Are you in the process of planning a marketing video for your business, but struggling with content? Deciding what to include in a short video can be an overwhelming process if you don’t have a lot of experience. When I work with clients, I try to get them to stop thinking of the project as a commercial and instead focus on telling a compelling story.
The best commercials and web videos — the ones that get referenced long after they air and shared virally on social media — tell a story! That’s what gets people to buy. Think about your favorite videos — the ones that stick with you. Did you recognize the flow of a story?
With my clients, I break down the storytelling process into four questions that must be answered well for the video to be effective:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Why do you do it?
- Why should we care?
I discussed my rationale behind this framework in the post linked above, then tackled the first two questions in detail in subsequent articles. Here are the Cliff Notes:
You can answer the question “Who are you?” by planning to include objects and settings in the frame that humanize the people on your team and emphasize your unique character.
The question “What do you do?” can be answered by combining verbal descriptions with engaging footage showing your process — or results — in action.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the third question, “Why do you do it?” By answering, you can boost your credibility and move your viewer closer to a purchase decision.
In my first article, where I explained the impact of this four-question framework, I offered this example:
Which of these is more compelling?
Come to Joe’s Pizza. We sell the best New York-style pizza in Tampa Bay.
or
Come to Tommy’s Pizza Kitchen. I grew up in Brooklyn, bussing tables at my uncle’s pizza shop. I came down to Florida with my uncle’s sauce recipes, and I’m committed to maintaining that authenticity. I’m so committed, in fact, that I also import New York water to make the dough. That’s why I have the best pizza in Tampa Bay.
The first one is like, “Yeah, right. You and everyone else, pal.” But the second tells a story. They also claim to have the best pizza, but they justify it with details that go beyond the substance of the product and promote its authenticity.
That last line is key. Within the Tommy’s Pizza Kitchen story, the owner substantiates his claim to have “the best New York-style pizza in Tampa Bay,” not with data (“over 2500 5-star Google reviews!”) or technical arguments (“my competitors don’t use enough garlic in their sauce”), but rather with a story that works because it’s…
Personal: For Tommy, making pizza isn’t just a job that pays the bills. It’s a family tradition that he’s carried his whole life.
Relatable: Most families have traditions around food. This story could call to mind one of our own memories about a loved one cooking for us.
Invested: When Tommy sells a slice of pizza, it’s not only his name and reputation on the line. The level of quality the business provides will reflect on his uncle as well — for better or worse — since his recipes are being used to create the product.
Memorable: The story is simple and concise. It offers bits of trivia that we can associate with the restaurant and share with other people during conversation.
Earnest: You can tell that Tommy sincerely believes that his uncle’s pizza was special and that having a slice will be an enjoyable experience for the audience. He doesn’t waver or qualify this claim, and he takes extraordinary action to show his commitment: importing tap water from a different state to use in his cooking.
All of these factors work together to lend Tommy credibility. People want to do business with other people that they like and trust. Explaining why you do what you do gives viewers a chance to relate to you. If they relate to you, it’s easier for them to trust you. With trust, it becomes easier to move them from viewer to customer.
Their decision becomes less about the nuts and bolts of the product and more about supporting a business that they believe in. People tend to form relationships with brands that they enjoy, and marketers can facilitate that tendency by giving them something interesting to latch on to.
Giving customers a look at what you do — a peek behind the scenes of your process — shows transparency, providing a foundation for trust. Giving them insight into the why — your motivation — goes further. It’s a starting point for a lasting relationship.
If you’re providing a “why you do it” answer for the whole organization, this message is best conveyed by an owner or executive, someone perceived to have a large amount of influence over performance.
Another approach is to pick someone who is customer-facing to explain their personal “why” on camera. Pick someone who believes in your organization’s mission and is enthusiastic about the work you do together. Show that your employees have a personal, vested interest in delivering quality work to the customer. That makes the purchase decision become less a “Do I have to?” and more an “I can’t wait to!”
Why do you do the work you do? The most obvious answer is, “I want to make money!” Everyone else feels the same, though — we have bills to pay, after all — so that answer doesn’t have much meaning. It certainly won’t help you stand out!
Every business has a story. You saw a need go unfulfilled, so you developed a solution. When you present it in terms of the people you benefit, that story works!
Here’s a quick example:
“I wanted to hang up my favorite movie poster, but I struggled to find a quality frame at a reasonable price. I realized that plastic made from hemp thread was exactly the material I was looking for in terms of weight, durability, and cost — and it was sustainable! I built my own frame, then immediately started getting requests from friends. That’s how Frame Time was started.”
It’s a little banal, but it flows. It has a problem, a realization, and a solution. It explains the need for the product in human terms. Does it get any better if we add just a bit more?
“When I was 10, my dad took me to see Star Wars, and we became huge fans. After he passed away, I wanted to hang up a Star Wars poster to remind me of the memories we shared together, but I struggled to find…” Etc.
More specific. More personal. More moving. If anyone in the audience has shared a passion with a parent, your brand has already formed a connection with them. They’re listening.
The importance of this section lies in its ability to prime the audience to hear your pitch and give it some thought. “Who are you?” is a short, simple answer, and it should take up just a few seconds of screen time. The same goes for “What do you do?” But “Why do you do it?” is the first section with meat. Linger on it, while still leaving ample time for the sales pitch itself.
Maybe you think your organization doesn’t have a story to share, but that’s untrue. Even if what you do now wasn’t what you planned for a career, you ended up here because of something in your past. Dig deep and share it!
I opened this flower shop because my mom always had beautiful, fresh flowers on the table while I was growing up.
I opened this hobby store because I wanted a place to hang out and play games with my friends.
I opened this bookstore because I wanted to give kids and adults opportunities to discover new worlds.
I opened this home health agency because others have a one-size-fits-all approach to senior care, instead of tailoring their services to the needs of individual families.
By sharing your story, you express your values in a way that is relatable and honest. It speaks to your mission.
By sharing your story, you elaborate on your experience in a way that is interesting to the viewer. It speaks to your investment.
The answer to “why you do it” doesn’t need to be grandiose. Just real and honest and specific.
If you liked this article, please consider giving a clap and sending it to a friend who you think would enjoy it.
