Rule #1: Story is king – and don't you forget it!

Imagine presenting a nonprofit with two videos.

In the first video, a staff member talks about their experiences as part of the organization. They’re passionate and idealistic as they cover all kinds of topics, from the value they provide to the community, to how meaningful they find their work, to the challenges they face day to day.

The second video introduces someone who faced a certain struggle in the past. They share what their lives were like previously and explain the tremendous relief and transformation that they underwent when the organization was able to offer a solution and turn things around for them.

One video features enthusiastic staff; the other features success stories. One video encompasses a lot of details, while the other captures more emotion. I know that to many of you, both videos probably sound like they have their pros and cons.

But as a marketing professional, what stands out to me is that one of the videos has a story – and the other doesn’t.

What is story?

Story is a structure that includes a beginning, a middle, and an end. A story introduces a situation, explores and investigates it, and delivers some kind of conclusion.The first video doesn’t have a story. It describes what happens at the nonprofit, but not in any particular order.  It’s full of interesting information, but all of it is sort of random and disconnected. You could shake up the video like a snow globe and let all the pieces all fall somewhere new, and it wouldn’t really change the message in any significant way.

The second video has a story. It presents a problem and its stakes, and then it shows how that problem was solved. The order of events really matters here, unlike in the first video. The only reason you’re able to appreciate the solution at the end is thanks to the setup that came before it.

Another way to look at this is that story is the intentional framing of an issue. The first video is made up of facts, but they don’t signify any particular meaning. On the other hand, in the second video, every detail is part of a larger whole.

What’s the big deal?

The truth is, there are a lot of elements that can make or break a video: the charisma of the people featured in it, how articulate they are, how exciting or striking the visuals are. All these elements add up to something that people can either 1) quickly scroll past; or 2) watch all the way through, riveted, and immediately share with their friends.

But if I had to pick one thing – one ingredient that you absolutely must get right to make a video that works – it would have to be the story.

Story gives your video clarity. I’m sure that there are a ton of interesting things that you could say about your organization; you can talk forever about its history, its mission, its staff and participants. But once you’re done talking, what picture have you painted?

If your video is scattered and all over the place, jumping from topic to topic, the viewer will walk away with a scattered and all over the place impression. If you want them to walk away with a specific sense of what you do, you need to tell them a specific story.

Story also gives your video momentum. It creates the feeling that the narrative is going somewhere. This feeling keeps people watching, and when the ending arrives, it gives them a sense of satisfaction – the closure that they were waiting for has been delivered.

Story isn’t flashy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t crucial for making your videos not only watchable and interesting, but memorable.

In practice

No matter what kind of video you’re making, I recommend always starting from the story.

If you’re working with a large budget, having a story will keep you grounded in a vision and purpose. You won’t just be throwing money around on every new idea that catches your attention, but spending it on properly executing a video with a strong foundation.

If you’re working with a tight budget, I believe that you should put your resources into telling a good story before you do anything else. A good story doesn’t need groundbreaking visuals to be powerful; on the other hand, visuals without a story often feel empty. When the video is over, viewers don’t have anything to take away with them. They’re left wondering what the point of all that was, what the video was even trying to tell them.

 What are your priorities when it comes to making a video? If you’re looking for help figuring out how to tell your story, feel free to reach out.