Introduction
The digital marketing world is constantly evolving, and so is the way audiences consume content. Over the last decade, we have seen video become one of the most powerful global communication tools that has become a must in any marketing and communication strategy.
But is just creating videos enough? Video is a useful tool, yes, but what is truly important is using video to tell an engaging story – otherwise we risk just making noise. After all, there is nothing better than a good story to make people listen – and that is just as true in marketing as it is in life.
This blog post will show you how to harness the power of video storytelling to enhance your brand identity and help you achieve your marketing and business goals.
Understanding the power of storytelling
Let’s begin by looking at some of the main benefits of storytelling in a marketing context. Storytelling can help you to:
- Create engagement: Storytelling enables you to create an emotional connection with your audience. If you make a powerful statement, you will get people’s attention. If they pay attention, they will listen. If they listen, they might relate to your brand the same way they would to a person and engage accordingly.
- Stand out from others: By telling a powerful story, you can stand out from the crowd and rise above your competitors by being more memorable.
- Share your unique point of view: Maybe you have something unique to say that no one has ever said before, or maybe you are saying it in a way that is different from anything that has come before.
- Communicate your brand values: If you have a clear vision about the world and the impact you want to make, talk about it. People are more likely to stay loyal to a brand that speaks about its values and has a message that they resonate with.
- Increase sharing: When a message is important enough, your audience will not just listen, they will share your message with others too.
Key considerations for video storytelling
Storytelling through video is now considered a key marketing strategy by most brands. By harnessing the power of video storytelling, a brand that sells sportswear can go further and inspire people to “just do it”. Or maybe a brand that sells phones can become a brand that challenges people to dare to change the world.
The most important formula to remember when it comes to storytelling is that there is no formula. Each brand’s story is completely different, which gives each company the opportunity to stand out. You just need to take the time to think of a powerful, relevant and engaging story that will help you speak to your audience. To help with that, keep in mind these key considerations for video storytelling:
- Have a clear goal: Why are you creating video content? Identify the relevant KPIs at the very beginning.
- Know your audience: It is not so much about demographics (although this can also be helpful) than it is about getting to know their motivations, pain points and where you can connect with them.
- Focus on the story: What message do you want to share? Does that message reflect your values, and does it align with the brand perception you want to achieve?
- Localise your video: Each market is different, so make sure you have the right localisation strategy in place to reach an international audience effectively (more on that in the section below).
- Promote your story: Identify the right channels to share your video content and make the most of them (more info on that below too).
Localising your videos for international markets
In order for your video storytelling efforts to have a global impact, it is crucial to localise your videos for your international target markets. This goes beyond just translating them.
Every market is different, and your video may not work in all markets in its original form. There may be language differences, or large cultural differences that make the original video inappropriate, or the need to adapt your actual message for a particular market, or to make sure the people in the video reflect the local demographics.
Take some time to understand each target market and invest in localising your message, adapting your videos whilst not losing focus on what you want to say. There are many ways in which you can localise your message.
In some cases, you may just need to localise the language by adding subtitles or a voiceover. In other cases, where more localisation is needed (for example, due to important cultural differences), you might need to make substantial changes to the actual video itself.
Promoting your videos
Once your video is ready and localised, you need to identify the right channel(s) to promote it. This might vary depending on your brand, where your audience is, and your purpose. Here are some of the most effective channels and the benefits of each:
- YouTube: It seems like the obvious choice, but the truth is, YouTube is one of the channels with the highest long-term storytelling opportunities. It is key for global video campaigns due to its reach, and it enables audience engagement.
- Instagram: Instagram is a good choice when the focus is on engagement, particularly if you are a B2C brand. The use of hashtags can help users discover your video.
- X (formerly known as Twitter): Not only does X provide high discoverability, but users love to engage in conversations and create communities within this platform. It is a great chance to get people talking about your brand, and if managed correctly, it has the potential to make you go viral.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn can be a good opportunity to build your brand tone and showcase your brand values and goals. This channel is particularly good if you are a B2B brand.
- Of course, your website! Your website should reflect your core values and identity. Posting valuable and engaging content in video format on your website is not only beneficial for user experience, but also for SEO.
And many more! The most crucial thing is to identify the best channel for your business, your objective, and your target audience.
Measuring your video storytelling efforts
It is essential to clearly set a goal for each video and story you are telling. For the same reason, key metrics should always be considered from the beginning of every project and you should work towards these. Here are some examples:
- View count: How many people are watching your videos? This is essential when your focus is on the number of people who will see your video, e.g. when running an awareness campaign.
- Engagement: What is the reaction of the people who watch the video? Are they engaging with it? The kind of engagement you get can teach you about how it is being received.
- Watch time: Are viewers engaged with the story? Or do they only watch the first few seconds? This is a key metric to measure the level of interest your story is generating.
- Click-through rates: Are people taking the desired action (often clicking to a landing page) after watching? This is a crucial metric when you have a call-to-action in your video.
- Shares: Are viewers sharing your story with others? The number of people who are sharing your video content can tell you a lot about the success of it.
- Audience segmentation: Who is watching your video? Take a close look at the audience that is engaging with you and relating to your brand – this is useful information for future campaigns.
Conclusion
The story behind each brand is completely different and, if approached the right way, you might find a great competitive advantage behind your story! Do not be afraid to embrace video storytelling as a powerful tool to tell your brand story and values, to start conversations, and to reach users who relate to your brand. Work on creating a powerful story first, and you could see a very positive impact on your global marketing efforts.
If you want help with global video storytelling or marketing, our team of international digital marketers are happy to assist – get in touch with us today!
Miren Massó
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