Most advice about making videos talks about structure: Keep it short, give three tips, stick to a list. Structure matters, but it’s not what makes someone stop scrolling, lean in, and actually feel your message.

That’s down to the magic of stories.

Stories are the emotional bridge between you and your audience, whether you’re a coach, creative, startup, or global B2B brand. They make people feel understood, which keeps you top of mind when purchasing decisions are being made.

In this post, we’re going to look at ways you can use stories in your video content so your audience feels that spark of connection every time they watch.

Why stories are pure power

It’s easy to underestimate the power of stories because we’re surrounded by them. Some are told so well that we feel their impact without even registering the journey. And some are tenuous LinkedIn nonsense that are obviously contrived to make a ‘business’ point.

That’s the key factor in telling good stories – truth. Your stories need to be from your real experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Your truth. We all scroll quickly past fake authenticity because there’s no value in it.

But everything you have to say, when it’s from a place of honesty, is valuable to your audience and unique. Other people run businesses in your industry. But no one has the exact same human experience as you.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

That’s what storytelling does for all your content – it helps your audience feel a particular way about you and your offering. Why wouldn’t you use this power for good?

1. Build your story bank: Once upon a time…

It’s the bit after the dot-dot-dot that makes video content stories tricky for most people, because many make the mistake of going straight to filming when they have a good story idea.

To make the most impact with your stories, have a story bank. Somewhere that you jot down every idea you have for content stories.

No judgment, they don’t have to be epic. It’s the small everyday things that often land the deepest. Just write it down before it escapes into the ether.

This gives you a collection of experiences, lessons and important moments that you can refer to when you come to planning your next batch of video content. Put it in a Google Doc, your notes app, send yourself a voice note to save in one folder, or even get a fancy new IRL notebook!

It really doesn’t matter what format you use – just make sure they’re all in the same place.

To help you get started on your story bank, try searching these treasure troves:

• • Flick through your camera roll: Got a photo of your first paid invoice? First day at your office?
  • Scroll old notes: You never know what gems you’ve forgotten about. Conference inspiration? Major fail?
  • Old video footage: What does it spark as a ‘what next?’

2. Make your clients the main protagonist

Your stories will sometimes just be about you. And that’s fine. But some really powerful connections come when people feel like they’re in your story.

When you were a kid, did you ever read a story where the main character had your name? Soooooo exciting!

If you’re ever charged with making up a story for a child, it’s absolutely essential to start with ‘Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a Queen/Dragon/Bear called [their name].’

Telling stories about and from the viewpoint of your clients, community, or industry colleagues is incredibly powerful. Because your audience instantly sees themselves in the same story.

You don’t have to put together a ‘choose your own adventure’ series – just make sure your library of stories has a range of heroes. Everyone wants to feel they’re the ones with main character energy in their own story.

If you manage to do that, your connection with your audience will be that much stronger for it. You’re showing (not telling) that you understand where they’re at. That’s far more engaging than another ‘top tips’ list.

3. Leave space for reflection

Respect your audience’s intelligence. Different people respond differently to the same story. So it’s important to sometimes leave room for that in your storytelling.

This means not always taking your audience by the hand and leading them straight from point A to point B. Often, the stories that stick the most give your audience space to reflect and draw their own meaning.

Leaving space for people to connect the dots themselves requires an emotional investment. This makes it more likely to be remembered.

In practical terms, this means using an open-ended analogy, an ending that’s left hanging, or left open to different interpretations. Your audience steps in to fill the gap themselves.

4. Retell your stories everywhere

All our traditional stories are reinterpreted and retold, some over centuries. Think of all the different ways Cinderella’s been retold: many written versions, Disney animation, films, songs, flip-the-script stories (CinderFella), satirical takes. It’s so ingrained in Western storytelling that ‘A Cinderella story’ has become the name for a type of romantic tale.

The telling and retelling of your stories builds your identity and includes your audience. You don’t just share your origin story in one long-form video when you can also:

• • Retell it on stage at your next speaking event
  • Use lightbulb moments in that story as shorts
  • Turn it into a blog post
  • Make it Chapter 1 of your book
  • Tell it with a different spin when you’re a guest on a podcast
  • Maybe make it into a series of LinkedIn posts or carousel
  • Add photos, graphics, or an interview with someone who knew you then and still knows you now.

Remember, your audience will meet you in different places and through their preferred medium.

Keep telling your stories in as many ways as you can. Become known for them. You’re building your own set of traditional tales to amplify who you are, across platforms and time.

5. You need a video creation system

Consistency matters to your ideal clients and the algorithms that deliver your stories to them.

Keeping your distribution consistent needs a repeatable, scalable system in place. Here’s how to do it for your video content:

• • Book out 2 days in your diary every month: 1 for planning and 1 for filming
  • Keep adding to your story bank whenever any good ideas appear, and use it as the springboard to your planning day. No blank screen fear here!
  • Tell the longest form of the story first – 1 long-form video
  • Slice it up into short clips, posts, and reels

Systems keep you showing up. Stories connect you and make you unforgettable. Put them both together, and you and your video content can live happily ever after.

The end…

…or is it just the beginning?

Educational videos that share advice are helpful, but you need to use the power of storytelling to really connect through the screen.

Because at the end of the day, people don’t just remember tips. They remember how they felt when they heard your stories

Want help uncovering your most powerful stories and turning them into content that scales? Book a free call, we’ll help you create your Video Power Plan.