Did you know that the average Internet user spends 88% more time on a website with video than without?
(Source: Brainshark.com)
That’s a statistic that deserves attention, especially when you are trying to market your service or product to clients. As entrepreneurs, we all want to attract our dream clients, however, selling services or products alone is not going to make you stand out from the crowd. You’ll need your brand’s personality, values, and mission statement to stand out clearly so that you attract the specific kind of clientele you really want.
Videos will give your brand a voice and personality. It can grab the attention of your potential client, create a connection with them and build trust (even while you are sleeping!). I’m not talking about a video on product benefits, or one of those corporate videos that are narrated by a voice over talent. I’m talking about a personal brand video that features you, the founder of the business. Here’s an example that we created for a client of ours.
If you are interested in creating a personal brand video, you’ll need to start thinking about the content that goes into it.
Here are five key elements that should be included in your personal brand video
1. Your Why
If you are familiar with Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, a business should always be marketed from its core reason for being. That is, is your ‘Why’. What is your mission statement? Why does your business exist? Who are you doing this for?
Source: Smartinsights.com
For us, we have a mission statement for our corporate brand, Stories For Business, and a separate one for our lifestyle brand, Stories Lifestyle.
Stories Lifestyle – We exist to touch lives by building visual stories for present and future generations by capturing life’s moments, creating memories, and deepening relationships through our lenses.
Stories for Business – We help companies and professionals build their brand through creative visuals so they can continue to make a difference in their spheres of influence, contributing to a better future for all.
Other than a mission statement, your brand needs to be driven by your values. Are you able to list 5 key values that represent your business? For us at Stories, our values include excellence, passion, integrity, family-centred and creativity.
2. Your How
Create transparency and trust with your potential clients by giving them a peak into your process. Is there a unique technology or approach to your business? What are your strengths? How are you different from your competitors? In other words, why should potential clients choose you, based on how you run your business?
Have a look at the example here, and see if you can pick out the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’, that make Dr Anusha’s brand stand out from her competitors.
3. Your What
This is the most obvious element which should be explained in your video – what are the services or products you provide? Do you serve a specific niche? What problems do you solve? It is important to think about the people who you are speaking to. One thing to note is that your video is not going to attract everyone, and that’s OK. Your goal is to attract similar-minded potential clients who can resonate with your entire brand.
Reflect and fill in the blanks:
I provide [list your products or services] because it solves [describe the problem].
4. Your Personal Story
Personalisation is important for memory recall. It is unique because there is only one you in this world. Stories, if told well, create a huge emotional reaction in our brain. Don’t look down on the power of personal storytelling. So ask yourself, how does my personal story contribute to my brand? What can I share that is meaningful and authentic? Is this story emotional? Why do I want to tell this story?
Imagine… a story of a boy, son of a gambling father, who at the age of 9 had to start working to support his family, who without any formal education started working for an electric light company, then faced some success and failure in business, but eventually, achieved success… creating products like rice cookers, air-conditioners, and monochrome televisions. This person is named Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic. How does knowing this backstory connect you to the brand?
5. Your Aesthetic
The final key element to include into your personal brand video is your visual style. Are you a brand that advocates for natural, healthy living? Perhaps your video should be recorded outdoors under the shade of a beautiful tree. What kind of image do you want to portray? Do you have specific fonts and colours you identify with? All of these are important considerations prior to shooting a video. To help you with this, you could create a mood board for yourself using Pinterest, paying careful attention to how these visuals align with your brand values and personality.
Once you’ve identified all the elements that need to go into your personal brand video, get in touch with us! We’d love to be part of your journey by providing creative and technical support to make this video a reality.
As we mentioned, it’s part of our mission statement – we’re here to help you elevate your brand so that you can continue to make a difference in your area of influence.
Photo by Moe Magners from Pexels
