Why You Shouldn’t Just Buy a Video for Your Business but Invest in Your Story Instead
Have you noticed how much of the video landscape today feels a little bit like a deserted ghost town?
I"m not saying people aren't posting. My social media feeds are all overflowing. I say this because so much of what I scroll past feels, well… hollow and zombie-like. Videos that follow the same trend, use the same gimmicks, say the same thing over and over again, begging for you to tap the heart or thumbs logo before vanishing into the algorithm forever.
Back when I first started teaching, I used to start every academic year getting to know my film and media students with a simple question: “What’s your favourite film or story?”
In the beginning, students would light up and name modern cinematic landmarks - The Matrix, Reservoir Dogs, Lord of the Rings, Up, Back to the Future to name a few. Great, popular narrative stories that they enjoyed watching on multiple viewings, or that they remember fondly from their life.
But over time, something subtle and alarming shifted.
Students stopped naming feature films or even stories altogether. Instead, they started naming YouTube channels, influencers, short-form genres, and viral clips. They were being drawn away from narratives, and instead towards short, formulaic content.
Before long, I started seeing that exact same shift creep into business marketing. Quality was suddenly being measured not by how deeply a film resonated with its audience, but by the tally of likes, shares, and vanity metrics presented publicly underneath the video.
And it made me wonder: When did we start trading human connection for short-term attention?
The Trap of Chasing the Zombie Hook
I'll be honest, I hate zombie content. I've seen multiple food businesses showcasing their products behind a display case with awkwardly sweeping camera phone footage. I've seen too many employees and professionals miming along to a trending soundtrack or a catchy, film quote while working. Business owners threatening to cut their hair, or sitting on a chair outside waiting for a specific current celebrity to comment before doing something else.
Yes, some of these videos are amusing and I get why businesses fall into this trap. But for me, these videos don't really tell me about the business, they don't show the brand values and they hide away from showing a deeper, brand personality.
The problem is that most video marketing advice tells you to jump on trends, use structured hooks, and chase the algorithm. It's what the influencers do. Its what makes them money, it grabs attention and promotes scrolling. It feels like the thing you're supposed to do to be successful, but for businesses, is this really the way?
The truth is, for most businesses, likes and shares don’t automatically build and audience or their trust.
Jumping on a late gimmick doesn't show your audience your values, your driving passion, or why you wake up in the morning to do what you do. It just makes you blend into the rest of the zombie horde. What do they say about today’s news? It wraps tomorrow’s fish and chips. Trend videos have a shelf-life of about a week, and they can leave your audience feeling underwhelmed, especially once that trend has passed and the algorythm throws it back up to a new potential customer weeks later.
Some of the companies I come across have extraordinary stories and fantastic, caring teams. Yet the visual assets they use to represent themselves completely lack creativity, warmth, and personality. You don’t need to chase your audience down with tricks. You just need to show up as yourself, clearly and meaningfully.
What Happens When You Work with a Video Storyteller
Buying a video is a transactional event. You hire someone with a camera, they ask a few quick questions, show up on the day, press record, hand over a edited video, and walk away. It’s an assembly line.
As a Video Storyteller, when I work together with a client, they aren’t just getting someone who knows how to operate a camera and can edit — though, yes, the technical craftsmanship is always there! Instead, they get a partner who brings years of narrative structure, scriptwriting, digital marketing expertise, and educational design into their corner to support them or their team and help them to invest in sharing their brand values and a deeper sense of who they are.
As I'm not an agency, the vision we create together throughout, from the early heart-to-heart sessions, to design, shoot and post-production, is focused, the client directly works with me and that vision carried all the way through to the final deliverable.
Before I ever unpack a camera, I am curious (it's why I'm called Curious Spirit Pictures) to get to know you and your brand better. I want to understand the drive behind your business, the authentic personality of your brand, the way you are changing people's lives, your needs, your vision and the quiet values that make your work matter. We unpack the heart of your brand so I can translate it into a timeless film, a visual asset that you or your marketing team can build an entire multi-channel campaign around.
The Proof is in the Heart (And the Results)
Years ago, when I began working with charities and non-profit organisations, I made a conscious choice to put story right at the centre of each film.
While collaborating with the Essex Shed Network, we focused on capturing the lived experiences of the community members - the "Shedders." We highlighted one gentleman named Douglas, who shared his personal journey with honesty and hope.
It wasn't a trendy 7-second reel. It was a story-led film. And eight years later, that video story was still being used as an effective, emotionally resonating asset to engage audiences. Real human truth doesn't expire.
Storytelling works just as powerfully for commercial businesses, too.
Take Hayley, the founder of Crafty Kids UK. Hayley, a qualified creative arts teacher, started her preschool creative club because she wanted a messy-play class for her own children that went beyond just making a mess - she wanted a rich, educational foundation to prepare little ones for school - something that a lot of parents can identify with.
When we looked at her marketing, she was relying heavily on faceless, social clips that focused on grabbing attention through helpful craft tutorials. We worked together to craft a beautiful, dedicated promotional film for her website that captured her drive, her joy, and the vibrant environment she creates for kids every week. At the same time, we reframed how she approached her weekly social clips so they aligned with her core story and focused on marketing her offer effectively.
Two months later, the numbers Hayley sent to me were wonderful to see: in just over a month, her social platforms saw...
A 561% increase in video views,
A 489% increase in non-follower reach, and
A 30% boost in overall followers.
But as nice as those stats are, here is what actually mattered: Crafty Kids now has a waiting list for every single class, completely booked out, allowing Hayley to expand her business into new locations.
The film didn't just get watched - it helped parents truly understand Hayley, trust her care, and connect deeply with her values before they ever walked through the door.
The Feeling Left Behind
When I sit down to edit a film, I don't measure success by whether millions of strangers click "like." Every video story I create becomes deeply personal to me, because your passion becomes something I want the world to see clearly.
The ultimate goal isn't to get everyone to watch. It’s to ensure the right person watches, feels understood, builds genuine trust, and remembers who you are long after the screen goes dark.
Your business is not a trend. Your team is not a set of props for a viral gimmick. Your work carries real human value - and it deserves a film that honours it.
At the end of the day, trends fade, algorithms change, and viral audio clips disappear overnight (but are still there lurking in the background). But a well-told story? That sticks around, working for you and staying fresher for longer.
If you feel like your business has a deeper message to share - and you’re looking for a partner to help bring that vision to life with care and creative curiosity - reach out anytime and see how a Video Storyteller can help you tell your story.
Book a free discovery meeting here
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