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Five Storytelling Tips to Make Your Online Videos More Effective

“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon”- Brandon Sanderson

People love watching films as every film has a story to tell, a story which people can believe and a story which entertains them. Marketers use the same idea to create explainer videos to have people hear their message. The message can vary depending upon the needs of the company but a good story must have a clear message relevant to the target audience besides engaging them.

Most of the time, marketers want to use multiple videos to interact with the consumer, which I feel is definitely a great option provided you are getting good response. Prefer using A/B testing to know what kind of videos work best for your audience. Use video metrics to know the effectiveness of your content. Video metrics like play rate, player load time, play-through rate, keyword effectiveness play an important role to find out the effectiveness of your video.

On the contrary, there are many explainer videos with good scripts that float online without grabbing the attention of the viewers. Such videos are lost in the crowd as they fail to create an impact. Besides having a good script, there are many other components that add sheen to your videos. Having good animation, drawings, music effects and voice over are important for a good presentation. This brings us to the point that the production of explainer videos must be given to a professional production. There is a lot at stake. While a good video increases awareness and conversion rate, a bad video may deform your brand image.

We share with you five important tips for a good storytelling through explainer videos:

1. Keep them short and snappyExplainer videos just can’t be long. Your prospects will never listen to you if the length of your video is long. Getting them to watch your video is a tough task. Why should they listen to you? Neither do they know you nor are they interested. In such dire situations, breaking the ice becomes difficult.To deal with such circumstances, focus on the introduction of the video so that they are willing to watch it further. A short video will be seen entirely. An ideal explainer video should not be more than 2 min. Within this limited timeframe, carefully choose your words. Do remember to insert keywords relevant to your product besides relating to the story.

   Use quick transitions and interesting visual movements to keep the customers engaged. After watching a compelling video, 80% of the visitors look for more information on your website. Moreover, a shorter video is easy to remember without confusing the audience with too much information.

2. Avoid jargonsAs a businessman, you would love to use jargons that specifically describe your product and business operations. Probably, you think that people will be impressed and get curious by the typical words you use and feel that you are the only company who is giving actual information about the products. I am afraid to tell you, you will find yourself in a la-la-land.A marketer will think differently. What’s the point in using jargons when it does not connect you with the customer? All businesses are alike for customers. There are some who understand your business and probably your jargons too. But what about others that are completely unaware of your product and business. To cater to a wider audience, you must use simplified language of explanation. Both your voice over and text used in the video should be as simple as possible.
3. Let your video do the talkingLimit the use of text in the video as reading text in a video is a big let-down for people. Furthermore, text can have different interpretation. Videos let the ideas flow through creative drawings and animation effects. And people grasp more from what they see rather than what they read.An explainer video should be able to show what your business can do for the people and why they should prefer you over competitors. The reason you decide to create explainer videos is to make your marketing message more effective. Despite having an audio narrative, it is important to use visual narrative. Don’t say too much; let the video explain certain things. Moreover, people tend to remember motion pictures lot more than static photos.

   Do not place static facts and figures in your video. Use animation or transition effects if you really wish to place it. Avoid using infographics as it crams the screen space. Your video should not look like a boring power point presentation. Keep it dynamic throughout the play time.

4. Clarify the objective A good story is incomplete without objective. Explainer videos give you a limited time to express yourself. But it certainly does not make sense to fill in as much information as possible. Do not get mixed up with your objective. We would like to explain this with an example:Suppose you launch a new product in the market. And you are given the task of devising a video marketing plan through explainer videos for different sales stages. The chronological order for your objective should be as follows. To create awareness for your brand, to educate the consumer, respond to their queries and then persuade them to buy your product. You will definitely need different explainer videos for serving different objectives.

   To create awareness, introduce a problem which your target customers face and how your product is the perfect solution for their problem. Ask them to subscribe to your emails and follow social media profiles. To educate, you need to share added benefits of your product. New customers have a lot of doubts in their mind; answer all their queries to win their trust.

   Offer them value for money. And finally, you make a video to persuade your informed customers so that they just pick-up your product without delay. This is the time to introduce call-to-action buttons like links to your e-store. So, when you know your objective clearly, you video will be clearer.

5. Why so serious? Entertain the viewer Assume that your viewers are busy people who give a damn to watch your video. When you assume this negative thought, you prepare yourself to put your best foot forward. Always remember, customers don’t give you a second chance.Explainer videos are not about getting too serious with your product i.e. it is not important to discuss your product explicitly. People don’t like a product for its facts and figures only but they look for inspiration and an emotional bonding with your brand. Drop that product obsession and think about bringing a smile to your customers’ face.

   Share a real story from your experience or create a character to seek their attention. Entertainment does not mean that you have to be funny or depict extreme emotions so that people start sharing them on social media. Video is a work of art involving colors and imagination. Creativity in your expression and satisfaction it generates also equates to entertainment.

Storytelling can provide you with great benefits

Marketing has raised much beyond the product features and its capabilities. Be a good storyteller to rule the market. In this information age where almost every bit of information is available at a click, there is no point of blabbering about the same point. Differentiate yourself by creating a bond with your customers and nurturing it.

In addition to it, with so many players trying to sell the same product in the market, product differentiation has hardly left. It ultimately comes down to making a brand connect with your customers. People don’t remember facts, but what they do remember is your story. As a matter of fact, explainer video can’t incorporate details neither are they meant to do so.

They are only used to highlight your key agenda and represent a bigger picture. Nothing can stop your video from going viral on internet if it educates, inspires and entertains. As a marketer, your focus should be on to share the best story to win your customers. Make them relevant. Keep a tab on the competitors and act before they do. Share your story with conviction.

Did your business tell a successful story before? Please leave your feedback and post your tips on good storytelling.