Most
founders are not losing clients because of their knowledge or their product. They're losing them because their brand has no character.
Funnel based ads don't really work anymore. And if your retention is dropping off a cliff, they don't actually ever get to your funnel. If you are using video to drive sales, social media platforms reward retention now, not reach. You don't have a sales problem.
You have a character problem. Because people don't keep watching content. Content, they keep watching characters.
And the creators who win are the ones who understand how to show up as a good character. If you have a business and you're making videos, you are likely watching two types of channels. One channel that tells you how to get people to buy,
and another channel that tells you how to make content people wanna watch,
like me. So how about we connect the dots? Let's talk about using narrative content to sell
without selling.
We are talking character and dialogue today,
and character and dialogue
are my absolute favorite things. So let's get your plan into action. Hi. I'm Darren. I'm a Writers Guild award winning creator, producer, and director
who is on a mission to help you build a brand that people want to binge. As a founder or entrepreneur,
you are actually your best content asset right now,
but
you likely fall on one side of this line. You like talking about your business and your products,
but you feel kinda awkward talking about your personal journey, and it feels a little automated.
Or you can talk about your personal journey, you feel comfortable expressing that, but you feel awkward mentioning your offers.
So your videos connect,
but they don't convert.
Social media has changed.
Every platform is becoming more TV like, and a lot of brands are taking notice, and they're building series
because it is no longer about building influence.
It is about building relationships.
And that is why you need to build a leading character people trust.
And there is data that supports this. People trust founders way more than they trust companies.
But you need to share your narrative effectively.
Here's the thing most people misunderstand
about being a good character online,
and it's something that I misunderstood too until I framed it like a TV character. Good TV characters work because they have recognizable perspectives,
recognizable
energy,
and recognizable
behavior under pressure. How does that translate for creators?
A good YouTube character is someone the audience understands quickly.
They understand what this person believes,
what role they play in my life,
and why I should keep listening to them. Sidebar,
that was actually an moment for me because I'm a reluctant personal brand. I'm a behind the scenes person.
Maybe you are too. You don't have to be the loudest or most polished personality here on YouTube. The creators who feel the most charismatic
are the ones whose character
you understand immediately.
But now let's talk about dialogue.
I want you to imagine this.
You walk into a party,
there are lots of people all in various conversations,
and you stand in the doorway,
and you say, hey, everybody.
You have this problem,
and I'm gonna help you because
I've been there.
Here's my story. And most of the people are gonna be like, can you get them escorted out, please?
And you're like, but here's my personal story. It will help you. And they're like, dude, I don't even know you. I do not care about your story.
That is what you might be trying to do on YouTube,
trying to give a monologue in the doorway of a party. It feels like an interruption.
It feels like an ad,
and we're over ads. We're building scenes now. We're building shows. Now imagine this.
You walk into a party,
and you walk around,
and you find out that Katie has just gotten divorced.
Maybe you're talking to Katie and she's like, my head is in a fog. I just got divorced and I'm having trouble even holding this conversation.
And now you're like, Katie,
hello?
I went through the exact same thing during my divorce. That is exactly how I felt. And you know what I did?
And now Katie's leaning in.
Why?
Because we're in a scene now.
You took the time to hear Katie's problem. And then when you told your story, you told it for Katie specifically.
And she's like, okay.
This person is my vibe.
This person is my person.
And then you kept the conversation going after the party. You built a relationship.
This is what you wanna do with your videos. But here is the snag in our plan.
Unfortunately,
you're not in a room with Katie, and this is the biggest challenge that my clients have. You are making videos hoping that she's going to see it. You are betting on an algorithm matching you. It's like you signed up for a matchmaking service, and you can't even have a conversation with the matchmaker.
So you can't see Katie when you hit record.
So you now have to imagine her. I am a director, and when I direct scripted projects,
actors have to deal with this problem all the time when it comes to their close-up. A lot of times,
they're acting against nobody.
Or maybe the actor in the scene, the other actor in the scene, the one that's off camera, is only giving half energy because they're not on camera. So then the actor that is on camera
has to imagine the right energy. Sometimes they have to imagine the person entirely.
And then I, as the director,
have to help guide them. Not only do you need to build your character,
you need to build your viewers character.
For you,
that is where YouTube studio data helps. AI research can help. Simply going on YouTube and searching to see what other videos people are watching can help. Reading comments can help because you actually learn
what Katie is feeling before you start giving a monologue she doesn't want. And then you wonder why she's not clicking and she's not buying.
She has no idea
why she would trust what you're saying. Just like an actor has no idea how to play off an imaginary person
if they haven't prepared.
So you wanna find that opening line of dialogue
that Katie is going to respond to. I love writing dialogue. I love figuring out the right dialogue for different characters. When you're writing a scene, if you want two characters to stay in a conversation,
you need to write the dialogue so that they wanna stay in the conversation.
Otherwise, it's not gonna make sense when you're watching it. You're gonna be like, why didn't that person just walk away? So how do I know what words Katie uses so that I can speak her language and use them in my dialogue? I have to look into it. I have to do searches on YouTube to see what videos
recently divorced moms are clicking on.
I look at the comments on my channel. I look at the comments on other people's channel, and I see what words they're using to describe how they're feeling.
Maybe I go to Reddit. Maybe I go to school. Maybe I go to Facebook or other communities that I'm in, and I ask around.
Maybe I even use a tool like vidIQ
or spotter studio,
or you work with someone like me.
You wanna give your viewer a character name just like I gave Katie a name. List out the relevant demographics.
Maybe that is gender, maybe that's age range, Maybe that's what they do for work. What stage of life they're in. Then I wanna list out their emotional landscape.
What matters to them? What they're secretly frustrated by?
And then I wanna figure out my role in their story.
How can I help them? Why would Katie choose me as her guide? You put that together, and you have a character profile for your ideal viewer. So then when I make a video, I am no longer shouting in the doorway of a party or talking to no one. I turn on the camera.
I can clearly see Katie in my head.
And now I'm sitting in my chair,
and I'm talking to the camera,
building a relationship with someone that
I feel like I can actually help. And because I know who she is, I can actually give my unique perspective. I'm not just lifting off features and testimonials
and facts.
I am a person who has lived a life. I'm telling stories from my actual experiences
that actually mean something to her, just like I told you that I direct actors who have a similar problem that you have. I'm not just telling stories that I think someone might like into an empty camera.
I have actually heard your comments about what you're struggling with and what other people are not helping you with, and I'm using my personal and unique experiences to speak to them. Now Katie knows what role I serve in her life, and it also feels authentic.
And now I've built a brand that my target customer trusts, and you can do the same. And that is the power of character and dialogue,
and that is your first step. But how do we make it so she remembers me? That's what we're gonna break down in the next episode.
So this is a good time to subscribe.
And incidentally,
if you want help figuring out who your Katie is and building a narrative around her, I have put details on how to work with me in the video description so you can check that out. But in the meantime, a great character without a world is not an experience, and YouTube is actually about building experiences.
That is what brand lore solves, and I actually walk through how to build that world in the video that is popping up on the screen right now. Until next time, keep creating and keep thinking like a showrunner.