In this blog, we will walk you through step-by-step and you'll craft a 1-minute video ad to sell your products while telling a story.
We all realize the power of video in today's busy, connected world. What you may not realize is the power of limiting yourself to just 1 minute of storytelling.
Here's why they need to be short…
Facebook recommends 15 to 90 second videos, leaning heavily toward the shorter end of the spectrum.
But 15 seconds is too short to do much storytelling. By keeping your video to a minute, you make it easy for people to watch it…
- On a mobile device
- While waiting in line or during a lagging conversation
…which is how a lot of videos are consumed today. It also gives you enough space to tell an engaging story.
Here's why it's important to tell a story…
People are smart. They see a sales pitch a mile away, and they don't want to be sold to. So, it's important to wrap your sales message in something they love—stories.
Think of it like this…
No one tries to give their dog a pill without wrapping it in a piece of bologna or cheese. Dogs don't like pills, but they'll swallow them if they're wrapped in something they DO like.
By wrapping your offer in a great story, you'll make it 100% more engaging. We call this the “Baloney Principle” by the way, and it's the key to 1-minute videos.
Creating a 1-minute video is as easy as piecing together these 4 components:
- Hook, or story opener—the first 3 seconds of your video
- Ignite Pain/Pleasure—12 seconds
- Describe the Solution—35 seconds
- Call to Action—10 seconds
TOTAL TIME: 60 seconds
The remainder of this blog, we'll create each segment and put them all together for a powerful 1-minute video.
Grab the 1-Minute Video Worksheet
Download the The 1-Minute Video Template worksheet and let’s get started!
Review Video Examples
Most people talk about the Why, How, and the What: "Hi, my name is Dr. Page. I'm an eye doctor. Here's what I do… Here's how much it costs…"
But a story is far more powerful.
Dr. Page starts with his Why. He tells us his dad went blind. And that's what inspired him to become a doctor.
This example is a perfect example of how the template can turn your story into a compelling message.
Your video doesn't have to sell anything. You can adapt the template to achieve whatever business goal you have in mind.
In this example, Isaac Irvine, who works with GoDaddy, uses a video to build his personal brand. As you'll see, he does it in this video by interviewing his son.
This video example is over a minute long, but it follows the same template and shows you how you can adapt this format to suit different needs.
The point of this video is to show Isaac as a role model for his son, and the story does a good job of achieving that goal.
The video went viral. It's been picked up by Ellen DeGeneres, George Takei, LADbible, Buzzfeed, and other media outlets. Isaac and his son have been on the news multiple times for this.
Isaac's video is genuine. It's him helping his son tell his story, and it resonated with people.
Create The Hook
The hook is the most important part of your video because it's where most video traffic is lost. (Facebook doesn't even call it a view if a viewer doesn't watch it for at least 3 seconds!)
So, forget everything you thought you knew about videos. Here are the rules for hooking your viewers the right away.
When creating your hook...
DO:
- Open your story with the phrase, "When I was…" Then immediately follow it with a summary of what happened
- Make your story 3 seconds or less. Short and simple
- Start with a story opener. Your first sentence is your hook. It needs to grab people's attention and make them want more. Something like:
"When I was 19, my car broke down in the middle of nowhere, New Mexico"
"When I was 5, I went to SeaWorld and got attacked by a seagull"
To find your best stories, think about the things that have happened to you, especially life-changing or defining moments in your life.
You can use a different story in each video, but it needs to relate to the offer you're making in that video.
- Leave off the bumper. A bumper is an intro with your logo and background music. It's all about you, and it doesn't engage your viewers, so don't include it.
Instead, get right to the point. Start with movement, use a prop, anything to make people stop scrolling and watch.
DON'T:
- Include an introduction. The average video starts with the speaker introducing themselves and giving their credentials. Something like:
......"Hi, my name is Logan. I'm 27. I went to school at BLU and now I make videos."
