In recent years, brand video storytelling has really taken off on social media. It’s a creative and personal way to connect with your audience and ensure your brand leaves a lasting impression on the fast-paced society we live in.

In this series, we’ll be giving you tips on how you can use video storytelling in your social media marketing, with a focus on a different social media platform each time. Starting off with Instagram marketing videos and what you can do to add real value to your brands digital marketing efforts on this ever growing platform.

What is brand video storytelling?

Put simply, brand video storytelling is a way for you to informally market your brand’s products and services, using creative narratives over rigid line-by-line scripts. Although it’s been around for years, its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, as digital marketing overtakes its print-form predecessor. Video storytelling addresses the needs of the modern consumer, who expect to receive information faster and quicker than ever before.

The only distinction between digital storytelling and more conventional types of storytelling is how those stories are presented, now seen via video in a digital environment. Nowadays, a lot of people use online platforms to develop and deliver their messages to their audience, combining numerous communication and marketing techniques to create persuasive selling points.

Choosing the right platforms to enhance your digital storyline

To begin your video storytelling journey right, you’ll need to decide what platforms would work best for your brands digital storyline. Let’s take a look at why Instagram marketing videos may be the right platform for your brand storytelling.

Overall, Instagram is great for showcasing visual content. It was literally created to share photos and videos, although the app has developed over the years it’s purpose essentially has remained the same. From a marketing perspective, Instagram is best suited to B2C and e-commerce businesses and is also ideal for highlighting team and agency culture.

Get a powerful message across with Instagram stories

Despite their short-form and lasting only 24 hours, Instagram stories remain one of the platform’s most popular features. It’s a powerful way to get a message across quickly and creatively to new audiences, with Instagram reporting that of the 500 million accounts using Instagram stories, ⅓ of the most viewed stories come from businesses.

Stories on Instagram are also one of the only places on the social platform where you’re able to post direct links. Whether that’s to your website or a specific product/service page, this is particularly useful for brands, as links offer a way to drive organic leads and conversions.

Using Instagram marketing videos in the form of stories to digitally market your brand and actually making sure you stand out against your competitors is a completely different matter. Your stories must be carefully considered to have the intended effect you’re hoping to achieve.

Here’s a few tips to consider when creating Instagram stories:

• Include motion – Capture viewers attention
• Use sound – Provide optimal value to your viewers
• Be smart about your CTA – Make sure it’s clear and simple
• Include text – Emphasise your key messages to make it easy for viewers
• Get straight to the point – Instagram stories are consumed fast and you need to deliver your message in the first instance to grab your viewers attention
• Include multiple frames to your story – This increases engagement levels and ensures your story is seen for longer.

Instagram stories are perfect for the following type of content:

• Sneak peaks and teasers of a sale, special event or product
• Announcing a contest winner
• Behind the scenes footage
• Highlighting team and agency culture
• Promoting a live event
• Sharing a positive review
• Answering or asking questions and running polls/quizzes

American clothing brand, Trunk Club, creates engaging and fast-moving Instagram marketing videos, in particular their ad stories. Showing a range of their clothing options from dresses to cardigans to appeal to a wider audience. Their messaging “Keep what you love, send back the rest” is simple, direct and clear, leaving no room for confusion. Their choice of simple plain background and easy to read typeface, ticks all the boxes of being a clean and effective Instagram story made with the viewer in mind.

Explore endless possibilities with Instagram Reels

You’ve probably heard a lot about Instagram reels over the past couple of years. They are currently favoured by the Instagram algorithm, which is more likely to recommend them to people who don’t follow you than feed posts. This type of Instagram marketing video content is perfect for brand storytelling, with endless possibilities of how you can show off a product or service in video format. Engagement can be huge on reels, especially when you encourage your viewers to get involved with a poll, question or get them to leave comments.

Here’s a few ways to get your reels picked up by the Instagram algorithm:

• Do not recycle watermarked TikToks
• Shoot in vertical
• Use the bells and whistles: filters, camera effects, and music.
• Use niche hashtag, specific to your brand

Instagram reels are perfect for the following type of content:

• Sharing industry tips
• Displaying your skills, products or service
• Sharing product or service results
• Sharing your values
• Creating tutorials
• Behind the scenes footage

World renowned brand, Apple, have mastered creating Instagram reels, with clever how-to videos focusing on specific products and new features that are explained to viewers in a quick and simple tutorial via their reels.

Enjoy creative freedom with impactful Instagram feed videos

Moving away from the quick and snappy Instagram marketing videos, your brand also has another option to use on Instagram in the form of feed videos. These videos can be up to 60 minutes in length, giving you creative freedom that doesn’t yet exist on most competing platforms.

Instagram feed videos are displayed in user feeds as well as on your profile page, giving you double the opportunity to capture your viewers with a video that promotes a product, service, or collaboration with your audience. Although you have more time in these videos to get your message across, you still need to get your key messages across in the first instance to stop thumbs scrolling, ensuring consumers want to find out more and listen to the rest of what you have to say.

Here’s a few tips to consider when creating Instagram feed videos:

• Start with a hook – Give people a reason to keep watching
• Don’t underestimate the importance of a good caption
• Shoot in vertical – Most people view Instagram on their mobile
• Include captions – Make your videos accessible to a wider audience

Instagram feed videos are perfect for the following type of content:

• Sharing original content specific to your brand
• A consistent theme and series so people come back for more
• Sharing product or service results
• Product launches

As the biggest internet retailer, Amazon has also mastered Instagram feed videos, going above and beyond in their storytelling video content. Their recent Halloween video got a lot of attention, with each individual frame of a pumpkin that had to be carved, positioned, photographed, and then edited together to match the beat of the music. Talk about creativity and talent!

Best practice for Instagram video storytelling

Social media is more than just a tool to connect people together; it’s a powerful platform for users to create and share stunning visual content. The wealth of opportunities that exist on the platform to grow and promote brands make Instagram video marketing vitally important to your social media video strategy.

Here’s a few tips to consider for the best Instagram video storytelling:

• Optimise visuals – Ensure you use high quality images and videos to make an impact and leave a lasting impression on viewers
• Reinforce your brand identity – Always be sure to include your logo, brand colours, and featured products. Don’t be afraid to shout about your brand identity in as many ways as possible
• Motion graphics – These are a great way to add value to your social brand storytelling. They emotionally and mentally engage your viewers and make it easier to share across social channels.
• Tell a story that conveys a message – As humans we resonate with narrative storytelling, so crafting a hook that grabs their attention and takes viewers on an emotional journey is essential to make your brand the star

Using storytelling in your digital marketing is a simple way to elevate your personal brand. Your business can provide a memorable visual experience that will boost engagement, raise awareness, and expand your brand on Instagram, with the help of a strong creative strategy, careful pre-production planning, and a dash of inventiveness.

Sources: 1) hubspot.com 2) hubspot.com 3)socialfox.com