Ask any digital marketing head, and they will tell you that videos are one of the best things to have in your campaign. Statistics show that Facebook videos have 135 percent greater organic reach than creatives. They are extremely good at sending messages, and more people are likely to view something that is animated rather than static.
A common trend today is the use of realistic stories that touch the lives of people. It stands out among the sea of videos that are just blatant advertisements. Aside from that, a good story gets people talking about your brand. If you want to create a video like this for your businesses, here are some tips you can do.
Use amateur talent
One way to truly showcase human stories is by using ordinary people. It makes your videos more relatable, and it can further emphasize the story. While using celebrities and influencers can be good in getting people’s attention, there is the downside of them overshadowing the story and messaging. In some cases, using affluent individuals to portray less fortunate people might also cause some backlash.
Fortunately, there are a lot of options if you are looking for actors in your marketing video. You can look into indie artists if you really want something more relatable to the average person. Getting unknown actors or students is a good option. The best way to get in touch with talented individuals is through performing art schools.
There are a lot of benefits to working with students. Not only are you working with rising talents, but you are also allowing them to shine. Places such as Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts also have a wide range of students, including indigenous people and minorities. You can get a mix of different individuals of different races, which can make your brand appear more inclusive.
Showcase real stories
Stories are said to be 22 times more memorable than just stating facts. Storytelling is essential when giving a human touch to your videos. A pretentious or detached story will easily be spotted and bashed by the common person. The best way to really tell a compelling story is to look for real-life experiences and testimonials.
If you are having a tough time with this, what you can do is reach out to the local community. Find stories from real people, and ask them if it would be okay to be featured. You can also use personal experiences as a basis for your story. There are a lot of untold stories out there, and something truly amazing does not come easy.
Sometimes, you can also try using the background stories of people that are already famous. It can be a professional athlete, a business person, or even just your average worker. The story doesn’t have to be a tragedy, but showing the struggle and how they pushed is another angle you can explore.
Lessen the special effects
The best thing about down-to-earth videos is the fact that it creates moments. It’s not about the special effects or the heavy editing. Sometimes, the best ones use simple camerawork and cinematography. Direction is the important part, and it should convey the story without hiding behind so many filters.
Putting too many special effects can take away the magic of the story. A lot of times, it can even be unnecessary to the video itself. What some people do is actually use real-life clips of events. These show all the raw emotions and reactions of people in that scenario. You can also do something similar by making your videos more spontaneous and without redoing too many scenes. In fact, you can even just film right outside your offices to show the true reality of the situation you are highlighting.
Tell the story through imagery
Since you are working on social media, you have to consider that some areas will have spotty internet. Others may even be watching from public places, so they cannot have too many loud sounds. That is why it is important to make sure that every scene is easy to understand.
When you tell your story, try to make the message obvious even if there are no sounds because that means people can still understand even if their speakers are compromised. Imagery is everything, and every scene should be clear. You can use text or subtitles to aid the video, but the visual impact is everything. Imagery is also what will catch people’s attention while scrolling, so it has to be impactful.
A common strategy that story writers do is to make the first few seconds of the scene unique. More than just telling a story, remember that it is still a marketing campaign, so you are competing with thousands of brands with their own videos. A good video draws people in and makes them curious to see what happens next.
