Just Between Us...

Just Between Us…

Just Between Us… 366 222 Shlomi Ron

I’ve recently been working with a client about improving authenticity in visual storytelling for their luxury products.

It made me think about the importance of creating “just-between-us” moods.

First, you may ask “just-between-what?”

In a nutshell, it’s every time you tell a personal story that makes your audience feel like a trusted friend.

Let’s unpack this.

Ask yourself this question:



“Why do I feel so comfortable sharing embarrassing moments or even jokes about myself with my best friend?”

It’s because you know it’s a safe space where you can show the “real you” and not feel judged, right?

When you expose your imperfections, doubts or private matters, it means you trust the other party.

In essence, you trust your listener to keep a secret.

So no wonders this act alone helps humanize and empathize with your message while urging the other person to reciprocate this trust.

Cool! But how could this work for your brand?

A few tips

To do it right, though realize that creating those confiding moments your story needs to be relevant to your audience.

Don’t count on corporate opinions, actually validate your audience key pain points and interests.

Having a meaningful story to share is great but you also need an effective “delivery horse” to ride it home.

If you’re using video, that’s where you want to spruce up your story through the audio and visual channels that are available to you:

Audio, using vocal variety to underscore the emotional high and low points of your story, and the right pacing for clarity.

Visual using facial expressions, varying distances from the camera, the right body language, memorable backdrops and accessories.

That’s where a great delivery can squarely hit your audience right emotions and turn their empathy to trust and action.

You can create those exclusive moments by either telling a full story or sharing a short yet meaningful observation.

Some people to spike attention, preface these observations with “between you and me” or “I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

To sum it up

I always like to say:

How are you creating “just-between-us” moods with your audience so they feel they’re being cared for? What has been working well? What not so much?

Feel free to drop me a line. Need help? Reach out.

Shlomi Ron

Shlomi Ron is the founder and CEO of the Visual Storytelling Institute, a Miami-based think tank with a mission to bring the gospel of visual storytelling from the world of art to more human-centric and purpose-driven marketing. A digital marketing veteran with over 20 years of experience working both on the agency and brand sides for Fortune 100/500 brands such as Nokia, IBM, and American Express. He started VSI to combine his marketing expertise with his passion for visual stories stemming from his interests in classic Italian cinema and managing the estate of video art pioneer, Buky Schwartz. At VSI, he helps brands rise above the communication noise through visual storytelling consulting, training, and thought leadership. Select clients include Estée Lauder, Microsoft, and Cable & Wireless – to name a few. He currently teaches Brand Storytelling at the University of Miami’s Business School. Thought leader and speaker at key marketing conferences. He is also the host of the Visual Storytelling Today podcast, which ranks in the top 10 best business storytelling podcasts on the Web. His book: Total Acuity: Tales with Marketing Morals to Help You Create Richer Visual Brand Stories. Outside work, he is a nascent bread baker, The Moth fan, and longtime fedora wearer likely to jive with his classic Italian cinema interest.

All stories by: Shlomi Ron

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