Short-form videos are everywhere. A few seconds, a quick pitch, and then—swipe. These clips grab attention fast, but how many do you actually remember? Some might make you laugh or think for a moment, but most are forgotten just as quickly as they appear.
Some videos, though, do more than entertain. They tell a story. They make you stop, watch, and connect with a brand on a deeper level. Maybe it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how a product is made or a touching story about the brand’s mission. Whatever the case, these longer videos pull you in and make you feel like part of the journey.
A great story sticks with people. It builds trust, strengthens relationships, and keeps a brand in your mind long after the video ends. And you don’t need a lot of money to create these videos. With the right plan, any business can use video storytelling to connect with people and get noticed. Here’s how.
Video storytelling basics
Video storytelling opens the door and invites viewers into your brand’s world. You skip the traditional sales pitches in favor of showing what really matters. Maybe it’s the story of how your brand started. Or perhaps it’s how your product helps real people in their everyday lives.
To bring your story to life, follow the 5 C’s:
- Character: Your viewers need someone (or something) to root for, such as your customer, brand, or even a made-up persona.
- Context: Set the scene. Where is the story happening? What’s going on? Context helps your audience step into the story and makes it feel real.
- Conflict: Every story needs a problem or challenge. Conflict keeps things interesting and makes your audience want to know what happens next.
- Climax: This is the big moment—the turning point where everything changes. It’s where the problem gets solved, often thanks to your brand or product.
- Closure: Wrap it up with a satisfying ending. Show how the problem gets fixed and what the character gains.
When these pieces come together, magic happens. Even the simplest video can capture hearts and minds when it tells a story worth sharing.
Why create storytelling videos for your brand
Why is video storytelling important? A well-crafted story makes your brand more than just another company selling something. It creates deep connections with your target audience and gives them a reason to care about what you do. This brings many benefits your way.
Increases engagement
When viewers care about your story, they stick around. They watch for longer, pay closer attention, and interact more with your content. Instead of scrolling past another ad, they’re invested in seeing how your story unfolds.
Builds emotional connections
Stories tap into feelings in a way that facts and figures can’t. Whether it’s the pride of supporting a local business or the relief of finally finding the perfect solution, emotional connections make your brand memorable and relatable.
Improves SEO performance
Search engines love videos that people watch and share. When your videos get views, search engines see them as valuable and rank them higher. Adding videos to your website can also keep visitors around longer, giving them more chances to explore your content.
Encourages social sharing
When people come across something that feels relatable or just plain awesome, they want to share it with others. They send it to friends, post it on social media, or bring it up in conversations. This kind of organic sharing extends your reach far beyond your original audience.
Drives conversions
A good story sells without feeling like a sales pitch. Instead of shouting, “Buy now,” it focuses on real experiences and emotions, showing how your brand makes a difference. When people connect with these authentic moments, they’re more likely to become customers.
Types of brand storytelling videos
Effective video storytelling comes in many forms. Here are a few popular options to consider for your video project.
Explainer videos
Explainer videos simplify complex ideas through storytelling. Rather than listing features, these videos often follow a character discovering how your product or service solves their problem. They might use animation to show your product in action or tell a real-life story that makes your solution easy to understand.
Product or process videos
Product or process videos show people what makes your brand special. They go beyond showing how things work to highlight the passion and care behind what you do. These videos might show the craftsmanship behind a handmade product, the care that goes into preparing a meal, or the teamwork that turns an idea into reality.
Social proof videos
Social proof videos let your customers do the talking. They share their experiences, from the challenges they previously faced to how your brand helped them. These stories feel authentic because they are. Seeing others succeed with your product or service helps potential customers trust your brand and feel confident in choosing you.
Interactive videos
Interactive videos let viewers click, choose, and participate in the experience. They might pick different paths through a product demo, decide what happens next in your story, or engage in educational video content through quizzes and challenges. This makes every viewing unique, turning simple brand interactions into memorable, personalized experiences.
Essential video storytelling techniques
Crafting a truly compelling video story is an art. It takes more than just a camera and some footage. Here are some essential techniques to take your videos from good to great.
Start with a strong hook
People scroll fast. If your video doesn’t grab their attention in the first few seconds, they’ll move on. A strong hook makes them stop and watch. It pulls audience members in and makes them curious about what’s coming next.
Think about what would make you stop and watch a video. Maybe it’s a surprising fact, like “Over 90% of consumers say videos help them make buying decisions.” Or perhaps it’s an intriguing question, like “Is there a secret to achieving work-life balance?”
Visually striking scenes can work, too, like a quick time-lapse of your product being handcrafted from start to finish. Whatever hook you choose, make sure it connects naturally to the story you’re about to tell.
