Communication is an important part of any thriving business. Chances are you spend a lot of time sharing company updates and ensuring all team members are on the same page.
Unlike long emails or lengthy documents from the marketing department, video is a quick, effective way to get your message across to colleagues. We share our top 10 tips for keeping your weekly videos fresh and inspiring.
1. Myth-busting CEO interviews.
If there are significant developments in your organization, there’s nothing quite like a video interview with the CEO for sharing the facts with the company and quelling any rumors. You could ask colleagues to submit questions for the CEO to ensure the interview is meaningful and asks the questions people really want to know the answers to.
2. A simple ‘thank you’ from the boss.
When the team has pulled all-nighters, worked through lunch breaks, and come into the office during the weekend, official recognition of their efforts will be particularly well-received. In fact, an American Psychological Association survey found that 93% of employees who reported feeling valued said they felt motivated to do their best.
Keep the video focused and to the point. If possible, interviewing a happy customer is a really effective way of demonstrating to employees the tangible results of their endeavors. However you decide to produce the video, a ‘thank you’ for everyone’s hard work never goes amiss.
3. Induction for new employees.
If your organization has recently hired several new employees, create a short, easy to digest video that provides fun, insider information about the company’s culture. This will help them feel more comfortable in the workplace.
Ask other employees what information they would have found useful when they started working for the company, and make sure this is included. The video can also be used to fill them in on regular company events such as town halls and team-building days out.
4. Up-skilling made easy.
When new systems and practices are implemented, video is an obvious format for employee training. Video can guide the team through complex ideas and provide easy to follow step-by-step guidance.
Moreover, video can be viewed at a time and pace that suits everyone. As a bonus, the video can be reused for new employees or for a refresher course down the road.
5. Make your team aware of the bigger picture.
From current events to emerging trends, video is the perfect medium to update your team on what’s happening in their industry. Lay out the facts, but don’t be afraid to share your own opinion too.
These types of videos are useful because it helps employees see the big picture. Feeling like they are contributing to a greater purpose can be a powerful motivating factor for many employees.
6. Product launches.
It’s just as important for employees to understand new products as it is for customers to know about them. Create a product launch video for internal sharing only. This enables your staff to learn everything they need to know about the product company is planning to release to the market.
Film a product demonstration video to show your employees exactly how a product works and the benefits behind the design. We recommend creating an in-house video library so employees can watch these before they hit the sales floor or trade shows.
7. Product updates.
When a product or service is updated, it’s important for your team to understand the changes that have taken place. Even if they are minor changes, your team should be aware that they have taken place, the reason why, and the benefits to the customer.
8. Hand over the reins to someone else.
Video opens the channels of communication in any organization, whatever its size. It’s especially useful for large companies where one team might not be sure of another team’s role. It’s even more important for organizations with remote teams.
Ask one department to create a video showing the rest of the company what they do. It’s an effective way of ensuring the organization is connected. It also has the added benefit of making the team creating the video feel valued.
Another option would be to have different teams share videos on their recent successes. Showcasing the value they provide to the organization is a nice way to build camaraderie.
9. An inter-departmental Q&A session.
One of the goals of internal communications is to get people talking. Hold a series of cross-departmental Q&A sessions where employees can communicate, collaborate, and learn from each other. Film it, edit, and you’ve got a great resource for showing the whole company what’s going on behind the scenes.
10. Employee benefits.
If your organization has a stellar employee benefits program, make sure they know about it! Research found that an organization of 250 employees that fails to communicate its employee benefits spends around $325,000 a year more on staff turnover and sickness absence than those who have good internal communication practices. It’s likely that you have lots of information to share, so creating a video series on employee benefits is a great idea.
If you have any suggestions for effective internal video, we’d love to hear them! Share them with the SproutVideo community below, or on Facebook or Twitter.
