Tag Archives: storytelling

December… the home stretch. Chances are you’re already making plans for 2012, and if those plans include new PR and marketing initiatives it’s time to think about video.

You can get good quality video storytelling produced for as little as $5,000. Nice to know if you’re working on budgets. You and I know it’s worth the cash.

Once that’s in order, it’s time to hire a production company. Remember, there’s tons of people who can produce video that looks and sounds good from a technical perspective, but don’t settle for that.

You need to find a storyteller. Someone who can take your marketing plan and create a story that’s going to be a good fit.

–Tony

AP Photo / Don Ryan

Videos may inform, they may educate, but words on a page or screen can do the same thing for less money. The reason smart marketers choose video is because video is much more likely to stir emotions and connect with an audience.

Looking for an example? Look at how college football programs market to their fans.

One of the biggest upsets of the weekend involved USC knocking off #4 Oregon. The Trojans create a video to show the team before every game, and they also share it on YouTube for all their alumni and fans.

Normally, it’s simply highlights set to rap or rock music, but this week USC kicked it up a notch. They took an inspirational speech by defensive line coach Ed Orgeron and spun it into a video that stirred emotions. The Trojans aren’t often the underdogs, but the school’s video team played up the role to perfection.

Good written content paired with music and beautiful images… storytelling at its best. Businesses need to pay attention. Video is a way for companies to connect with clients and prospects.

Could words alone have done this? Maybe. But I challenge anyone to tell me they’d be more effective than this video.

–Tony Gnau

Pretty pictures are nice. Information is good. The two of them together are even better. The thing is you need more. More if you’re interested in creating a video that will connect with viewers.

Enter storytelling. Incorporating your information into a story and marrying it with good images will draw in your audience and make them more receptive to your message.

Create a story that’s relevant to your viewers and you’re on your way to making an impact.

–Tony Gnau

I watched a video yesterday produced by financial planning expert Dave Ramsey about the types of insurance he thinks everyone should own. It wasn’t a PR or marketing video, but the end of it really reinforced one of my biggest beliefs.

Dave is a master at his craft. He’s a nationally syndicated radio host, best-selling author, and a terrific on-stage performer. During the video, he spent about an hour speaking to an audience and giving them all sorts of facts and figures about insurance.  Health, long-term disability, life insurance… just a few that he was advocating.

He made a lot of great points, but he closed the video with a personal story that drove home his message. It was about a 28 year-old man who had started following Dave’s financial plan, which included getting insurance, only to find out a short while later he had a fatal disease. It was an amazing story, and trust me if anyone watching was still on the fence about getting insurance, they were probably on the phone with their insurance agent as soon as they finished.

Think about that. An hour of solid facts and figures, but it was a short personal story that really grabbed me as an audience member. You might have a cerebral case for why people should use your product or service, but your marketing video better target people’s hearts.

–Tony Gnau

Okay, I typically hate critiquing other videos, but this one represents a terrific cautionary tale.

A Southwest Airlines video about the company taking part in Meals On Wheels popped-up last week on my Facebook wall. I love that Southwest participates in giving back to the community. I love that they want to share it with us in a video. The execution… not so good.

First, the Facebook text above the video read…

A sea of blue t-shirts made up of 500 Southwest Airlines Employees just wrapped up delivering more than 1,800 meals in this year’s Meals On Wheels Association of America blitz to serve Dallas families.

Then you click on the video and the first on-screen graphic reads, “June 8, 2010.” Read the Facebook text again. They “just wrapped up”… “this year’s Meals On Wheels.”

The next on-screen graphic reads, “400 Southwest Employees.” Back to the Facebook text, “500 Southwest Airlines Employees.”

Seriously? If you’re going to show us last year’s video, just tell us it’s last year’s video. Don’t use the text to make it sound like it’s from this year.

Next, the sound bite they chose is extremely confusing. Who is the speaker addressing? I assume it’s the Southwest employees making the deliveries.

Also, the on-screen title threw me off. It reads, “Brit Carpenter, President & CEO Visiting Nurse Association,” but he’s standing in front of Southwest banner. By the time I looked at him, the banner, and then the on-screen title, the title was already coming down. All I caught was President & CEO.

I assumed he was the Southwest Airlines president, but then what he said in the sound bite didn’t make sense. I had to re-watch the sound bite a few times before I figured out he leads the Visiting Nurse Association, which I imagine is associated with Meals On Wheels, but that isn’t explained later.

Why do I point this out? It’s a great example of why business leaders need to hire storytellers. I can only imagine that this video was put together by someone at Southwest who has technical expertise, but not a storytelling background.

If you’re going to create a video and share it with the world, make sure you’re telling a story that people will understand. The video will only help your organization if the audience walks away feeling good about your company… not confused.

–Tony Gnau

VIDEO: Southwest Airlines and Meals On Wheels

My wife is coming up with so many blog topics lately I’m going to have to start giving her a writing credit. She spotted the following video at designmom.com and thought I might have some ideas about it.

As usual… she was right.

The video is titled, 50 People, 1 Question-Chicago. The question… what’s your favorite memory?

The video looks great, sounds great, and it does what video does well… it touches an emotional cord.

This is the type of video businesses should be doing. The options are seemingly endless. Ask a number of employees what they like best about working at your company. Ask a bunch of customers how your business has helped them.

Ask a question and let a skilled video producer bring the answers to life.

–Tony Gnau

VIDEO: 50 People, 1 Question-Chicago

You can pay just about anyone to shoot some video. Chances are they’re also capable of editing together that video. What you should be paying for is someone with a storyteller’s vision.

It’s their creativity that will set your video apart. It’s their creativity that will drive engagement. It’s their creativity that holds real value.

Don’t look for a vendor. Hire an artist.

–Tony Gnau

An authentic voice isn’t always polished. People who speak from the heart occasionally stutter, and sometimes they say, “um.” Don’t worry about it. Leave those things in your videos.

It’s okay for a couple of reasons. First, audiences don’t even notice it. Okay, if someone says something like, “you know,” four times in the span of 10-seconds, people will notice. They rarely notice the occasional verbal misstep because that’s simply how we all speak.

This is your video so you’re dissecting it word by word. Audiences don’t watch and listen that way. Stuttering and stammering is what we hear everyday, so hearing the same in a video only sounds like natural conversation.

Second, because it does sound natural, the content of what’s being communicated comes off as much more genuine than a polished answer. Unless you’re a great actor or experienced politician, sounding sincere while delivering a practiced answer is nearly impossible.

The best thing to do during your videos is to speak from the heart, hum, and let your passion show.

–Tony Gnau