Story telling is what we do here at KC Visuals/HBSU, and we do it using video.  I have been telling stories with a camera since I was 10 years old and have loved doing it for a long time now. Since video is what we use as a tool to tell stories, we typically show examples of customer videos we have produced.  However, we occasionally put together demos to show a wide range of capabilties in a short video.  Here's a demo we recently posted on storytelling:

There's many ways small business owners, independent professionals, and entrepreneurs can tell their story using video.   Here's 3 simple ideas that are low cost ways you can make storytelling videos for your business.

1.  Go on camera and tell your audience your story

Tell them who you are, what you do, how you came about doing what you do, and finish with why you do it.   You can do this with a cell phone or a video camera.  Use a lav clip on mic or a boom mic to record sound.  Shoot the video in a bright room and avoid lighting or windows behind you (they create a silouhette effect).   Plan out what you are going to say, don't wing it.   You can even practice it in the mirror.  Keep it short, 60 to 90 seconds is best.  Look right in to the camera if you can.   Relax, smile, and talk conversationally to the audience waiting online to watch and hear why they need to work with you.   Identify a problem or issue that is important to your audience and tell them how you can solve it for them   Call them to action.   

If you can do it all in one take, that's great, but most people can't.   Shoot the entire message a few times through, and use different angles or focal lengths each time, so you can smoothly transition between good takes.   If you have editing software, that's awesome.  Use it to clean up your video and eliminate mistakes and downtime.   Youtube has editing capabilities, so at least use that to tighten up your video before posting it.   Here's an example video of a physician that is very simple in its approach to tell potential patients who he is, what he does, and why he does it.

2.   The second idea is for those of you with a little more video experience, which is to tell your story but add some additional elements to your video and maybe other people from your company.   This means using more production techniques, including music, graphics, and b-roll to reinforce what you are saying.    Doing videos this way may take a little more time and may even involve hiring a professional to produce the video (still very affordable), but it does make your message presentation more watchable and more effective.  Here's a video that uses several different production techniques like music, graphics, on-camera messaging and soundbites from a live presentation, that a preacher/counselor uses to tell his story.

3.  The third idea is to let one or some of your happy customers provide you with video testimonials.   Many surveys show that people are very interested in seeing customer testimonials before making a purchasing decision.   A video testimonial reinforces and enhances this powerful marketing tool.   Customer testimonials can be as simple as the first idea presented here, or can be included in a more advanced marketing video as shown in idea two.   Here's an example of a simple testimonial.

I hope these ideas help you as you delve in to the world of video marketing.   If you need more info, click the button below to learn how we can help you with Video Marketing and why it is vital to your success.