Hook—Isaac: Say "hi," man. Wanna say hi to my friends? Brody: Hi. Isaac: So, you got bullied today, huh? What happened? You wanna talk about it?
Ignite Pain Or Pleasure
Now, you'll focus on the problem you'll solve for your viewers.
To ignite pain or pleasure:
- Open with the point of the story: what you learned or how it impacted you
- Transition to the problem
- State the problem clearly and concisely
- Agitate. Let them know you understand their pain
This section should take up to 12 seconds and be roughly between seconds 0:03 to 0:15.
Here's an example of successfully igniting pain:
At 19 years old, I learned that things don't always go like you plan. And a lot of you might feel that way when it comes to marketing.
You're running ad campaigns on Facebook, Google, and other channels. And though you hear a lot of success stories, you feel like your ads aren't working very well.
Ignite Pain—As a doctor, I realized I was helping people see better, but I notice that their vision just keeps getting worse and worse. So, I'm trying to figure out if there's some we can stop that or keep people's vision from getting worse.
Ignite Pain—Brody: So, I was going in line and 2 boys went past me and made fun of me. Isaac: What did they make fun of you about? Brody: My hair. Isaac: Because you have long hair? It's pretty long, dude. It's pretty awesome. Is there a reason you have long hair? Brody: I want to donate it. Isaac (summing up the story): So, you have long hair because you want to donate it, and some kids came by and said you look like a girl? How'd that make you feel, man? Brody: It made me feel sad.
Describe The Solution
If you're creating a sales video, this will be the bulk of your content. The goal here is to paint a picture of the solution—life without the problem you've been talking about—and how you make it happen.
There's no set structure for this section, but you may follow this simple format:
- Explain what your solution is
- Explain how or why it works
- Describe how it will change their lives
Take about 35 seconds to describe the solution you offer and should be between seconds 0:15 to 0:50.
Describe Solution—I believe your life revolves around your eyesight. So, we created what called Invisilens, which stabilizes the eyes—like braces for the eyes.
Example #2: Isaac Irvine, Brand Building
Describe Solution—Isaac: You don't see a lot of kids your age—like boys—with long hair. That's pretty unique. You wanna know a secret? Daddy gets made fun of too. Brody: Yeah, I know, because of your tattoos. Isaac: People look at me, like, look at that guy with all the tattoos on his back and his neck and stuff. Brody: Well, I think it's cool.
Outline your solution and fill in the "Describe Solution" section of your
template.
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Create A Call To Action
In the last few seconds of your video, tell people what to do next with a simple call to action (CTA). This is usually done in seconds 0:50 to 0:60.
Keep in mind, the CTA doesn't have to involve selling something. You can have a soft CTA or a hard CTA.
Some example hard CTAs you might choose to use:
- "Click below"
- "Enter below"
And some example soft CTAs...
- "I'm looking forward to connecting"
- "I'll send you more content"
Since we cut our introduction and bio from the beginning of the video, it makes sense to include it in this step. Here's a great example for working your bio into the CTA:
"My name is [name]. I do [what your service or business is]. I'd be very happy to [name the help you'll give or action you want]."
Finalize Your Script
Once you have all 4 components written out in your
template, put them together to create your video script.
Once your script has been plugged into the grid, read through it (out loud!) to make sure it flows.
- Fix anything that stops the flow
- Add transitions where necessary
- Make sure it stays at or near 60 seconds
Record Your Video
The whole point of these videos are to be quick and simple. Use a tool like
Soapbox to record your video today using your new script.
Shoot it once all the way through and see how you like it. If you absolutely hate it, try again, but don't spend too much time trying to make it perfect.
Remember, you are telling an authentic story as an authentic person. The worst thing you can do is look like you're reading from a script or that you are trying too hard to be perfect.
Shoot it and ship it to your social media pages, or anywhere that you have the potential to use videos.
You can see what your initial results are and reshoot it if necessary.
I can't wait to see your videos, comment below and share your link so we can come support you!
