Jul 19, 2021 11:22:25 AM
In a world full of distraction, we face the constant battle of trying to capture our audience’s attention. What can you do to stand out from the crowd? Say hello to video storytelling! Great storytellers connect with their audience through compelling video content, and we’re here to share quick and easy tips for you to do just that.
65% of our daily conversations are based on storytelling. Everyone can relate to a story. Pair it with engaging video content and you have one of the most powerful ways to get a message across to your audience!
What is storytelling?
Storytelling is an ancient art and, as some say, is a communication form as old as the human language. The first people used storytelling to share knowledge in the form of cave paintings. Skip forward a few thousand years and parents use storytelling to teach their children about the world. For many professionals, storytelling is used to promote content that gets to the heart of people’s pain points, ignites emotional connection, and presents that bottom line solution.
Read on for 3 storytelling techniques to help you share your story in an impactful way. To create your own animated videos, check out our video maker, VideoScribe. Or if you’d like help getting your message across, click here to contact our Sparkol Studio.
Tip 1: Get personal
Getting to know your target audience is a must for any story you plan to tell. What are their pain points? What stops them from buying your product? Tyler Lessard, Vice President of Marketing at Vidyard says “Unleash (your customer’s) story, not your story”. Acknowledging the challenges your customers face is what will speak to your audience. Evoke emotion by helping your audience see a part of themselves in your characters. If you want to go the extra mile, include your own personal stories. Personal stories give us cognitive empathy that allows us to experience something fully by watching another human go through it.
Tip 2: Plan your story
For any storyteller, it’s important to plan ahead and write a script, mapping out the journey you’re going to take your audience on. Plus, a written version of your story can be the springboard for a blog, multiple social posts, or a downloadable short story - hello repurposed content!
Next, it’s time to storyboard. Storyboards help you plan the visual content that will go alongside your script and gives you a way to collaborate with other team members to flesh out your ideas. Working on this ahead of time will allow you to identify any gaps in your messaging before you spend money on production, as well as ensuring the final product is exactly how you pictured it. Check out our VideoScribe storyboarding blog (complete with a free template) to get some inspiration!
But what direction will your story take? It’s time for you to choose your story plotline. Powerful stories usually consist of an introduction, conflict or complication, and resolution. Luckily for you, there are 7 universal storylines that can be used in your stories. Here’s 3 to get you going:
- Voyage and return: In this plotline, the main character travels to an unfamiliar place, meets new characters, and overcomes a series of trials on their journey home. Most common in children's literature, this option often involves characters discovering a magical land.
- Comedy: Looking for something more light-hearted? A comedy plot line usually centers on confusion, leading to conflict, and ending with a happy conclusion.
- Tragedy: Stories based on tragedy involve main characters making bad choices, sometimes ending in a negative and unfavorable ending. Aimed at making the audience feel empathy for the hero, these types of stories often share an important moral lesson at the end.
Discover more plots in our full blog post: The 7 universal story plots that still entrance audiences. Don’t forget to keep your audience invested and engaged by pacing your main points throughout your story and always relate them back to the message you’re trying to communicate.
Tip 3: Spark creativity with visuals and sound
There are many ways to visually communicate your story throughout your video. Think backgrounds, scenery, and eye-catching fonts! Your options are endless, and the best bit? Making your video aesthetically pleasing could help your content stick in the mind of the viewer and make them watch it again and again.
Adding visual elements to your video can also evoke emotion and communicate the character’s feelings to the audience through the screen. For example, using color can greatly influence how we feel about movies, animations, and even brands. Using the right color palette will help set the tone for your story and make your video even more memorable. Learn more about color theory in our video 👇
We’ve talked about voice-overs but it’s also important to consider music and sound effects. The music you choose can greatly enhance your storytelling power and help you emphasize specific points and messages. Plus, well-timed sound effects like footsteps, sounds of nature, or background noise can add an extra dimension to your characters and ensure they’re believable.
Storytelling has been used to captivate generations of audiences, and now it’s your turn to give it a go! Video storytelling will draw your audience in and make them feel invested in your organization and message. For more ideas or help on getting started, contact our friendly team of expert animators.
