Ask the Experts: Why Video Storytelling is All the Rage 02/26/21 | Bryan Jaska Flashy visuals. Captivating music. A dramatic closeup. These are long-established qualities of the best in video marketing and advertising. From hit prime-time commercials to a short clip on your social media feed, video storytelling takes over the marketing industry. According to 2021 Wyzowl Statistics, 86% of businesses use video to market their products or services—a trend that has increased nearly 20% since 2016. Because of the onset of COVID-19, many companies have turned to video as a tool to keep consumers engaged. Its ability to stimulate both audio and visual senses, play upon emotions and facilitate the intake of information with little effort required from the viewer makes it an ideal message channel for businesses. Additionally, after watching a video, 84% of consumers were convinced to buy a brand's product. Of this 84%, 94% claimed the video increased overall understanding of the product or service. Marketers rapidly recognize the ROI of video and how a quicker, more effortless experience leads to well-vested interest in a product or service. We recently sat down with our in-house video expert, Bryan Jaska, to dive deeper into just what it takes to bring storytelling to life through video—and to look good while doing it. How would you define video storytelling? In a lot of ways, the term defines itself. You are telling a story about your client. It's probably better explained by how it differs from standard marketing videos or commercials. So, instead of a sales pitch, you get a narrative that, ideally, will engage and interest the audience in the client. What makes a video impactful/effective? For a video to have enough impact on getting the audience's attention in today's maelstrom of content, it has to be focused and aggressive. You have to get your target audience's attention and keep them engaged through compelling storytelling and emotional impact. Also, I usually find that several short videos are highly preferable to a single video with a long run time. What are some video best/worst practices? I think the biggest mistake you can make is to make something that's overly long. If you can't tell it in under two minutes, then you're going to lose most of your audience before it's over. I would say a close second to that would be making a video that tries to appeal to too broad an audience. You have to define your target audience and maintain that focus rather than sell to everyone. As far as best practices: whatever works, works. Also, get good audio. What changes or evolution should consumers expect out of the future of video? According to tech people, the next big thing is going to be augmented reality and immersive video. I think there is some ease of use or accessibility barriers to be addressed before that's going to be more than a novelty. Of course, I'm wrong all the time. (Please put that last sentence in so I don't sound like I know what I'm talking about.) What approach do you take in Four Columns' use of video to establish and further our brand? According to their skillsets, I rely on the team here at 4C for their input. For instance, I used to write scripts. Now, we have fantastic writers and strategists who are much more adept at conveying the message than I would be. I used to do all the graphic design work for video, but now we have an excellent graphic design team that can develop and implement ideas that I would never. All that allows me to focus on the basics of capturing and editing content for our clients. What goals do you have in mind for 4C's video production? More drone shooting. Always more drone shooting. So, there you have it, folks. The key takeaways from this video insider are: The more focused and aggressive the video, the better. You maintain attention and engagement when you prioritize conciseness. Quality audio matters. Video production is a team effort. Pull in the appropriate experts to contribute to your next video project for optimal results and efficiency. Video storytelling is an essential next step for you and your business. Bryan is never wrong. Ready to jump on board with video storytelling? Bryan's got you covered. Give us a shout today at [email protected] to see how video production can bring your brand to the next level.