Trending
People are savvy enough these days to know that a slickly produced video with only animation and a disembodied voice is from a corporate office. Your face is familiar to them, so they have a connection to the content.
You can leverage that personal touch. Not only by putting your face on camera, but also sharing something about yourself that’s relatable.
Case Study: Peter Gets Personal
Peter Tedstrom with Merit Financial Advisors added his personal story to a video about longevity. He could have just explained that people are living longer these days, and financial planning helps ensure you don’t outlive your money. And he did, but he led with a personal story about his grandpa who lived to over 100 years old, and the strain that put on his finances.
It not only showed that Peter understands the concept, but that he also deeply cares for people in that situation.
“I’ve been told throughout my career that storytelling resonates more than just telling,” says Peter. “And so, that longevity story, and it’s a real story, is a personal story. Every time I tell it, it resonates with most people.”
Watch Peter’s personal longevity story above.
Get Personal, But Not TOO Personal
One the flip side, can you share too much? Or the wrong message? Absolutely. Talking about getting your start in the working world as a bartender might actually undermine your credibility. You might find talking about a personal tragedy like losing a child to be too emotional to share. And there are topics that can make your audience feel uncomfortable. Stay away from TMI.
So how do you pick a personal story that strikes the right tone?
Here are five guidelines:
1. Choose it carefully.
Peter’s longevity story had been on a test run. He’d told it in meetings with prospects and clients. He knew it had an impact when he told it in person. The next step was recording it in a video so he could share it on a broader scale.
2. Start strong.
Getting your audience’s attention is an uphill battle with so many demands on their time. If you are going to get them to watch, you must engage the audience from the beginning. Peter starts with a question. “Do you have a hero in your life?” Opening with a question or a surprising statistic is a great way to hook your viewers.
3. Use the “you.”
To keep your audience watching, make sure you use the word “you” as much as you can. Don’t talk about people in the third person. Peter does this all the way through his video. In fact, he uses “you” two times in the first four seconds of his video.
4. Make it Memorable.
Do this by weaving in relatable details and analogies. Peter talks about taking payment in oranges and eggs. Details like that bring the story to life and will stick in your viewers’ minds.
5. Close the Loop.
Don’t forget this is a marketing video. You want to deliver an actionable message to your audience. At about the 90-second mark, Peter switches from story-telling mode into marketing mode. He explains the value his perspective brings to his clients.
Related: Top 10 Attention-Grabbing Hooks to Stop the Scroll and Engage Viewers