Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. So you’ll probably remember these three words from a high school English class or maybe you’ve never heard the words at all and you think it sounds like gibberish. Well – it’s not gibberish. It is actually a brief checklist to help you make sure your storytelling marketing is working as effectively as it can.
The Value of Storytelling Marketing:
Telling a story is essential to quality video marketing. Telling a story allows you the business to relate directly to the consumer. Crafting a unique story gives the viewer the opportunity to get to know your business and your brand in an informal, yet personal way. The goal in storytelling marketing is to grasp the viewer and make a connection. While video marketing and storytelling marketing may be on the newer side of the advertisement industry, the components that make for a successful story are not. The Greek words describing the different modes of persuasion are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, and they are still the key to telling a great story that will relate to your audience.
Ethos
Definition: appeal to the authority or credibility of the presenter by:
- Being a noted professional in the industry in question
- Demonstrate mastery of the field
- Being associated with someone that is a noted professional in the industry in question
In Layman’s Terms: Essentially, why should we believe you. Who are you to tell us this information? What makes you knowledgeable on the subject? What are your credentials to be giving information on the topic? What are the things that are backing up your credibility?
Example: If basketball star Kobe Bryant were to be on a Nike commercial, he would have a lot of credibility because he is a basketball player who more likely than not uses a variety of sports products and is able to have a valid voice on which one is the best.
Ideas for Incorporation: There are a lot of things that you can do to amp up your credibility in your video. For one thing, since you have a business in the industry in question, you already have a pretty solid credible voice! But if you wanted to add to your credibility you could consider showing statistics from industry professionals or comparing yourself to other competitors in your industry.
Pathos:
Definition: appeal to the audience’s emotions
In Layman’s Terms: Trying to relate to people on a human level by stirring up their emotions. Do you want them to hate something, love something, laugh at something, or need something? These are all pathos-centered goals.
Example: The Always brand recently started a new campaign. In this ad, it is clear that they are appealing to the emotions of the audience by wanting viewers to feel frustrated by the perception of women and what it means to do things “like a girl.”
Ideas for Incorporation: This is where the story aspect comes in. Bringing in a personal story is the best way to relate to your audience on an emotional level. We are all humans and it is human nature for us to empathize or feel an emotion that someone is showing us. When thinking about a concept for your video, maybe consider having an employee or customer share something awesome that has happened to them because of your business.
Logos:
Definition: logical appeal
In Layman’s Terms: People believe it because it makes sense. They believe it because you are giving them solid proof.
Example: In the beginning of any diet pill commercial, the first thing that you’ll notice is the statistics. They sway you by telling you the percentage of body fat that you’ll lose and the percentage of people that have had success with their product.
Ideas for Incorporation: This is where facts and statistics come in handy. Use product research and data to show your audience things that have been proven true about your company. Give them a tangible reason for wanting what your business has to offer.
Here is a storytelling video that does a fantastic job of using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.
We want to help your business tell its story. For more information visit our website at Rycafilms.com. Let’s get started. The people want to know who you are.
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