Creating Emotional Marketing Videos

Creating Emotional Marketing Videos

We’re honored that another T60 video has been selected for a Telly Award, and in this case we’re even more excited because the video provides a great lesson for anyone creating a business video. It’s a case study for creating an emotional marketing video.

About Awards

The main reason we enter videos for awards is to provide our clients and prospects with proof that we do good work. It’s one thing for us to be proud of our work, it’s another thing when someone else in your industry gives you their stamp of approval.

Beyond all of that… I love telling the clients when it’s their video that has won. Their reaction is priceless.

Normally, it happens via email or a phone call, and they immediately post it on social media. This year… I got to share the good news in-person.

We had a shoot scheduled at LSS of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, and it happened to coincide with finding out one of the videos we produced for them last year won a Telly Award.

Their reaction: surprise… raised eyebrows… open mouths… big smiles… then a question: “What’s a Telly Award?”

What Are The Telly Awards?

The Telly Awards are basically the Emmy Awards for the non-broadcast/online video world. They do have broadcast categories as well, but for us corporate video producers the Telly is our big award. It’s the one we’re all hoping to win.

T60 has now won 13 Telly Awards… but who’s counting? The latest winning video promotes one of LSS’s adoption programs. I’m excited it took home a trophy because it’s actually a video I blogged about as a good example of how-to do better testimonial videos, but it also provides another lesson.

Emotional Marketing Videos

One of the big messages I try to drive home with clients revolves around a simple premise. Video isn’t about facts and figures. Video is about emotion.

Our goal for virtually all the videos we produce is to help the audience connect with the business emotionally. In most cases, the emotional or feeling we’re going for is confidence. We want viewers to finish watching the video feeling confident in that company’s ability to deliver.

Every once in a while though… we get to tap big emotions. Emotions that will make people laugh or cry. If you can manage to get people to laugh while watching a marketing video, you’ve hit a home run. Get them to cry… it’s a grand slam.

Tears Inspire Tears

One of the ways to inspire tears is by getting the video’s participants to cry themselves. Tears tend to be contagious. Viewers who watch people get emotional, share those same emotions. It’s an incredible way to build a connection with an audience.

Yes… working in video production might be one of the few jobs where you get excited about making someone else cry. That’s what we went after with the LSS video.

Speaking with the participants on the day of the shoot, I knew we had a chance. It’s an emotional story. It tugs heart strings. As the person who was going to conduct the interviews, I was prepared to do my best to ask questions and engage people in a way that would get them to cry.

It took some effort, but I cracked them… and that’s a good thing. They opened their hearts, and in doing so the audience connects with them. For a not-for-profit organization like LSS that relies on donations, a story like this is crucial.

Winning Harts and Minds

The video has been shared on social media. It’s been shown in churches. It’s been used in meetings. Tears all around. The video has become a source of inspiration for struggling, pregnant women to consider adoption. It’s helping LSS raise money.

That’s the power of video. Forget your facts and figures. Logic will not build a connection with your audience. Emotion is the way to win hearts and minds.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau - T60 ProductionsTony Gnau is the Founder and Chief Storytelling Officer at T60 Productions. He’s a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, has led T60 Productions to winning 18 Telly Awards for its corporate videos, and is the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller “Lights, Camera, Impact: storytelling, branding, and production tips for engaging corporate videos.”