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Writer's pictureTIS Team Member

How to Tell a Better Story

Updated: May 5, 2020


We all have been there. Watching a movie, or tv series that keeps us glued to the screen and continually draws a rollercoaster of emotions out of us. Whether that’s a comedy that makes you laugh until your sides hurt, or a drama that we can relate with on a personal level, storytelling is an art that seems complicated, but really isn’t. When it comes to marketing in these days, good visual storytelling is quite essential. I’ve often heard, “It’s not about the product anymore, but the stories we tell.” I want to point out what makes a good story and show you how you can make one too for your brand.


Keep it Simple. Good story telling is simple, not complexed. Now when you’re watching a movie, situations may feel or seem complexed, but the over all story is still simple. There’s always a beginning, middle, and end. Jesus, in the Bible, was one of the greatest storytellers who ever lived. Why? Because he made it super simple for anyone to understand…look it up. :)


Relatable. When you’re a good storyteller, you make things relatable. Most of us have had similar experiences in life such as: an embarrassing moment in front of a lot of people, a first kiss, getting your driver’s license, failing a test, winning a game, going on a job interview, etc. When you’re writing a script or storyline, you’ve got to think of moments in the story that will be relatable to your audience in order for them to latch-on.


Good Characters. Good story telling has good characters. As in the previous point, some of the best characters in a story are relatable ones. Storytelling for video marketing purposes could be a consumers story about how he/she discovered a product and how it made their life better. The character has to be interesting or at least very genuine. This will make your audience want to hear more from or empathize with the person on camera.


Make Strong Points. You have to have strong points to tell a good story. Make sure the message you’re trying to convey is being heard. In a film or tv show, it may be a bunch of small points within a situation or one overall point in a documentary, but for marketing purposes your message really needs to be clear to the viewer. The problem was _________ and we fixed the problem with ________.


Here’s a 30 sec. sample.

“When I was 10 years old, I broke my leg trying to jump off the roof with an open umbrella like Mary Poppins. (relatable) After that experience I always thought about risk and was hesitant to be risky in anything. It’s an awful feeling when you’re caged by an emotion or any kind of fear that holds you back from being your best. (empathetic character). When it came to my investments, I wasn’t a risk taker, and it wasn’t until I met the team at ACME Investments Inc. that helped me understand risk management so I could run my business better and protect my investments. It has turned my life around and I have gone from 5% to 25% in growth in just over one year! (Making strong points) Now I don’t jump off of roofs anymore, but I do take a few risks here and there (visual - Character is hang gliding)” (Simple).


Now that’s just a quick “off the cuff” example, but do you see what I’m getting at?


Hopefully, this just gives you a few tips to keep in mind when you’re thinking about shooting your next video and writing a script for it. Remember keep it simple and relatable. Have a good character, and make your points. Then you should be off to a great start with your storytelling.



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