YouTube is a surefire way to see your brand in the spotlight. Red carpet, glitz, and glam aside, having your brand up on screen is as close to the attention you’ll get for winning an Oscar as you can find. Well, okay, maybe not winning an Oscar, but screen time is the name of the game in marketing nowadays. A 2024 study found that people spend between 17 and 44 hours per week watching video content! That’s nearly an entire work week. Sure, some of that is spent with Spielberg and Del Toro, but the majority of screen time is spent on video ads, TikToks, and YouTube (our star for this insight).
In 2025, YouTube found that its users spend an average of 48 minutes per day watching on the platform. Usually viewing a single video for 2-3 minutes tops. The amount of time we spend watching our screens means visual storytelling is more important than ever. YouTube is the perfect platform, sitting between the creative space and the strategic space, for strengthening your video marketing efforts and breaking through the noise.
The platform uniquely blends long-form, short-form, educational, emotional, and purely entertaining content all in one place. It’s built for attention, but more importantly, it’s built for connection. That’s the sweet spot where AOR thrives.
What makes YouTube such a powerhouse for brand storytelling is its ability to turn passive viewers into active participants. They’re stepping into your world for a moment. Each video becomes a chance to share the essence of who you are: your people, your values, your communities, your challenges, and your impact.And unlike other social platforms, YouTube rewards depth just as much as speed. A heartfelt story, a behind-the-scenes glimpse, a thoughtful how-to, or a compelling testimonial can perform just as well as hyper-edited, trend-chasing content.
For brands that want to be remembered, YouTube provides the kind of narrative runway that makes long-term engagement possible. It sets the stage for storytelling that sticks.
But seriously, we hope you’ll come along with us as we bring our expertise to the screen!
SubscribeThe benefits of storytelling and crafting compelling YouTube content are broader than you might imagine. It’s people-forward, it’s expressive and personal, and it connects in ways simple words or images just can’t.
It engages rather than tells.
You know the saying ‘show, don’t tell’ very well. YouTube is the master of showcasing just how well showing works. Visuals, sounds, images, and deep emotions are much more powerful tools to affect customers. Videos engage hearts and minds in ways that capture attention much more effectively than bare words. Audiences will be excited by what they are seeing and experiencing, and be more inclined to digest what you are saying.
It improves your brand reach and awareness.
Video works across the entire internet. You can embed YouTube videos, entire playlists, or direct links to your channel just about anywhere. Even those who might not find themselves on YouTube as often will end up on your channel with the right tactics and content. Video ads show up everywhere and infect our handheld devices better than any other form of marketing.
It offers versatility for your marketing campaigns.
You can incorporate video in various areas of your campaign and play around with different formats of video. Brands can promote YouTube videos within longer videos or in snack-sized YouTube shorts. With its direct connection to Google, it’s easy to make your video content show up effectively in searches.
It creates a more personal brand experience.
By showcasing the faces that make up your company, walking people through your job sites, or engaging with topics that appeal to your entire audience, you’ll feel more like a familiar face than an unreachable brand. Your customers will start to feel like a part of your story.
Creating videos isn’t as easy as it might look. At AOR, we go through entire processes from ideation to script writing, run of show creation to on-set production. From start to finish, visual storytelling is about finding a way for your audience and potential customers to remember your brand. It’s thoughtful, purposeful, and important work.
Know your topic. What are you talking about? What aspect of your brand are you highlighting? This step is crucial to understanding the topic of your video and the ways in which our values and mission will show up for audiences through your subject matter.
Why are you making this video? What is the main message? What do you want viewers to do after they watch your ad or spot?
Who are you speaking to? People shape your storytelling and should be the first consideration when creating your content. Customer testimonials are a great example of people-first storytelling.
Where are you shooting this video? Are you a new home builder? Maybe try shooting some content inside one of your new floor plans. Are you a municipality? Showcase the most beautiful place in your city. Are you more interested in animation? Consider the tone/voice and overall feel of the art. Understanding where you are placing your audience is crucial to your storytelling success.
Pull back the curtain. Show the people behind the brand doing what they do best: builders on the job site, designers sketching out concepts, city leaders planning community programs, or staff prepping for an event. Authenticity always wins, and real humans doing real things are endlessly watchable.
Your audience wants proof that what you do matters. Spotlight the people who’ve been impacted by your work: residents, students, entrepreneurs, partners, or clients. Let their voices tell the story and show how your brand changes lives.
Sometimes the most powerful story is simply explaining something clearly. These videos turn your expertise into value, helping your audience learn something new or solve a problem, while positioning your brand as a trusted, knowledgeable expert.
Your values and personality are part of your brand narrative. Create content that shows what you stand for, your mission, your team rituals, your purpose, or how you connect with the community. These stories build loyalty and help people see themselves in your work.
Short, cinematic, story-first spots that introduce your brand to new audiences. These videos should evoke emotion and leave viewers with a feeling, not just a message.
Small moments add up to a big impression. Use Shorts to tease longer videos, highlight micro-stories from your team, or share fun, candid moments that round out your brand personality.
YouTube’s power lies in its simplicity: people show up to watch stories. Brands that embrace this authentically, creatively, and strategically win attention and trust in ways static content just can’t match. Whether you’re showcasing the humans behind your work, sharing your impact, or bringing complicated ideas to life through visuals, YouTube gives your brand the room to be expressive, relatable, and memorable.
At AOR, we help brands bring those stories to the screen with intention. We think about your people, your purpose, and your place in the world and craft videos that spark connection. Lights, camera… let’s get to it!