Videos and video brochures are exponentially rewarding for companies who use them. They produce exemplary results, and modern companies have grown to rely on them more and more to accomplish many important matters in business.
According to the Harvard Business Review, to make videos the most effective, telling stories is often the best way to capitalize on the power of persuasion and communicate important points when they matter the most.
Why telling a story can be such a powerful tool
Storytelling is a highly productive strategy in marketing because of the affect stories have on recipient’s minds. Emotions get aroused, mental connections are made, and most people feel entertained when hearing or reading them. Typically, humans can’t resist a good story. People even relied on stories as far back as the Stone Age to send messages or to teach lessons in cave paintings, and the practice of relying on stories has continued in hundreds of cultures throughout time. In fact, many leaders have found themselves to be much more effective because of their storytelling abilities and their wisdom in knowing when to use them.
In humans, the influential affect of stories begins when we’re kids. Then as adults, as soon as we hear the words “Once upon a time”, our brains instantly feel intrigued. Those words simply grab our attention and we want to hear what happens next. Sometimes, even if we’ve heard the story before, we want to hear it again because of the pleasant feelings it arouses.
On top of those benefits, many stories have valuable lessons in them. People discovered long ago that stories are one of the best ways to teach important concepts, safe practices, and many helpful procedures.
Stories help people envision using products and services
For business purposes, people often envision what they see and hear in stories. This creates a greater mental connection, and it also often results in people imagining themselves as being part of the story as well. For example, when watching a story about a man using a chain saw to cut down a huge tree, many people envision themselves using a chainsaw.
To take it one step further, when listeners imagine themselves as being part of a story, it often helps them feel closer to a particular product or brand. Mentally connecting with a story also motivates people to take action, which can lead to them feeling better about buying products or services from companies who present stories to them.
The power of telling stories in videos
Whether used for teaching, marketing, selling, or to persuade someone to change their opinion about something, the power of stories is substantial. Politicians have been using stories for centuries to influence people’s opinions, and in the age of videos, the most effective ones are usually the videos that tell stories.
In videos, personal stories that include messages seem to make the best connections with viewers. In addition, what makes stories even more effective is when they are genuinely authentic and include a struggle, challenge, or some sort of a villain. For example, the new State Farm commercials like the one below fit that description well.
https://youtu.be/HbJV9jQmenc
As you can see, this video does a great job of presenting what the company has to offer by combining a personal story about someone and their insurance company with sort of a good guy, bad guy element between the two agents. One agent is for his insurance. The other is for his professional NFL career. Stories in videos like this tend to be the most enjoyable and make the greatest impact.
What makes video brochures so effective
The combination of audio and visual in videos has an unparalleled affect on viewers. They have the ability to tell stories and show demonstrations in actual circumstances as well as incorporate non-verbal communication to enhance presentations. More information can be presented faster in videos, and they engage more senses to make information more entertaining and easier to remember. In addition, with animation, they have the ability to explain concepts that are virtually impossible to explain with words or real life images.
For presenters and videographers, having the right platform to showcase videos can have a significant impact on their success. Fortunately, video brochures are ideal for showcasing videos. For example, check out this testimonial from Martin C. Walsh, President of The Vacation Channel:
“Thank you for the service and the impeccable product. As a video producer, I have rarely been more proud of showcasing my work than the times I have gotten to see a customer’s face light up as they open a brochure for the first time.”
His testimonial of the proud feeling people get when they see a targeted recipient experience a video brochure for the first time perfectly describes one of the biggest reasons video brochures have been so successful. They’re classy, unique, and more affordable than many people think. ROI with them is outstanding, and because of it, companies now use them for sales, training, motivating, internal communication, marketing, recruiting, testimonials, reporting, and many other purposes. Companies who use them also seem to enjoy an increase in likability and perceived value.
To learn more about video brochures or any of the other marketing products we offer, contact us today.
Having owned an advertising magazine in Utah, I’ve worked in marketing for over twenty years.
I started writing for MediaFast in 2014. The first time I held one of their video brochures, I thought something like, “Wow! This blows away our magazine and any other print advertising I’ve ever seen. This is like a TV commercial, and I’m holding it in my hands. Amazing!”
Since then, video brochures, video mailers and video boxes have become leaders in marketing performance. It’s a privilege to write about them. I also love MediaFast—with its top-notch product quality, industry leading customer service, and all of the wonderful people I get to work with.
