The Storykit blog

‍This article is an extract from our e-book "Tell every story with video!". Download and read the whole e-book, here. 

Every video creator sometimes spend far too much time looking for the right images and clips for their videos. At worst, you also spend way too much money on buying assets from photo agencies. A superb trick to saving both time and money while still standing out, is to build your own stock library. 

Of course, many larger companies have in-house photographers who are already working on creating good image and video content, but if your company doesn’t use in-house photographers, you can still create your own stock library without breaking the bank.

If you don’t have the resources to hire a photographer, ask a colleague interested in photography to bring their camera on a sunny day to take photos! The pictures and clips will probably be much more fun to work with than generic images from an image bank.

No matter what alternative you choose, try to capture:

• Still images of all/selected individuals, preferably at different angles.
• Videos of all/selected individuals. It doesn’t have to be advanced. All the volunteers have to do is move a little, laugh or do some other simple activity.
• Video/still images of different situations, preferably where people interact, talk, laugh, have meetings, walk, or do something else.
• Feel free to get some footage of individuals where they talk while looking directly into the camera. Few videos attract the viewers as much as videos where people look straight back at them.
• Do your colleagues like to have fun? Ask them to do something that stands out such as dancing, throwing confetti in the air – you know, the kind of stock photos that make you go "oh, that’s so cliché". These images suddenly become very authentic if they show the people from your own environment.
• Remember to capture something that illustrates the brand. Do you have logos on the computers, the doors, or on nice bags? Let them be seen!

This article is an extract from our e-book "Tell every story with video!". Download and read the whole e-book, here. 

Storykit has almost doubled in 2021, leveraging artificial intelligence to enable companies to create more video than ever before. With the new funding they will accelerate innovation and expansion at an even higher pace.  

“We are thrilled to partner with Expedition Growth Capital to realize the enormous potential of Storykit. Video is the number one format for social channels in 2022 and beyond, and with Storykit any marketer or communicator can leverage the power of video. We’ve experienced colossal growth over the past few years, which reflects the increasing demand for organizations to create video with high quality and flexibility, in an ultra-high tempo. We’re really looking forward to fulfilling the strong market demand for our video creator on a global scale,” said Peder Bonnier, CEO and co-founder of Storykit.

Serving large and medium sized enterprises, Storykit has quickly grown to become the leading video creator in the Nordics, with over $6M in annual recurring revenues, and has recently expanded into several European markets. Key customers include Skandia, Dun & Bradstreet, the City of Stockholm and Lufthansa Systems.

“We have nearly doubled our revenues in the last twelve months, fully on our own cash flow, and are happy to have found yet another partner who is interested in building long lasting, economically viable businesses, without having to compromise on growth. This investment will enable us to further invest in our already market leading product, and expand to more markets and customer segments”, said Peder Bonnier.

Expedition Growth Capital is a $200+ million London-based growth equity fund, focused solely on investing in fast growing and capital efficient B2B software companies in Europe and Israel. This is their first investment in the Nordics.

“Since our first conversations with Storykit in 2020, we have been energised by their commitment to building a company for the long term. This is our first investment in Sweden, and we are delighted to be partnering with such a high quality group of founders and investors”, said Oliver Thomas, Managing Partner of Expedition Growth Capital.

David Olsson, who led the investment and will join Storykit’s board of directors, adds: “Storykit is addressing an increasingly universal corporate and departmental need - to rapidly produce video content that is highly professional, brand aligned, and cost effective. We see enormous potential for the company in the years ahead and look forward to being a supportive partner for the Storykit team.”

Storykit was founded in 2018 by Fredrik Strömberg and Peder Bonnier. By building the complete video creator they aim to enable everyone who can write text to create video. With over 500 customers, and tens of thousands of users all over the world, they are well on their way. For more information, see www.storykit.io

Expedition Growth Capital is a software-specialist growth equity investor, currently investing a $200 million fund. The firm provides growth capital, shareholder liquidity and supportive minority partnership to rapidly growing, capital efficient software companies across Europe and Israel. For more information see www.expedition.capital.

‍This article is an extract from our e-book "How to write winning script for videos on social channels". Download and read the whole e-book here!

1. Kill your darlings

Get to the point, and get rid of everything that’s unnecessary. No script has ever been made worse by being shortened. A common writing tip to get started with your script is to "let the text flow". Write down everything you want to say and everything you want to include in the script. But be prepared that you will have to be harsh with the text once it’s finished.

An advantage for the viewer when watching a video instead of reading a text is that the creator has had to think about it. If you only have 60 seconds, you simply have to make sure to sift through the most important things in what you want to say.