Focus on a clear narrative arc
Every video story needs a clear narrative arc. Start with the 5 C’s—character, context, conflict, climax, closure—to create a solid foundation. Then, think about how you want to tell it. Here are a few ways to structure your story.
- Viewpoint narrative: Tell the story from a specific character’s perspective, allowing viewers to experience the event through their eyes.
- Quest narrative: Frame your story as a journey with a clear goal that the character wants to achieve.
- Linear narrative: Tell the story chronologically, from beginning to end.
- Non-linear narrative: Jump back and forth in time, revealing different parts of the story out of order.
Pick the style that feels most natural. A quest narrative makes sense if you’re sharing how a customer solved their problem with your product. If you want to show what working at your company is like, try a viewpoint narrative instead.
Create relatable characters
A strong storytelling video needs characters that feel real. When viewers connect with a character, they become more invested in the story and its outcome.
Popular character styles include:
- Live actors: These are the people you hire to be in your video. They might play the friendly expert, the retable customer, or the helpful guide. Just ensure they come across as genuine, not overly polished.
- Real customers: Nothing beats authentic stories from actual customers. Their powerful stories help others see themselves in your story. Even if they’re not perfect on camera, their authenticity makes up for it.
- Animated characters: Animation is great when you need to explain tricky stuff or can’t film what you want to show. You can create characters that look and act just how you want. Plus, you can use your characters again in other videos, which helps people remember your brand.
The best character choice depends on your story and budget. Sometimes, a simple animation works better than forced live action, while other times, a genuine client testimonial beats any scripted content.
Incorporate visual storytelling
Visual storytelling means letting your images help tell the story, not just your words. Every shot should add something to your message, not just fill time.
Say you’re showing how your app saves time. Instead of telling viewers it’s fast, show a split screen comparing the old way versus your new solution. Or create a quick sequence that shows someone struggling with paperwork, then breezing through it with your app.
You can set the mood with simple scenes, too. A busy office with papers everywhere instantly shows stress. A quiet coffee shop before opening tells viewers about the calm before the rush. Get close-ups of real reactions, like a genuine smile or sigh of relief.
Don’t forget about colors and lighting. Use warm, bright colors when showing success stories. Cool or darker tones can show the problems your customers face before finding your solution. Let the camera work for you, using slow pans, quick cuts, and time lapses to tell your story.
Here’s a good test: Watch your video with the sound off. If you can still mostly get what’s happening, you’re doing visual storytelling right.
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Use high-quality music and sound
Music and sound can make or break your video. Bad audio makes even great footage look amateur, while the right music can make simple shots feel powerful.
Think about your favorite TV shows. Notice how they use sound to set the mood? You can do the same thing. When showing a problem, use music that feels a bit tense. Then, when you show your solution, switch to something upbeat. Just keep the change natural, not jarring.
Don’t forget those little sounds that make things feel real:
- City street noise in the background
- Typing sounds during work scenes
- The ding of a phone notification
These small audio details add up to create a rich, professional feel. And the good news? You can use compelling audio without a huge budget. Lots of websites offer affordable tracks. Just make sure you have permission to use them. Otherwise, copyright issues could cause trouble later.
How to plan, shoot, and edit marketing videos like a pro
The best storytelling videos don’t just happen by accident. They’re carefully planned, from the first idea to the final share. Ready to create videos that grab attention and get results? Here’s your step-by-step guide.
Step #1: Define your goals and target audience
A video that tries to speak to everyone usually ends up speaking to no one. That’s why you need to get clear on 2 things: who exactly needs to see your video and what you want them to do after watching.
Research your intended audience. Dig into their real pain points. What frustrates them? What solutions are they searching for? The better you understand their challenges, the more your video can speak directly to their needs.
Using your audience research, define what success looks like. Maybe it’s getting more demo requests from your ideal customers. Or you might focus on increasing email signups from potential customers. Pick specific goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that help your customers while growing your business.
Step #2: Choose the right video format
Once you know your video storytelling goals and audience, it’s time to pick the right format for your video. Start by deciding on the type of video, like an explainer, social proof, or product video. Then, choose its style: Will it be animated, live action, or a mix of both?
For example, an animated explainer video might work best if you're explaining a complex idea. Live action could feel more authentic when sharing meaningful stories about your customers. The key is to match the format and style to your message and the intended audience’s needs.
Step #3: Craft the video narrative
Now, you can focus on writing a script that outlines your message, key points, and the flow of your video. Decide if your video will be told from a first-person perspective or a third-person point of view. Then, sketch out your narrative arc.
