Let’s be honest — most business videos suck.

I’m not talking about bad lighting or shaky camera work. I’m talking about those expensive-looking, professionally voiced, perfectly color-graded videos that somehow still make people scroll faster than a mosquito at a crawfish boil. You’ve seen them. The “we’re the best in the business” monologues that feel about as human as a voicemail from your car warranty company.

And I get it. You’re not trying to make bad content. You’re trying to tell your story, build your brand, and attract the right people. But somewhere between “let’s make a video” and “why didn’t that work,” something gets lost — your message.

That’s where most marketing falls flat. Not because you don’t have something worth saying, but because you’re saying it in a way that doesn’t make people feel anything.

I’ve spent over 15 years helping businesses, churches, and personal brands tell stories that actually stick — not because I’m some marketing wizard, but because I’ve learned the simple truth that connection comes before conversion. Every single time.

That’s why I teach a framework that changes everything about how you approach content. It’s simple, but it’s powerful: Engage. Connect. Convert.

By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly how to use it to make videos that not only look great but move people to act. And I’m not just going to tell you — I’m going to show you with real examples that prove it works in any industry.

Why Most Video Marketing Fails

Here’s the hard truth: most videos aren’t bad because they’re poorly shot. They’re bad because they’re built backward.

Most people start with, “What do I want to say?” or “What do I want to show off?” instead of “What does my audience actually need to hear right now?”

You can hire the best videographer in the state, rent the fanciest gear, and even have drones flying over your parking lot — but if your message doesn’t resonate, it won’t matter. People won’t feel seen. And if they don’t feel seen, they won’t stay long enough to buy.

In today’s world, attention is currency. Every scroll is a decision, and every second counts. You don’t need more flash; you need more focus.

That’s what the Engage. Connect. Convert. framework fixes. It helps you build content that looks great and gets results, even if you’re a local small business owner filming on an iPhone.

The Engage. Connect. Convert. Framework

Let’s break it down piece by piece.

1. Engage — Grab Attention the Right Way

The first five seconds of your video decide everything. This is the moment people either lean in or leave. And no, you don’t need to be outrageous or fake to earn attention. You just need to speak clearly and with intention.

Your goal here is to make someone stop scrolling long enough to care. That’s it. Forget trying to go viral — just make one person feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

Ask yourself:

• Does my opening line make someone say, “That’s me?”
• Am I speaking directly to a problem my audience already knows they have?
• Does my tone, energy, and visual style fit the person I’m trying to reach?

When your audience sees themselves in your story, they’ll stay. And that’s where the second phase begins.

2. Connect — Build Trust Through Authenticity

Connection happens when your audience stops seeing your content as marketing and starts seeing it as truth. You don’t have to overshare your life story — you just need to show up real, passionate, and confident about what you believe in.

People can feel when you care more about the message than the metrics.

Here’s a simple rule: emotion outperforms information every time.

Show your face. Use your real voice. Tell one short story that matters. When you connect through honesty, people don’t just watch your video — they believe it.

3. Convert — Guide Them to a Clear Next Step

Conversion doesn’t happen because someone was inspired. It happens because they were guided.

Your video needs a clear next step — not a clever one. Don’t ask people to “learn more.” Invite them to do something specific that helps them win.

• “Book your clarity call today.”
• “See how we can help you grow.”
• “Start your 5-minute marketing audit.”

When you pair emotion with direction, your audience won’t just feel good about you — they’ll take action.

See It in Action 🔥

Now, let’s make this real. These are actual projects I shot and directed using this exact framework. And while I was the cinematographer — because I love film and storytelling — the real power isn’t in the lens. It’s in the message. Watch these and tell me you don’t feel it.

Ask yourself: doesn’t it feel like you’d want to do business with them? Like they actually care about your situation? Like they’re talking to you, not at you?

1. Justin Brashear — The Likable Lawyer in :15 Seconds

This first one is a quick :15 commercial for attorney Justin Brashear. The goal: make him likable, approachable, professional — someone you’d actually trust to handle something that matters.

We weren’t trying to make him sound like every other attorney. We wanted viewers to feel like Justin was the guy who’d listen, not lecture.

