Data shows that employees are reading less while video consumption is rising. Here’s how to use these trends to advance your internal communications programs.
Since 65% of people are visual learners, incorporating video in your internal communications not only aids employee understanding and retention but also helps build personal connections. Here are a few more benefits:
- The dynamic nature of video can help capture and hold employee attention;
- Videos can make complex information more digestible;
- Facial expressions and tone of voice can help foster a sense of familiarity and build trust;
- Increased virtual face-to-face interaction and help remote employees combat isolation;
- Closed captions can improve accessibility, especially for global audiences.
Consider these three video ideas — and production tips — if you want to enhance your internal communications with video.
1. Incorporate selfie-style clips of team members. The rise of YouTube, TikTok, and Teams meetings has made high-level, time-consuming video production obsolete. It may seem counterintuitive, but low-level production is perceived as more authentic, while high-budget is stuffy or impersonal. Next time you send a benefits enrollment reminder, pair it with a 30-second video recorded by the HR manager in charge of the program. Or rather than sending a text-heavy invitation to your next company event, send a quick video recorded by an executive. These reminders will humanize your content and engage your employees in a new way.
2. Make videos fun. While text-based messaging and in-person or virtual town hall meetings lend themselves well to serious or formal company-wide communications, there is also room for pre-recorded videos. You can script more playful and creative messages and incorporate some jokes or goofy skits, funny visual elements, or, when appropriate, sound effects for comedic effect. With video, you can convey your team’s personality by including employees or showcasing behind-the-scenes moments highlighting the organization’s human side.
3. Try animated videos. Animation can simplify complex concepts by breaking them into digestible segments and turning blocks of text into visual illustrations. With characters and visuals, video can help you craft narratives that resonate with employees — without asking your team to memorize lines or act out complex scenarios. Animated videos are also an excellent strategy for global organizations communicating in different languages. Visual storytelling transcends language barriers, and regional teams can easily translate captions.
Tips for producing corporate videos
1. Keep videos concise. The optimal video length depends on the purpose of your message. Most often, the recommended size is between 30 seconds and six minutes. Paragon Design Group recommends keeping benefits explainer videos to under two minutes, writing, “It’s hard to keep it brief when explaining complex topics like health and wellness benefits, but according to video hosting platform Wistia, viewer attention and engagement drops severely after two minutes and again after six minutes.” If you need to communicate more information, break the video into smaller, bite-sized chunks.
2. Use humor thoughtfully. Although video provides an excellent opportunity to send more playful messaging, you still want to ensure that your communications are inclusive and thoughtful. Consider your employees’ diverse backgrounds, preferences, and beliefs when brainstorming humorous skits. It’s best to avoid sensitive topics like politics or religion. Instead, stick to universally light subjects that are unlikely to alienate a segment of your audience.
3. Focus on steady filming, clear audio, and good lighting. You don’t need a huge budget to produce engaging video content; selfie-style videos will do the trick! Use a tripod, ensure your audio is clear by filming in a quiet place (with little to no background noise), and focus on good lighting. One of the most budget-friendly strategies is to take advantage of natural light, which can be soft and flattering. Have the subjects in your video face the natural light to avoid harsh shadows.
4. Embed video into email. The easier it is for employees to view your videos, the more likely they will watch them. If possible, embed the video directly into your email rather than including a link to watch the video on another site. PoliteMail’s Add Video feature adds embedded, playable video in Outlook, so employees do not need to navigate away to YouTube or a hosted site. Add Video can turn any mp4 video into a video email message.
Using video in your internal communications can enhance your effectiveness, improve employee retention, and help build trust. To elevate your internal communications through video, send informal, selfie-style videos, make videos fun, and incorporate animation. When you film, keep videos short; use humor thoughtfully; prioritize steady filming, clear audio, and good lighting; and make it easy for employees to view your videos by embedding them into your emails. Videos will be a breath of fresh air for your employees!