Don’t be afraid to use common storytelling tropes when writing your story—they’re popular for a reason. Whether it’s the classic hero’s journey or a rags-to-riches story, a familiar plotline helps viewers connect with the brand story instantly.
Consider adding pop culture references, like popular movies, memes, or trending topics, to grab attention. You can also use everyday situations your audience can relate to, like spilling coffee before a big meeting or struggling to find Wi-Fi.
Use your script to create a storyboard showing what each scene will look like. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just rough sketches or notes that map out your shots.
Step #4: Prepare the equipment
If you’re hiring a Production team to handle video creation, you can skip this step entirely. They’ll handle all the technical details, so you can jump to Step #7.
If you’re creating the video yourself, let’s get your gear ready:
- For live action videos: You’ll need a camera (even a good smartphone works), a microphone, basic lighting, and a tripod for steady shots.
- For animated videos: Set up a computer with animation software like Blender or Toon Boom. You can also use a tablet to draw simple characters and scenes.
Good preparation prevents many common filming problems. Test your equipment well before the big day so you won’t have to troubleshoot during filming. Also, keep backups of important items like batteries, memory cards, and cables handy.
Step #5: Shoot your video storytelling piece
Now comes the fun part: shooting your storytelling video. Most live action videos can be shot in a single day with good planning. Set up your camera and lights in a quiet location. Then, follow your script closely.
As you film, try different camera angles, such as:
- Close-ups for emotional moments
- Eye-level shots for interviews
- Wide shots to show context
Film more than you think you need. Those extra shots will be invaluable during editing. You can also use them later if you decide to make a video storytelling series.
Working on an animated storytelling video? The process typically takes several weeks. Start with rough versions to test timing and flow, then refine each scene before you move on.
Either way, remember that your first attempt probably won’t be perfect—and that’s OK. Give yourself permission to experiment and redo scenes until they work. You can always trim the extra content during editing.
Step #6: Edit the storytelling video content
With animation, you’ll refine and edit each scene as you go. But for live footage, this step is where you’ll turn the raw footage into a compelling story.
During editing, enhance your video with B-roll footage—those extra shots you captured of details, backgrounds, and actions. Also, add visual elements like text overlays, animated logos, and moving graphics that help explain your message. Include subtitles to make your video accessible to more viewers.
Don’t forget your call to action (CTA) to make it clear what you want viewers to do next. You can keep this subtle with a simple text overlay or make it part of your story’s natural conclusion.
Step #7: Develop a distribution strategy
Before publishing, plan how to share your video with your target audience. For your main video platform, YouTube and Vimeo are great options. YouTube gives you lots of viewers but has ads that can annoy people. Vimeo has no ads but fewer viewers, and you might need to pay for it.
Once you post your video, get ready to promote it. Sharing the link on your social media channels helps drive traffic to your video. You can schedule these posts over time to keep people discovering your content. Think about where your audience spends time online and focus your efforts there.
Then, repurpose your video into other content. Turn it into blog posts, create shorter clips for social media, or write email newsletters about the topic. Add CTAs to encourage your audience to watch the full video and share it with others who might find it helpful.
Outstanding video storytelling examples
Need inspiration? Use these video storytelling examples to spark ideas for your own content.
Audi
“Fighting Chance: A True Audi quattro Story” shows how powerful true stories can be. A doctor drives through a blizzard in his Audi to save a premature baby. It’s edge-of-your-seat storytelling that just happens to feature an Audi quattro.
By focusing on the human story and keeping the product in the background, Audi connects its brand to something bigger: courage and reliability when they matter most. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you, making you feel something about the hero and the car that helped him succeed.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks uses friendly animation to explain their eco-friendly web hosting. Instead of getting too technical, they tell a simple story about helping both customers and the environment.
The approachable style makes web hosting easy to understand while showing what makes them different from other companies. It’s a great example of how animation can turn complex topics into engaging stories.
Specsavers
“Should’ve Gone to Specsavers” makes eye care memorable by making people laugh. The story about a delivery driver’s blurry-vision mishaps shows why good eyesight matters.
Using humor instead of a hard sell creates a message that sticks with viewers and gets shared. It works because it’s funny, relatable, and makes its point without getting too serious.
Key takeaways
- Sell with stories: Great stories build trust, spark emotion, and make your brand unforgettable—no hard sell needed.
- Follow the 5 C’s: Using character, context, conflict, climax, and closure helps you craft a story that resonates and sticks.
- Choose the right styles: Pick the best video type that matches what you want to say and helps you reach the right people.
- Let visuals do the talking: Use smart camera work, lighting, and effects to tell your story instead of just relying on words alone.
- Promote like a pro: Drive traffic to your video by sharing it everywhere and then remixing it for different platforms, like social media and email.