Adopting Video Storytelling Technics To Make Better Connections

Toward the end of 2015, I had the pleasure of working with Brian Artka from Size43 Creative, a firm that describes itself as creating films that connect people on a human level. Not long ago, Artka pointed me toward a presentation he put together for the Wisconsin Chapter of the Society of Marketing Professional Services that includes one of the best examples I’ve come across for making a real connection via the story.

The film has nothing to do with performing arts but there’s more than enough here you can use for inspiration and resource.

A Street Roots Story from Street Roots on Vimeo.

You can get an overview of this project and its process beginning on page 10 of Artka’s presentation.

Regardless if your group uses video shorts for promotional purposes or not, there’s plenty here to inspire your traditional copy writing and photo based promotional work, such as the four key elements Artka identifies for effective video storytelling:

  1. Emotional Connection
  2. Context
  3. Conflict / Struggle
  4. Passion / Desire

Just imagine adopting this technic to something self-contained like an event email and if you maintain segmented lists, consider using this approach toward your infrequent and first time buyer lists.

If your group is fortunate enough to produce promotional videos, it isn’t difficult to integrate Artka’s approach toward focusing on unique patron profiles as the central character interacting with your organization.

All in all, it’s an inspiring approach toward outreach and connecting with your audience and should help you break out of the confines of pointing a camera at a guest artist, conductor, or musician and asking them to talk about the music. Those sort of pieces always have a meaningful place in your video promotions, but there’s no reason they should be the only tool at your disposal.

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

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