How to Engage Your Audience with Video Marketing on Instagram

April 27, 2021

Show, don't tell.

That's an old saying that shows how effective video marketing is today, especially in the world of social media marketing.

By creating high-quality videos that show your brand's position, both existing and potential customers will connect with your products/services even better. 

Out of all content types, videos are one of the best types you can opt for. They are more interesting and meaningful for your viewers since they're wrapped in a real-life context and offer real connections.

This is where video storytelling fits in. Telling your story through videos is a surefire way to have a more engaged IG page. To help you do that, here are some storytelling pointers to integrate with your marketing strategy.

But first, why video marketing on Instagram? Well, it... 

  • Drives greater traffic, and improves leads, conversions, and sales 

  • Shows higher ROI

  • Fosters social shares and engages even the laziest customer

  • Builds trust and creates long-standing customer relationships 

  • Is a great way to explain just about anything

  • Helps you stay relevant 

  • Grows your audience
     

Tips on how to use video storytelling on Instagram

1. Turn existing content into videos

Ebooks, podcasts, press releases, blog content, etc. You can repurpose all these into videos to re-engage your audience and spark even greater emotions.

You can use this opportunity to maximize other content you've sent time to research and create.
 

2. Video-enable your brand

In addition to content repurposing, you should also video-enable your brand to stay competitive and re-leverage existing assets.

Think of every single process in your business and how you can create videos around them.
 

3. Use the Hero's Journey template

To give customers a real glimpse of what your business is up to, you need to craft your story in a way that combines your business with the customer.

Try the hero's journey; a template commonly seen in movies and writings.

You simply place the customer as the hero and your business as the hero's guide. The heroes or customers have obstacles keeping them from reaching their goals. So while your business' job is to guide them, your products/services are the tools they need to overcome the obstacle.
 

4. Skip the sales pitch

Please, refrain from making your videos salesy. The idea is to tell the customer's story, so don't try to unleash yours or sell to them. Whatever the video you come up with, do it in a way that focuses on the customer's needs. Thankfully IG videos have no CTAs, which reduces the salesy nature of most marketing content.
 

5. Make it fun and digestible

This one is a big challenge for most brands. You need to present your story in a way that's fun and digestible. Since there's a limit, you need to fit your message into something that’s brief but still provides value.

A 20s video can replace a 500-word article with so much more effectiveness and conversions. And one interesting fact: the shorter the video, the better.
 

6. Include the human touch

Videos are a great way to create empathy and include a human touch in your marketing efforts. If you can create your videos in a way that shows empathy, customers get to experience your story by watching someone else go through it.

This is perhaps the most important pointer on this list. Conversions and sales will upsurge as soon as your videos spark the right emotions.
 

7. Don’t be scared to go live

Aside from pre-edited videos, you should also tell your story live. This can be done by a content or social media marketer, or even the business owner. Live streaming can be a big step for your brand. Here's all you need to know about IG live.
 

8. Include the audience

The whole point is to engage the viewers. But without carrying them along, that's absolutely impossible.

Show that you know their pain points. Thank them. Ask a question at the end of your video—recorded or live streamed. Things like these help the customers feel included.

You can also call them out in your videos. Live streaming allows you to interact with them live.
 

9. Retain authenticity

Authenticity is all about showing that you're a real person. We want to see that you're human like everyone else. Let them see your environment and feel like they're watching a friend.

Incorporate conflicts into your content, showing that you fully understand their pain points. Don't just focus on what your products can do for the market but why each specific customer should purchase it.
 

10. Embrace constraints

Similar to how the world is growing from the COVID-19 pandemic, constraints can help you make better, more inspired videos. You can find inspiration from things you could never imagine. From the park to coffee shops, just keep an open mind and the creative juices will come rushing in.

Constraints also encourage intimacy, as you get to give viewers a closer view of whoever is in the video.
 

11. Show, don’t tell

Yes, I'm using that phrase again.

A lot of brands get it wrong. They bombard customers with unnecessary information, which leads to the brands losing their interest in no time.

You should focus on showing your topic in action, providing a visual context for the main idea of your content. The context will determine how the visuals will be. Your videos can show step-by-step instructions, case studies, tutorials, demos, etc.
 

Other video storytelling tips include:

  • You can get inspiration from anywhere but late-night TV is the most common.

  • Build a video marketing strategy. It often starts with your video goals and target audience and ends with a posting schedule and a realistic budget.

  • Show some personality.

  • Learn to measure and evaluate success.

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