Storytelling for Success How

HOW PRO VIDEO CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

STORY BY TREVOR HARDEN

It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s the case, then a good cinematic video is worth 1,440,000 words a minute. Twenty-four frames per second means more communication, more storytelling and a more complete picture of what you and your business have to offer.

INVEST IN PRODUCTION These days, content is king and nearly every business is posting photos and videos to their social media channels and website. But how do you stand apart from your competition? Clever ideas can certainly make a difference, but you must also remember that your audience is inundated with high-gloss, Hollywood-produced video content from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. Shooting videos for your business on your cell phone is certainly possible (and in some cases preferred) but speaking your audience’s language is crucial.

In years past, Hollywood-level commercial video production was only available in certain large cities, but now smaller and medium-sized studios are becoming more prevalent. Finding a local video production company to give your ads the same look, feel, and sound as a nationally televised ad and showing your customers that you’re playing on a “pro” level might be the difference you need to elevate your brand and stand apart from the mom-and-pop competition.

THE “WHY” When businesses first start to produce their own video content, they often fill their ads with loads of information about their services and offerings. This is usually the same list of details that customers can find on your website and social media presence. Consider that type of information the “What” of your business. I believe that focusing on the types of details that customers can ascertain by reading your website or menu is not making the most of your video investment.

Instead, I believe that what people want from a marketing video is to “feel” something — and that comes from describing the “Why.”

Why do you do what you do? What gets you out of bed in the morning? Why do you love your business or products so much? How does your product make your customer feel? Connect with your audience emotionally and they’ll be more inclined to buy into what you are selling.

SCRIPTED VS. NON-SCRIPTED There are two main ways to categorize commercial videos: scripted and non-scripted.

Scripted videos are written in advance and executed according to a vision and plan. They require quite a bit of pre-production, writing, and possibly even hired talent (actors and extras).

Non-scripted (or documentary-style) ads may have an outline or set of questions planned in advance but the final narrative is put together from a series of staff or customer interviews, usually responded to without pre-planned answers. How often have you returned to a store or made a purchase once you got to know the owners or staff? A personal connection can be very powerful for customer retention. Utilize video production to put a face on your company.

When you share who you are and why you do what you do, you’re no longer offering a cold, lifeless product.

Your face, your story — and most importantly — your passion can be communicated through your commercial video ads.

Trevor Harden is the owner and creative director of Harden Creative, a video production company based in Bluffton and Hilton Head. For more information, visit hardencreative.com.