Personal branding
There is currently a lot of talk about personal branding on the internet so I thought it would be helpful if I looked at it from a video and storytelling point of view. I believe video should play a large part of a personal branding campaign because it is the best medium for storytelling.
Storytelling
Stories have always captivated humans, from the first cave drawings right through to current box office hits we have always looked for ways to express ourselves and entertain others with stories from the heart. When we listen to stories more of our brain is used compared to when we read non descriptive bullet points or copy. The reason we use more parts is down to the descriptive language used in stories. If an action is described our motor cortex will fire up and if a taste is described our sensory cortex will be engaged. This is why you can always remember the details of a story compared to traditional forms of marketing. I’m sure you can see how beneficial this could be when it comes to online marketing. This extra brain function can be taken one step further when a story is so compelling that neural coupling takes place. This is the term used when the listeners brain is firing in the same way as the storytellers. When you ‘click’ with someone or you can’t get through to someone this is neural coupling at work. When you do ‘click’ with someone it makes you feel at ease and helps a bond of trust to form. Imagine having a video on your website and YouTube channel that is doing this whilst you are busy working on other things.
This storytelling can be used in all sorts of different industries and for companies or individuals. In this blog I’m going to focus on individuals like life coaches, holistic therapists, after dinner speakers and business trainers because the personal story is perhaps their most important asset, as people looking for these services are after the right character with similar beliefs to help them through their lives or a particular problem.
If you are one of the individuals I mentioned above then I expect you landed in your current position because you have a passion to try to improve peoples lives. This says a huge amount about your character and I expect you have an interesting story to tell about how you got to where you are now. These sorts of stories are the ones that really work because they are relatable, honest, inspirational and are ultimately about humanity.
Audio and visual
Because video is a multi sensory media we are able to condense a story down to a manageable size and keep it interesting and gripping from beginning to end. Through the use of an interview, so you can be seen in the video and your body language can shine through, photos and cutaways of what you are talking about your story can come to life on screen and only require 2-3 minutes of a potential clients time. It’s important to say that for this type of video to work it’s very important to have an interview element because the human face is the key to portraying trust. Some of the best conversations are when both parties are fully engaged in the conversation and eye contact is being made. The same goes for video, if the interviewee is upbeat, personable and clearly excited about the topic being explained the audience will be engrossed and a relationship will start forming.
Further reading
How Does Video help gain Trust and Credibility?
How Emotion Plays A Part In The Buying Process
If you would like to find out more about personal branding videos please contact Will or Andy on 01273 911345 or email them here.