Are you sitting comfortably?
Then let’s begin.
Once upon a time, in a place far, far away…
This is how stories started from prehistoric caves to Hollywood space odysseys. We follow the path of the hero from humble beginnings through impossible challenges to the final transformation that brings salvation.
Fine. But what good is all this to us?
If we have to tell stories in our videos at all, how can we do this sort of thing in only a couple of minutes?
How can we tell stories?
Just to remove any doubt:
Yes, we have to tell stories.
Not just because stories are the lifeblood of video.
Stories engage, they appeal to the emotions, and that is how they help to build trust. And they are far more than that.
Stories are part of our DNA as human beings. We are hardwired to enjoy stories, especially stories that lead to transformation.
So, how do we tell our stories?
Advice here is plentiful.
Stories have a beginning, middle and end. They are dramatic and build on conflict that leads to transformation. And they end in a resolution. The hero’s journey.
That is a fabulous model for Hollywood but how can we shrink the 90 to 120 minutes they have to tell their stories to our 90 to 120 seconds?
Not to worry. We have our 3 little helpers who show us the way:
- AIDA
- WIIFM
- And our Call to Action
How do our 3 little helpers go to work?
We use AIDA as the structure for our story and WIIFM to get it right.
We grab our audience’s attention with their problem; that is the conflict of the story.
Tension then rises to an epic drama as they don’t know how to solve their problem.
Then the hero appears, which is you with your three magical solutions to their problem. But how can they use your solutions?
That is the resolution of the story, your Call to Action. Disaster averted, problem resolved. The hero can rest.
Voilà, our story told in no more than a couple of minutes.
And what happens then?
Well, you know it, of course: They lived happily ever after.
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