– Every sentence in the script must be so strong that it can stand alone, says Magnus Dahl at KIT says. He usually reworks his script by asking himself: “do I really need to say this?”. – The answer is usually “no”, and you can remove half of the script. 

2. Keep it simple

Do you like to use complex words and expressions? You better don’t do that in your video script.

A classic old copywriter rule is to "write as you speak". Of course, this does not mean that you should fill the text with a lot of "eeeeh", "errrr" or "hmmm", but that you should write so that people understand.

But doesn’t everyone do this? Quite the opposite. Even seasoned writers are sometimes struck by the strange instinct to formulate themselves too awkwardly.

The problem with this is that if you express yourself in a complex way, it’ll be harder for the recipient to understand the message. Instead, do the following:

• Write as if you were explaining the subject to a friend
• Be clear and concise
• Use simple words and short sentences
• Avoid industry jargon and abbreviations that only insiders would understand

3. Change the tempo

No one likes to get through a long text where the tempo is the same all the time. The same goes for your video.

The tempo of a social video is often quite high, simply because you have so little time to say what you want. But even in a 60-second video, it’s generally a good idea to vary your story by changing your tempo.

In Storykit, you can vary the narrative tempo by using different slide types, or by changing the duration of a specific slide. But even when writing your script, you can easily make sure to vary the tempo. You do this, for example, by alternating longer and shorter phrases. In a video, one or two words left alone can have a much greater effect than ten exclamation points.

4. Use active form

Choosing active form ("we launch...") instead of passive form ("is launched...") does a lot for how your video is perceived. The benefits of writing in active form are many:

• It puts your viewer in the moment
• You give the text “life”
• Active form is often clearer and simpler than passive
• The text is perceived as more confident and persuading
• You use fewer words and are more concise
• The text gets a better tempo

5. It's all about "you"

Addressing the reader directly is an effective way to get close to them in your video. For the scriptwriter, it’s always a good exercise to try to turn the script to "you" instead of focusing on "me" or "we" all the time.

What happens, for example, if you are to launch a product while trying to direct the words towards "you"? Well, instead of writing "our platform makes this super quick…" you have to automatically focus on the recipient and maybe instead write "now you no longer need to spend your time on..."

6. Think about the tone

A general tip when writing a script is to have a positive tone. If you use negative expressions or negations, try to replace them with positive ones to make your audience perceive your video in a much nicer way.

Of course, there are brands with a very specific tonality, and there are also occasions, purposes, contexts, and topics that might require a custom tone. But if you have the option: choose to be positive.

7. Include a call to action

Daring to tell the viewer what you want him or her to do is not something you need to be ashamed of in our fast-paced information society. On the contrary, the reader often wants to know what the content really leads too. Can I read more? Download? Buy? Get a demo?

8. Read aloud

When your script is finished: read it aloud to yourself. If you get stuck on something, the viewer will probably do the same. If the tempo feels slow, then the tempo is probably slow in your finished video as well. There is no better way to test your script than to read it.

9. Check with a colleague

The final thing you should do is ask a colleague to read through your script. In addition to proofreading it, you want your colleague to:

• check if there is anything more you can remove
• check if you have deleted too much.

When you have edited too much of your own text, the risk is that it becomes incomprehensible. 

‍This article is an extract from our e-book "How to write winning scripts for videos on social channels". Download and read your free copy here! 

Good copywriters usually say that the whole point of your first sentence is to get the reader to move on to the second sentence, which should get the reader on to the third sentence... and so on.

If you make video on a storyboard, as in Storykit, the same rule applies: your first slide should make the viewer hang on to the next slide and the next... As your video starts automatically on social feeds, your first slide will be the first (but preferably not the only) one your potential viewers see. That's why you have to make the beginnings extraordinary.

But how do you do that? Here are five different “hooks” that can help you hook your readers:

1. Thought-provoking questions

People are curious. If you manage to ask a question that tickles your viewers’ minds, they’ll likely stick around to the end for the answer. If you start with a question, however, you shouldn’t make any of the following mistakes:

• Taking too long to answer the question. Surely you have once watched a long video with a lot of irrelevant information only to get the answer to your question way Hook the viewer too far into the video? Has that experience promoted trust between you and the creator? Probably not. So, don’t do that.
  
  
• Not answering the question at all. If you ask a question in the beginning, you should make sure to answer it throughout the video.

