Zach King’s unlock for virality

You’ve probably seen his magical clips — Zach King has done it all from plucking the Eiffel Tower to splashing into a “pool” table. A master special effects illusionist, Zach found his footing back in the days of Vine and has since exploded in growth on YouTube and TikTok. 

But Zach didn’t immediately find success… it wasn’t until he found one major unlock that he was able to tap into true creator success. 

Paige, here! Back with another creator deep dive.

Being great at what you do doesn’t give you an instant unlock for online success. 

But with experimentation and a little digital magic, Zach found his footing. 

The secret that unlocked everything for Zach? Storytelling. 

Every video Zach releases, whether it’s a 6-second TikTok or a 20-minute cinematic clip, has a distinct beginning, middle and end. 

"When I first heard about Vine, and the 6-second videos, and saw the creators with 20 million followers, I thought, 'This is easy. Step aside guys.' But I quickly realized that it’s the story aspect that makes videos successful. It still needs a beginning, a middle and an end," Zach said.

And Zach has honed the ability to tell a story in seconds. The best part? The stories don’t have to be incredibly complicated to be engaging. 

Let’s break down a recent clip.

The beginning: Child is jumping on a couch. 
The middle: After warning the kid, Zach is eaten by the couch. 
The end: Happy child returns to jump on the couch despite Zach’s muffled cries for help.

Full circle. Another example: 

The beginning: Zach is looking for the remote.
The middle: He accidentally uses the wrong one, sending gravity awry. 
The end: He finds the right remote.

The story comes full circle from the problem to the journey to the final solution. 

Let’s break down one more. 

The beginning: Zach spikes a volleyball into the sun.
The middle: The sun falls out of the sky. 
The end: The group launched the sun back into the sky using the net, then return to their game.

In just a few seconds, Zach sets up a story, reveals a problem, and then comes in with a solution… All while using some mind-bending special effects to show off his talent and skill.

So storytelling is important, but how can we use it in marketing? 

Let’s say you’re creating a video to highlight a new solution you offer. Instead of creating another demo, try this: 

The beginning: Illustrate the pain point. Try highlighting a real experience whether your own or your client’s. You can have fun with this, too. No real stories yet? Create a hypothetical one.

The middle: Alleviate the pain point. Introduce the solution and show your audience the experience that solves the problem. Don’t just talk about the solution. Illustrate it through the story.

The end: Highlight the aftermath. Show the audience how much better off the customer is after a solution has been found.

See what we did there? Just like Zach King — full circle. 

The best part? This concise storytelling translates across different mediums. It’s just as effective in text-only LinkedIn posts as it is in email marketing and video. 

When you can structure your content to have a beginning, middle and end, your audience can stay engaged and follow the natural steps you lay out for them. In fact, our brains are conditioned to follow stories. And when a vital part of a story is missing, people are left unsatisfied. 

Zach King mastered storytelling in the most simplistic of ways. You can, too. 

Next time you go to create content, whether a simple LinkedIn post or a full-length video, take a second to outline and confirm your beginning, middle and end are clear, cohesive and engaging. 

The takeaway: Storytelling is a critical component of any piece of content. When you can master creating a strong beginning, middle and end within your niche and platform, your engagement can take off. 

That’s it, ya’ll! Happy creating!

Paige Peterson
Newsletter Aficionado, Sweet Fish

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