The story is an integral part of video marketing. Telling a story to promote your brand, products, and/or services is a thought process laced with subtle art. Its efficacy or rather the lack of it can repair or ruin the underlying video marketing strategies. A great business video is characterized by a story that has glitzy, jazzy images, smooth transitions, and impeccable narration. The origin of such a powerful story begins with the formulation of a correct story structure.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to fabricate a story structure, create effective marketing videos, and rightly present them to viewers.
Why should you be concerned about the story structure?
No matter how intensely or profoundly you have cogitated about a story structure, it’s your instincts that will most likely send the right signals whether a story so conjured will be effective or not. Here, your emotions are captivated in a unique manner. the story allows you to put in your efforts to bring to light the characters and the struggles they go through, even if the business video ad is less than a minute long. The bright side is powerful, engaging storytelling videos don’t merely happen. The majority of them stick to a fairly clear format known as the “3-act structure”.
It may be noted that the 3-act structure isn’t the only narrative style that works around here. However, it’s known to have secured enough popularity among top-of-the-line video creators. Akin to every different story structure, you can beautifully benefit from knowing the genius of the creator.
What are the advantages of including a story structure?
Story structure seizes the attention of viewers
The main objective of a story structure lies in capturing and sustaining viewers’ attention. Although the viewers never knowingly think about the story structure, they have surely read, heard, or seen plenty of stories to discern one – a cut above the rest. The story structure helps the viewer to be ready with a mental substructure to track the narrative from start to finish with ease and focus.
Story structure stirs up emotional excitement
Any business video ad that follows a clear story structure is effective in drawing out personal emotions since people start empathizing with the characters. A question left unanswered or a challenge deemed to be confronted stimulates curiosity in the minds of viewers as to what lies ahead. An in-depth, well-composed story is all they need to generate an emotional attachment.
Story structure simplifies the writing ability
You don’t need to make a fresh start with every business video. Rather, you can include the whole lot you’re aware of and insert the information into a format that has stood the test of time. Thus, writing a script becomes easy and plain-sailing while it keeps producing compelling stories.
The essence of a 3-act structure aimed to appeal to video marketers
The 3-act story structure is used by all kinds of storytellers to communicate their ideas in an interesting way. As the term suggests, the structure consists of 3 parts.
Act 1
It’s the setup that introduces the characters to the viewers and brings the instigating event to light.
Act 2
It’s the buildup that brings up tension and drama besides delving into the main problem.
Act 3
It’s the conclusion that culminates with the resolution of the problem.
To tell the truth, the process of construction of a story has a long, ancient history to reckon with. Aristotle was the first maven to have mentioned a play with a compulsory beginning, central part, and an end. Even though it’s seemingly an obvious statement to make, but, every so often, it chronicled the first record of a 3-act structure. Afterward, most of the filmmakers adopted this well-established technique of storytelling. Numerous movies made in modern times depend solely on these 3 acts to spell the point out.
But, can a 3-act structure be applied to a short-form marketing business video? How’s it possible to squeeze in the 3 acts in their entirety into a half-a-minute ad?
The answer to these questions is a straightforward “yes”. The key lies in staying extremely focused and making your point clear.
How to set a story structure in motion?
Flexibility is one aspect that every video marketer up to delineating a story structure should keep in mind. When it comes to marketing videos, the shortest act is the setup or act 1. Viewers will lose focus if you keep a prolonged setup. But, acts 2 and 3 can be expanded or shrunk depending on the subject matter you want to convey.
Read on to become acquainted with three tips that can come to your aid while constructing a story structure for your business video.
Have a clear idea in mind and get going
You should’ve maximum clarity on the theme you want to project and promote. In movies, you come across different themes such as love, romance, crime, horror, comedy, etc. When you’re creating your business video ad, the theme will ideally center on the products and services offered to reach and acquire customers.
Identify your target audience and take them into account
Each story has several beats that signify the points in the midst of which any change, conflict, or discovery takes place. See to it the beats are at resonance with your target audience. Reflect on the kind of story and its pace that can successfully keep your audience captivated.
Avail of the whole lot of resources you have
Remember that not one element has to carry the burden of depicting the whole story. There are sundry elements such as character design, on-screen text, animation, voiceover, special effects, and music that can lend a helping hand to communicate your message. They can and ideally should all work in sync in the core story structure.
Final thoughts
In addition to designing a compelling story structure, implementing it, and eventually narrating the story, care to make sure the message which your story plans to convey is in conformity with your central brand message and values. If the story depends too much on your product features, be alert to not pitch your product as the quintessential hero. As an alternative, position your brand as the key facilitator in executing the 3 acts.
There are another 3 things you need to take into consideration.
- Is the story structure appropriate to your brand?
- Is the story structure reinforcing your brand’s authenticity?
- Does the insertion of the story in the business video ad look natural or forces?
So, to establish your brand, make certain you create a convincing storytelling framework. Keep in mind to first unfold the story before you make progress in selling your brand. Ensure the message your story structure is poised to make known is clear and easy to understand. Put more emphasis to create value and trigger an emotional audience response.