2. A bold assertion

If you start your video with a bold statement, it really does not matter if the viewer agrees or not. They will still nod and want to look further. Here, of course, we’re not talking about provoking for the sake of provoking, but showing that you have a clear opinion is a great way to engage the viewer.

3. An inspiring quote

A quote always signals that there is a person behind the words, which is always relationship-building towards the viewer. Therefore, look for good quotes to start the video with and dare to test it.

4. Introduce the problem

Immediately showing that you’re aware of the problems your audience needs to solve (preferably with the help of your product) is usually an effective way to get people hooked. Here it’s good to really think about your micro-target audiences and dare to talk about specific problems to stand out of the crowd.

5. Facts and stats

We like to see clear figures, facts, and stats. It creates a sense of credibility and newsworthiness. Instead of telling them what facts they will see, try throwing the actual number at them on the very first slide!

This article is an excerpt from our comprehensive e-book, "How to Write Winning Scripts for Videos on Social Channels." Want to create compelling video scripts that engage your audience and drive results? Download your free copy today!

1. Avoid Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions can be a powerful way to grab attention, but in a fast-paced 60-second video, they can confuse your audience. If you’re not 100% sure they add value, leave them out to keep your message clear.

2. Cut Out Tautologies

Why use two words when one will do? Phrases like "warm up," "serious crisis," or "completely unique" take up unnecessary space. Instead, keep it concise with just "warm," "crisis," or "unique."

3. Eliminate Redundancy

Wordy phrases, or “word salads,” dilute your message. Instead of saying "because of the fact that I...," simply write "because I…." A clear, direct script makes your video more impactful.

4. Use Short Sentences Instead of Dependent Clauses

Long, complex sentences can slow down the pace of your video. Instead, break them up into shorter, punchier sentences to maintain a dynamic flow and keep viewers engaged.

5. Avoid Unnecessary Headings

While headings help structure blog posts and articles, they can clutter a video script—unless you’re creating a purely informational video. Keep it fluid to ensure a natural, conversational tone.

6. Reduce Text Overload

If a slide in your video feels too text-heavy, it probably is. Instead, simplify your message, spread it across multiple slides, and use visuals to reinforce key points. A clean, easy-to-read format enhances viewer retention.

Want to master the art of writing effective video scripts for social media? Download our free e-book now and take your video content to the next level!

The most common question we get at Storykit is, “how long should my video be?”, and we understand why you ask this question. The format is new and the platform is fast. Naturally, it’s nice to have some guidelines to rely on.

One problem, however, is that there are so many myths about how long a video should be on social media. Some have heard that a video should be no longer than 5-15 seconds while someone else has read that Facebook recommends videos over 3 minutes long. Even Facebook denies this: 

– The recommendation we give is that your video should be as long as it needs to be if you just manage to keep it interesting, says Josefine Billström, Creative Strategist at Facebook.

At Storykit, we usually give the same recommendation and have enough data on our own material to be able to conclude that there is no strong correlation between the length of your video and how long the audience watches it.

That being said, we have still gathered a list of "suggested" social media video lengths per platform that you can use to guide you.

Suggested social media video length

These stats were taken from Hootsuite:

• Facebook: Aim for concise and engaging videos with a recommended length of 1-2 minutes for optimal performance.
• Instagram Feed: Keep your videos on the grid within the 1-minute mark, while IGTV allows videos up to 15 minutes long. However, it's best to aim for 2-5 minute videos for maximum impact.
• Instagram Stories: Limit your Instagram Stories to 15 seconds per slide to maintain viewers' engagement.
• Instagram Reels: Optimize your Reels within the first few seconds, regardless of the selected runtime between 15 to 60 seconds.
• TikTok: Aim for brevity with videos around 7-15 seconds to capture and retain viewers' attention.
• Twitter: Keep Twitter videos around 44 seconds to effectively engage users without overstaying your welcome.
• YouTube: Consider a video length of around 2 minutes for optimal engagement, although longer vlog content can be up to 10 minutes or even longer for verified accounts.
• LinkedIn: Videos that are 30 seconds or under have shown a 200% lift in completion rates, while long-form videos can also drive engagement by telling more complex stories.
• Snapchat: Keep normal posts within the 7-second mark, while video ads should ideally stay between 3 and 5 seconds for maximum engagement.
• Pinterest: Aim for a runtime between 6 and 15 seconds for Video Pins to maximize engagement on the platform.

Video length takeaways...

Don't forget to look at these statistics with a grain of salt. These recommendations may vary based on the nature of your content and target audience. It's always beneficial to experiment and analyze the performance of your videos on each platform to determine the optimal length for your specific goals.