?” question.
- Keep it Simple: Sweet. Simplicity makes the message easier to grasp and retain.
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