How to Create a Core Story Video for Your Business
Do you have a video that tells the story of your “why”? If not, here’s how to plan it, make it, and market it.

We’ve been working on a core story video for quite awhile. We don’t have one to share with you (yet) because it’s a project that’s always fallen through the cracks. But in today’s marketing landscape, your story is one of the most powerful tools you have. Since we’ve had trouble nailing this down, we're guessing you might have similar questions about how to get this done. So let’s work through it together!

No time to read? Watch our video overview:

1. Create a Script

Step 1: Brainstorm

The hardest part of this video is boiling down what your company does and why. The goal is to express what you and your business stand for in a way that’s personal and engaging. Because insurance isn’t interesting to most people, you want to pull in elements of personality wherever you can.

Here's a good example of a video that does just that. It's from our friend Nick Ayers of ThriveSure Insurance:

Here are a few questions to get you started:

  • What is your mission statement?
  • Who is your ideal client?
  • Why did you get into the life insurance business?
  • What motivates you about your job?
  • What is your best memory about the life insurance business?
  • Are there clients whose situations or experiences stick in your memory?
  • What do you and your staff do for fun during the workday? How do you create and build relationships with each other?
  • What do your long-term clients think and say about you? Why do they do business with you?

Now that you’ve brainstormed some of the memories, ideas, and personalities that make your business different, it’s time to create your script outline.

Step 2: Outline

Your script should be geared toward your ideal client. Are you using this video to attract new agents to your agency? Or are you using this video to attract new consumers and convince them to do business with you? If you do both at the same time, like we do, you may struggle with trying to combine everything you do into one video. It’s easier to make separate videos, one per audience. You don’t want to risk losing the interest of one target audience while you address another.

As an example, here's a video Pacific Life did to attract job seekers. They give you a sense of their company culture, what people say about them, and why people like working there. As you watch, get a feel for the scenes, images, and dialogue they included:

As you put your outline together, use the basic format below to start. Think about how to “show” and “tell” to illustrate each of the subtopics below. What you “show” is what the viewer will see. What you “tell” is what you’ll say. That might include speaking directly to the camera, filming a scene where you and/or staff interact with clients, or with a voice-over as the viewer watches a scene.

  • Introduce yourself.
    • Show:
    • Tell:
  • Explain your “why” - why do you do what you do?
    • Show:
    • Tell:
  • Explain your “how” - how do you do it? What makes you different and special?
    • Show:
    • Tell:
  • Show that it works - social proof, testimonials, number of clients helped, etc.
    • Show:
    • Tell:
  • Call to action - what should the viewer do next?
    • Show:
    • Tell:

Step 3: Finalize Your Script

Now it’s time to get specific. For example, if your outline calls for a shot of you introducing yourself in your office, the actual script should contain the exact points you want to mention. If there are particular things you want to show – awards, diplomas on the wall, or other tokens that represent who you are – note these in the script.

As you think about what to show and tell, refer to your brainstormed topics above. Look for ideas and phrases that really showcase your personality. Here are a few examples:

  • Love football? Have everyone in the video wear a jersey from their favorite team.
  • Passionate about serving your home town? Film a scene near your favorite park or restaurant.
  • Can’t live without your morning coffee? Carry your favorite brew in your favorite mug as you show viewers around your office.
  • Have an interesting work history or life experience? Share a still photo of something to give the audience a feel for it if you can't film it live.

Here's an example of a real estate agent's introductory video filmed in an office where she included still photos to illustrate her varied experience in work and travel:

As you plan each scene, here are a few ideas for what to use as a setting:

  • Film yourself in a location that’s meaningful to you or that underscores your message.
  • Film yourself and/or staff doing everyday business tasks. These clips can be used in the background of narration, if needed.
  • Film yourself with a client (or an actor portraying a client, in a pinch).

When you finish this step, you should have a script that includes locations for shots, notations for any stock video clips needed, the exact words for voice-over sections, and the main points any live-action scenes should cover.

2. Create the Video

For this type of video, you really need to show the face(s) of your business. You can hire a professional videographer, or attempt it yourself using a high-quality smartphone camera. The examples above showcased both techniques, so you've seen a highly polished look and a more casual look.

Putting your video clips together into a polished finished product will require specialized skill. If you’ve never assembled clips into a video before, you might want to hire a freelance video editor. It depends on what you want your video to look like, as well as your budget. You can find videographers and video editors here:

  • Upwork
  • Freelancer.com
  • Videopixie – describe your video, see bids from professional videographers, and select the winning bid
  • Film departments at your local college/university
  • Ask on social media

If you’d rather do it yourself, your best bet is to gather the needed clips and then use professional video software to put it all together.

If you’ve never used software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut, this is going to be a time-consuming process - but it can be done. There are plenty of YouTube videos that can show you how to do just about anything in the programs below.

Video Editing Software

Sources for Templates, Clips, Music & More

3. Market Your Core Story Video

Your video is done! That’s great…but now what?

Your goal now is to use the video everywhere you can. It’s designed to create a good first impression, so think of all the places prospects are likely to see you. Here are a few things to do:

  • Upload it to YouTube or Vimeo and embed it on your website. Your home page and your about page are good candidates.
  • Share it on social media. Upload it directly to your favorite networks and share a tidbit about your experience making the video.
  • Play it in your office lobby or client meeting room. This video is designed to showcase your best thoughts and moments, so put it where a client or prospect will first meet you.
  • Add an image and link in your client onboarding materials. If they haven’t seen it as a prospect, you want to make sure they’ve seen it now that they’re a client.
  • Play it in your booth at a trade show. If you do trade shows, hook up a screen to your laptop and play it on eternal repeat.
  • Play it at speaking engagements. If there’s a projector, ask the host if they can play your video during your talk – as an intro, or to close things after you speak.

That’s our look at how to create a core story video for your business!

Do you have a core story video? If so, great work! We’re still working on ours. What did you learn by making that video? Has it helped you introduce yourself to clients? Tell us in the comments!