Frame by Frame
The Art and Science of Stellar Storytelling
By Jason Schuler on April 12, 2025
If you’re running a business in 2025, I’m sure you hear it constantly: “You gotta be doing video on social media!” And sure, maybe you’ve dipped your toes in, posted a few clips here and there. But are those videos actually doing anything for your bottom line?
Getting social media video marketing right isn’t about chasing viral fame (though hey, wouldn’t that be nice?). It’s about creating consistent social video content that connects with people and encourages them to take that next step – whether that’s visiting your website, stopping by your shop, or signing up for your service. It’s about smart advertisement on social media that feels less like an ad and more like a helpful conversation.
So, how do you make social media and video marketing work for you, right here in New Jersey? It boils down to three core ideas, three pillars that hold up any truly successful strategy. Get these right, and you’ll see a real difference.
Ready to build a better approach?
Social video doesn’t need to go viral to work. But it does need to be strategic. The best-performing content consistently nails three simple things:
Clarity – Your message is instantly understood
Connection – Your audience feels something
Call to Action – Viewers know exactly what to do next
Let’s break down how NJ based brands & businesses are using these principles to grow—without wasting time or budget.
Pillar 1: Clarity – Say What You Do (Fast)You’ve got 3 seconds.
Think about how quickly people scroll through their feeds. All of the research shows that you’ve got seconds to make them stop and pay attention. If your video’s message is fuzzy, slow, or buried under layers of jargon, they’re gone.
Clarity in your social media video content means:
Our team lives this everyday; we recently partnered with a Morris County Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors whose marketing approach was technically solid, but overly complex. After helping them simplify their messaging and target facility managers and property owners directly (with clear location-based service areas), we saw a noticeable lift in local engagement and qualified inquiries.
Social video marketing isn’t about showing everything. It’s about showing the right thing, fast.
Pillar 2: Connection – People Buy from PeoplePeople buy from businesses they feel they know and trust.
Today’s platforms reward content that feels personal and real—not overly polished. Successful social media videos don’t feel like commercials. They feel like conversations.
To build genuine connections with social content:
Whether you’re working with a social media video production company or filming solo, your videos should make people feel like they know you.
One of our NJ brand clients recently asked us to produce a professional branded content film shoot on iPhones! Why? Because their audience was on TikTok and Instagram, and native-style vertical video that felt organic and genuine performed better. We paired their vision with our professional lighting, sound, and storytelling techniques to strike the perfect balance between raw and refined. The result? A huge jump in shares, comments, and overall engagement.
Authenticity isn’t a trend. It’s the trust factor your audience is looking for.
Pillar 3: Call to Action – Guide the Next StepClarity gets attention. Connection builds trust. But without a call to action (CTA), your video is just entertainment. Using a direct marketing approach within your social media content turns entertainment into action.
An effective call to action:
A CTA turns viewers into customers. And without it, your video won’t convert.
We have been working with an educational consultant in Somerset County, and recently finished a video that explained different types of school support for students with learning differences. The CTA: “Contact Us For A Free Consultation” with a clickable link sticker right on IG Reels. Simple. Valuable. Effective.
A good CTA turns your content into a conversion tool—not just a nice post.
One of the biggest mistakes we see businesses make on social is that every post sounds like a sales pitch. And while we should strive to follow the three pillars listed above, the social media agencies that find the biggest ROI balance their approch.
You see, if all your content is promotional, your audience will tune out. And if you only post feel-good fluff, you’re not driving business growth either. That’s the beauty of the 50/30/20 rule – a simple, strategic content ratio that keeps your feed balanced, engaging, and effective.
Here’s how it works:
🔹 50% — Engaging & Value-Driven Content
Value-driven content is the heart of your social media strategy. It’s where your channel educates, entertains, or inspires.
Think: helpful tips, quick tutorials, behind-the-scenes peeks, or industry insights. Content that makes people stop scrolling and say, “That was actually useful.”
🔹 30% — Brand-Related Content
Brand-related content is where your personality comes through.
Share your company values, tell your brand story, spotlight your team, or show your process. It’s not a hard sell—it’s about building familiarity and trust with your audience. And showcasing people can drive connection (pillar #2).
🔹 20% — Promotional Content
Promotional content is where you finally get to sell…but do it with purpose.
Use this slice of your strategy for product launches, service promos, limited-time offers, and clear calls to action. Keep it light, targeted, and aligned with the rest of your messaging. Don’t forget that CTA (pillar #3)
Even with the best intentions, most businesses just don’t have the capacity to handle social media posting in-house. Planning, filming, editing, writing captions, designing graphics…eats up hours you could be spending elsewhere. That’s why we created our monthly social media content packages built specifically for busy NJ brands & businesses who want to stay visible without burning out. Burn out is real. We wrote a whole article about why social media feels like a struggle.
| SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT STANDARD PACKAGE |
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT PLUS PACKAGE |
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Perfect if you need a steady presence but don’t need many posts:
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For brands that want to scale with more content + deeper strategy:
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Whether You’re a…
We’ve got your back. As a trusted social media content creation agency and full-service video production company in NJ, Awakened Films delivers branded content that performs and frees up your time.
Skip the guesswork. We’ll help you stay consistent, relevant, and results-driven—without the content chaos.
Explore Our Packages → https://awakenedfilms.com/new-jersey-social-media/
Honestly, beyond graining traction with an active social media channel, the biggest win for most business owners we help is reclaiming their time. Imagine not stressing about content ideas, filming, editing, caption writing, and when the heck to post!
You get those hours back each week to focus on your customers, your services, your team – the core things that grow your business. Our clients have said they think of it like investing in the stock market; the key is consistency. And by engaging our team do the weekly management, our clients have regained focus for the more important aspects of their business.
Great social media video content doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on Clarity, Connection, and a strong Call to Action. These three things drive real results for real New Jersey businesses. And if tackling it all yourself feels like too much? We’d be happy to help you implement them the right way.
So you can get back to doing what you do best: running your business.
