Today I was at a parents breakfast thing, at my kids’ school. I was approached by the head of school, Dr. Wrobbel, a very notable and kind person. Through our casual convo, he shared a story about how things are difficult for their private school this year, because of covid. I heard the story, and thought about how that story applied to me. I don’t think this was a sales tactic of his, but because of our relationship, it inspired me to help the school with video marketing.
we reflect and engage with stories naturally, because we are fueled by personal connection
Current times are causing changes that are exponentially increasing, and the new marketing pushes (e.g. UGC, branded content, influencers..) have got a few of us confused, why the industry is changing so rapidly. Well it was always like this, people are just really tired of irrelevant content and covid has caused a tighter grip on budgets.. let me explain.
WE ARE ALL SELLING SOMETHING..
..a lot of us are telling leads that our product is the best, how much you need it and can’t do without. I’ll say that you and I sell tech, which helps farmers get more and better crops. Without this tech, the farmer has worse crops.. Use this tech and you will succeed. Pretty straight forward sales approach.
A lot of us sell this way; I know I used to, and when the sales weren’t doing too hot, I would wonder if something is wrong with my farm tech. But the real wonder should be: what am I telling people? Am I telling clients how to look/sound and live their lives?
They hate that $#!&..
..don’t you? When we are told how to live our life or what product we should use, it’s like an allergic reaction takes over our body for a split second… then: composure, smile and nod..
It’s the same for media, brand content and ads.
In marketing, a lot of producers are confused about what should be entertaining content and what should be typical promotional content. There are needs for both, but each is very important to strategize correctly. There’s a lot of projects I had to start turning down, because I don’t believe in the content strategy, and the lead on the project had already set the plan in stone. As a producer, it is my job to make the content successful, through good story telling – this isn’t something I just say to sound cool – it’s a vision statement and a standard for a quality connection.
JUST TELL THEM STORIES!
It starts with: what do you call your customer? are they a lead? or do you consider them an audience?
-viewers and witnesses of your entertainment-
“Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories. And they will figure out how those stories apply to them.”
-Randy Pausch
Think with me for a sec; which of these situations work best when you tell your audience a story:
- rallying up the troops, (think of MLK)
- making an intimate connection
- a creative piece of content…
In a one-on-one conversation, when we start telling a story, we experience a personal connection, which can lead to a friendship. When we tell a story to the masses, the viewer makes the connection within themselves, which can lead to a true following. Of course your stories have to be engaging if you want the viewers to stick around until the end of the marketing video, but that’s for another article.
but wait, there’s rewards..
..yes this is true; this approach causes deeper relationships and followers, but there are rewards to this personal approach: you will create better content and less of it, your rallies will have a stronger following and your personal connection will blossom into a beautiful friendship!
you will create better content and less of it..
..it’s no secret, these last few years have made our minds calloused towards video content. Thanks to everyone shouting the statistics of 90% will be watching video in 2020! don’t quote me on this, I actually just made that number up.. So everyone just started dumping ‘video’; without the thought of ‘what video?’ This topic is an article in itself, but the point it: less is more! Slow down, I know it feels like you need to get the next project in the bag – but that’s nonsensical – your client needs more than just a video; yes, even if it’s just a corporate brand film about a law firm. Sit down and have a content strategy meeting, think about what type of stories the audience can connect with.
GOTTA KEEP IT UP..
..as Warren Buffett said, “You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.”
It would be great if working on marketing was like hiring someone on Fiverr. Give them the money, they do their magic, and voila — success!
It was my relationship with Dr. Wrobbel, that caused me to reflect on how the story applies to me and my skills. Building a relationship with your audience is ideal, but it takes time – which is normal. Stop playing the short game!!
SUMMARY
We are creatures of beauty-in-the-natural, attraction and connection. If you want to make friends, connect through intimate conversation. If you want to make customers out of your leads, then treat them as your audience instead and tell them good stories that captivate their attention, for as long as it is necessary. Tell them the intimate why’s of your journey; show them videos that entertain them – there will always be time for what you do; and honestly, they are smart enough to figure out what it is that you do.