- What's a storyboard?
- Why you should storyboard your marketing video
- How to structure your marketing video
- How to storyboard your marketing video with Boords
The content marketing world is always changing. As social media continues to get more visual, video marketing's even more important.
With all these changes, your content creation process needs to adapt. Otherwise, your target audience will start looking elsewhere for video content that pushes their buttons.
But before you call up a production company and dive into a whole new content strategy, it's vital that you have a tip-top pre-production plan in place. And that starts with a video storyboard.
In this post, we'll give you a storyboard template that sets you up to create your own video production work of art. Move over, Spielberg!
What's a storyboard?
Storyboarding's a way to visualise the storyline of your marketing video. It's popular in the film industry, where top companies like Pixar use storyboards to plan the storyline of their hit films.
In short, a storyboard's a series of drawings accompanied by a little bit of text, where each drawing details a particular plot point. Don't worry if you're not a Photoshop whizz – you can use simple stick figures instead.
Psst! With Boords, you can also use our drawing tool, or choose from millions of free stock images and icons. Or just add images from your computer, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
Looking for some storyboard inspiration? Check out some of our favourite storyboards.
Why you should storyboard your marketing video
Video marketing is a tricky creative process. But it's a heck of a lot easier when you have a storyboard that helps you make crucial video production decisions.
A good storyboard helps you figure out the nitty-gritty details, like camera angles, voiceovers, sound effects, and special effects. If your video includes a customer testimonial, you can think about where to throw in a close-up that tugs on the heartstrings.
Storyboarding ahead of time ensures your marketing video's exactly what you envisioned. It lets your production team know exactly how the final product should look – and helps you stay true to your marketing strategy.
How to structure your marketing video
1. Create the hook
The hook's where you present the idea, problem, or selling point that gets someone's attention from the word go. A hook that works for one person might not work for someone else so it's best to test this before you dive in.
You might want to try things like visual effects (think: shaking images or sliding transitions), natty animations, or eye-catching opening titles. Of course, a tidy discount never goes amiss.
2. Show the problem
If you're going to sell people a solution, you first need to demonstrate the problem. The great thing about video is that you can make your viewers truly feel the problem by showing it to them, helping them connect with it on a personal level.
Presenting the problem encourages your viewer to stay hooked to the video, and to start thinking about potential solutions. It'll have 'em gripped!
3. Present the solution
Naturally, your product or service should be the solution to the problem. This is the point that you thrust it into the limelight and show how it's going to make your viewer's life easier.
Make sure you explain exactly what the product does and how it addresses the problem. Point out the key features and show why it's better than the competitors. Remember: the end goal is to get people to buy.
4. Erase doubts
Doubts are the enemy of a big fat sale. This is the time to erase them! If you're aware of common questions or concerns, you should address them outright. Explain why your product's the best.
If you're not sure what people's common concerns are, check out your product reviews or scour through customer emails. This will highlight any blind spots and help you know how to tackle them.
5. Call to action
It's the moment we've all been waiting for. The moment of truth. The point where you finally ask people to stump up some cash. Here we go!
You could try a few different options here, like hard vs. soft sell. For example, you might ask them to go somewhere to get more information rather than going for the sale off the bat. Whatever you do, just make sure your CTA's super clear.
There are lots of ways to storyboard your marketing video. Some people like to whip out a whiteboard. Others use a piece of paper. We happen to think that Boords is the best storyboarding software out there! It's the same kind of thing, but online. Try it free.
How to storyboard your marketing video with Boords
Here's a step-by-step explainer to get you storyboarding like a pro with the world's greatest storyboard software.
1. Make a shot list
First up, you should pick a scene from the video and make a shot list (check out our free shot list template for help).
Think about how you can use different camera angles to bring out the narrative. This will be super useful when you start making your storyboard.
2. Set up your storyboard
Go to your Boords dashboard, click New project and name it after your marketing video. You'll be prompted to create a new storyboard – you can give it the same name, too. Finally, click Create storyboard.
3. Customize your fields
You can use custom fields to add extra video production ideas and keep all your thoughts in one place. We recommend fields for Sound, Action, Lighting, Camera, and Notes.
- Click the settings cog to open the storyboard settings menu
- Use the toggles to add and remove fields as needed
4. Add a frame for each idea
Storyboarding your entire marketing video helps you pick out the key points and get rid of anything that doesn't need to be there.
Label each frame after an idea, adding as many frames as you need.
5. Rearrange the frames
Now that all your video content ideas are in the storyboard, it's time to take a step back and see how the storyline flows.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Is there a key point that needs to come earlier in the video?
- Does the order of the frames build a logical narrative?
- Do you have a compelling CTA (call to action)?
Get familiar with the basics of storytelling. We'll show you how to tell a masterful story by doing your research, inspiring people, knowing your audience, and editing like a boss. You'll also learn about our favorite movie franchise, Rocky. Learn more
6. Add images
If you want to add images, now's the time to throw them in. It's easy to add your own by dragging them onto a frame.
Or you can search the image library by clicking Edit image, then Stock illustrations & photos. Search for the image you'd like, then click Insert. Job done.
7. Get feedback
At this point, things should be looking pretty tasty. But before you start shooting, you should take one more look at the outline and send it to your team for feedback.
- Click
Sharein the top right of the screen - Copy the presentation link
- Send the link to your team for feedback
- Optional: click
Manage peopleto give team members editing access
Storyboard your marketing video with Boords
Forget janky video templates. Boords is the simple, powerful way to storyboard your marketing video.
Try Boords for free. And think of us when your video goes viral and breaks the internet.
