The modern Storyteller - YouTube!

Storytelling.  We all do it, heck we've all heard a tall tale or two hundred - and in my family that is one holiday meal!  So, what does that mean in the times of instant gratification and social media?

Our Facebook and Twitter feeds - along with every other social outlet - are full of videos that our friends, family, co-workers, etc. have posted at one point or another.  The bottom line is that people post videos and pictures for three core reasons:

1.  To amaze and entertain our friends
2.  To reveal aspects of our true selves to our network in order to build stronger relationships
3.  To help people by providing meaningful information and insight

Now think about it, who hasn't posted some crazy video of some person doing a stunt gone horribly wrong?  I am a consistent poster of articles and videos that relate to organ donation, or of positive affirmations.  And, who didn't receive some sort of political video/joke/picture during last years elections?

Great, you've nailed exactly why I post something on a personal level, so what does that mean for my brand?  It goes back to the first word in this post - Storytelling.  We are social creatures, and social media, particularly YouTube and Facebook, allow us to share the stories that Uncle Jack told us from back in the day, but utilizing visuals and acoustics to enhance the social experience.

Brands have been making TV ads for years, which is great for the Super Bowl, but otherwise you end up taking a shotgun to an archery contest.  Social Media allows a Brand to fine-tune its message on a personal level - by bonding with the recipient through those core reasons.  Creating a Brand Story that relates your product/service/mission/values to the individual promotes not only the Brand, but the social aspect that we all have to share.  You may have 100,000 twitter followers, but release a YouTube video that grabs your audience on a personal level, and that tweet may explode to Millions of people - and potential customers.

Read more on how to create a Storytelling experience with your Brand videos