Since March, I decided to experiment with how much I can continue to grow my business WITHOUT social media .. and the results? You might be surprised … but more on that later. 😉
I came to realize that what’s most important in entrepreneurship (and life!) is listening to your own HEART and TRUSTING yourself, especially in the face of growth and challenges.
When the world wants you to be MORE productive, create MORE content, be MORE bold … taking a stand for what’s true for YOU is better than bold. It’s authentic. It’s sustainable.
By stepping back and getting honest with myself about what I want this business to look like 5, 10 or 20 years down the road – my skills in production, streamlining operations, and project management are, I believe, is my genius zone – I feel that I can make a greater contribution to the world by doing it, instead of talking about it.
And while this might change down the road, right now, it feels really good to settle into the creative process of helping my clients to find their story, and pulling together the moving parts to help them create a video that not only connects emotionally, but also gives viewers tangible, logical reasons to buy or invest.
I’m also a big believer in following the signs the universe sends us – and seemingly out of no where, I had a HUGE opportunity in production come my way. While I’m not able to share all the details yet, I will say it’s pointed me back towards my original love: producing videos.
Video is a powerful marketing tool, but no video works without a solid story.
But more than that – storytelling for brands has changed. No longer just about the what, rather about the WHY. Why does the brand exist? Why does it matter?
Stories are a powerful way to connect with people, and the strongest stories can motivate, inspire, and even create change.
However, while almost all of us have told our fair share of stories in our lives, few things are less scientifically understood than storytelling! For instance: did you know that there’s an actual mathematical formula for what makes a good story? I’m not just talking about narrative arcs or plot twists; we mean an actual equation that can predict whether or not your story will be compelling.
So let’s dig into these topics and more as we answer the questions: why do people love stories so much? And how can storytelling help you get to where you want to be?
How to tell a good story
Don’t undervalue the importance of structure. In order for your story to make sense, it needs to have structure. In other words, there has to be some kind of pattern or order in how you present the events that happen over time. Structure helps you organize your thoughts and ideas so that they are presented in a logical way.
When it comes to sales page videos or any type of persuasive video content, it’s really important we understand who the audience is, and “sweep” the story to clarify information, ideas, or beliefs that your audience may not understand.
As a business owner and marketer, you must tell the story TO and FOR your audience.
You can tell if something has been properly structured if it has a beginning (or exposition), middle (conflict) and end (resolution). These three things are usually referred to as having an “inciting incident”, followed by a rising action and climax or turning point (fork in the road) which leads into the resolution at the end of your story.
This is called Freytag’s Pyramid because it was first proposed by Gustav Freytag in 1856 as a way to describe how stories work best when they contain these stages within them:
What makes a good story
Whether it’s a 15 second Reel, or a feature length film, the reason why you would pay attention is because of the STORY. What makes a good story?
There are many ways to define what makes a good story. One way is to tell stories that are engaging and entertaining for your audience – and that’s done through humanistic themes.
And while many people think stories are about the company, owner, or face of the brand – in fact, the story you tell is about your AUDIENCE.
The challenges, triumphs, lessons you share must always reflect those of your audience, so you create RESONANCE. Without context, it’s just another piece of content. 🤷🏻♀️ Instead, when the story has meaning for your audience, AND it’s a beautiful reflection of who you are – that’s when people talk – and most importantly … they remember how your story made them FEEL.
The power of video to tell stories
Video is a powerful medium. It can be used to tell stories, to convey information and ideas, and to bring people together. When used well, video can help your brand reach its audience in an authentic way while also creating excitement and leaving a lasting impression.
Here are some important ideas to keep in mind so your video gets you adored, not ignored:
- First Impressions Matter! Think about how important the first few moments of meeting someone are in determining how well you’ll get along with them later on. The same principle applies when using video as part of your marketing strategy—the first 3-7 seconds needs to be compelling enough so that viewers are compelled by what they see next. You don’t capitalize on this very important moment, and that prospect could be gone forever.
- Show, Don’t Tell! Illustrating your story through video is an extremely effective way of helping audiences to remember which company or product they’re interacting with. When you can stay top of mind during their customer journey, at any given time during their journey towards purchase decision making process (which may include visiting several websites over course of weeks/months).
- Keep It Succinct! Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that longer is better. Short stories can be just as compelling as long ones (plus they have a better chance of holding your viewer’s attention from beginning to end).
In a world where people are looking for authenticity and even imperfection, storytelling has never been more important. The modern marketing landscape is filled with how-to content that doesn’t cut it any longer; consumers crave something real – from your story!
👉 👉 👉 If you think you might need help with storytelling in your business, check out my self-study course, The Video Trifecta. It gives you the strategy, storytelling, and step-by-step tutorials to help you confidently grow your business with video. Use code TRIFECTA-70 before July 6th @ 6pm PDT to save 70% off!
Storytelling is a wonderful way to communicate, educate, and inspire others, and tell your brand’s story to elevate your online presence and build authority.
And that’s also why I named my video creation process “Essence Storytelling” – a proprietary framework to uncover the hidden gems in your life and business, and turn them into meaningful, story-driven video that moves, inspires, and sells!
I currently have 3 spots for my Essence Storytelling brand video journey. DM me to find out more or to get started.
When I collaborate with a client, we create so much more than just an video – it’s my job to help coaches and creatives discover who they really are. The clarity of this discovery has been THE most priceless part that ripples out into other parts of their business and brand!
Oh, and if you’re wondering how business has been going since NOT posting on social media?
The time and mental space that’s saved by writing just one blog post per month (instead of weekly) has been so worth it. I feel clearer, calmer, and generally happier without all the unnecessary inputs.
But what I’ve been most pleasantly surprised by is the little change to traffic – by simply sharing a blog post each month to my social profiles – I’m still getting traffic for my website! 80% brand new traffic to my website?! I think that’s pretty stellar!
The key to success in entrepreneurship is not a one-size fits all approach. No one can give you the perfect advice on how to succeed in business. We all have our own unique personalities and lifestyle habits, so don’t be afraid of trying new things and experimenting until you find what works best for YOU. 😉
Your brand has a story worth telling.
Let’s tell it together.