That’s the Engage and Connect part in motion. You don’t need fancy transitions or slow-motion courthouse shots — you just need clarity and confidence. This is how you turn a scroll-stopper into a client-converter.

2. Jeanette from Stutes and Lavergne — Emotion Sells

The next one is from Jeanette, an attorney at Stutes and Lavergne in Lake Charles, Louisiana. This project became one of my favorites, not because it was perfectly executed, but because it wasn’t. It was real.

After thirty-five minutes of filming, the final moment that made the cut wasn’t scripted. It was Jeanette passionately explaining why she does what she does — and that was it. That’s the moment people connect to. That’s the heartbeat of clarity in storytelling.

That’s what people want to hear. Not how many awards you’ve won or how long you’ve been in business. They want to feel your conviction. And if they don’t feel the same emotions as you — they’re not your people. Stop trying to catch every fish with a cast net. Start using the right bait for the right fish.

3. Fluff & Stuff — From “Bad on Camera” to Brand Ambassadors

Now, this next one probably deserves its own post, but you’ve got to see it. It’s what I call a VSL (Video Sales Letter) — the kind of video that can live on your homepage or run as an ad to warm leads who are on the fence.

This was for Fluff & Stuff — a local business that had never done video before. Their exact words to me were, “We’re bad on camera and don’t know what to say.”

I told them the truth — if your audience doesn’t like you and doesn’t respond to you, they won’t buy puppies from you. Period. But that’s not something to be afraid of. It’s an opportunity to connect authentically. Because when people see the real you, not the perfect you, they connect on a human level.

So I trained them up a bit. We talked through what matters to their customers, and I told them the formula: Engage. Connect. Convert.

And here’s the fun part — the reason they’d never done a video like this before was because they didn’t realize how simple it could be when you follow the framework. You don’t need to be a movie star. You just need to be clear, real, and confident.

That’s what we captured. The video is lighthearted, honest, and fun — but it’s also built to sell. Watch it and you’ll see why clarity always beats clever.

If you’re a business owner or creative reading this, hear me — this is what works. People don’t want your hype. They want your heart. They want to feel like you get them, and that what you do exists to make their life better.

Why This Framework Works

When you follow Engage- Connect-Convert: you’re not just making better videos, you’re building relationships at scale.

Every time I use this process, whether it’s a 15-second ad or a full brand documentary, it works because it aligns with human behavior. People buy emotionally and justify logically. They want to know you understand their problem, that you have a solution, and that you’re trustworthy.

When your message covers all three, you don’t have to sell,  you just have to show up. That’s why this framework works for every industry, from lawyers to landscapers to dog groomers. You don’t need a viral video. You need a clear message told the right way.

What to Do Next

Take a few minutes today to look at your current videos or ads. Ask yourself three questions:

• Does it grab attention in the first five seconds?
• Does it make people feel something genuine?
• Does it clearly guide them to take the next step?

If not, don’t throw it all away — just fix the foundation. You can reshoot, reframe, or even repurpose what you already have using this same framework. Once your message is clear, every video starts working harder for you.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If this connected with you, I built two tools to help you take the next step.

• The Modern Marketing Cheat Sheet — your free guide to crafting clear, emotion-driven messages that turn browsers into buyers. It’s the same system I use before filming or scripting anything, and it’ll help you see where your clarity might be off before you waste money on production.
• The Crickets to Clicks Course — if you’re tired of guessing why your content isn’t converting, this is where I walk you through building messages that make your marketing finally work.

Final Thought

You don’t have to have perfect lighting or a fancy set. You just need to speak clearly, tell the truth, and care more about connecting than convincing. That’s what builds brands people believe in.

So the next time you’re filming, remember: Engage. Connect. Convert.

If you want help scripting or filming your next video, or if your team already has a production crew and you just want a coach to make sure your message hits — that’s what I do. I’m a Coach. Creative. Speaker. And I’d love to help you bring clarity to your content so it finally does what it’s supposed to do: convert.

Explore my site to learn more about how I help entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners build clarity-driven marketing that actually works.

Stop guessing. Start growing.

— Jordan Sellers