{"id":971,"date":"2017-09-27T21:09:01","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T01:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/52.90.43.4\/?p=971"},"modified":"2020-10-08T11:51:35","modified_gmt":"2020-10-08T15:51:35","slug":"overcome-five-common-obstacles-internal-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sproutvideo.com\/blog\/overcome-five-common-obstacles-internal-video.html","title":{"rendered":"Overcome Five Common Obstacles to Using Internal Video"},"content":{"rendered":"

Video is a fantastic medium for communication\u00a0because it’s so engaging. You may think it it is worth the effort for marketing, but what about communicating internally to your employees?<\/p>\n

Of course, there are some common obstacles to using video, which can\u00a0make people hesitant to take the plunge\u00a0for internal communication purposes.<\/p>\n

In this post, we outline five\u00a0different challenges companies often face, and share possible solutions. With these tips, you’ll be able to\u00a0leverage video internally sooner rather than later, or improve your existing\u00a0efforts.<\/p>\n

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Why You Need Internal Video<\/h3>\n

Your employees are your company\u2019s most valuable asset. Therefore, it is vital that you are able to clearly and concisely communicate goals, developments, and overall vision.<\/p>\n

If employees are not well-trained, engaged, or involved, it becomes very difficult to further the goals of your company or organization. Video can help with that because it enables internal communications much more efficiently than traditional methods.<\/p>\n

For example, asynchronous communication has risen in popularity and necessity thanks to an increasingly flexible workplace and the growth of\u00a0remote teams. The tone of a message can be lost when delivered in written form. However, video communications enables the messenger to more easily provide context and urgency when relaying information to their team members.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of other great reasons to incorporate video into your internal communications strategy. For instance, done right, it can eliminate the need for in-person meetings and training<\/a>. This not only saves valuable time, but also maintains an important consistency, particularly when it comes to training.<\/p>\n

Videos can be saved in a centralized resource center<\/a>,\u00a0making them readily\u00a0accessible. In comparison, emails or chat messages are often\u00a0deleted or lost more easily. You can even use analytics to analyze the engagement level\u00a0of individual employees,\u00a0helping you determine whether your videos are effective.<\/p>\n

Challenge One: People will not watch the videos, or only watch part of them.<\/h3>\n

By introducing video, you are likely breaking old habits for your employees, and introducing them to new ones, but persist. Here, consistency is absolutely key.<\/p>\n

You might find your viewer engagement<\/a> is lower than you’d like. Viewers might be losing interest at specific points in the video. Understanding viewer\u00a0behavior allows you\u00a0to identify trends where the viewership drops off, and revisit the content to make improvements.<\/p>\n

One of the simplest ways to encourage people on your team to watch your videos is to set their expectations. Deliver your videos on a regular\u00a0schedule with a recognizable\u00a0format. For new team members, normalize the use of video by introducing it early on.<\/p>\n

Challenge Two: We don\u2019t know what to include in our internal videos.<\/h3>\n

Plan and prepare, far in advance!<\/p>\n

Content to consider includes any calendar or company events, milestones, training and education, or positive updates and \u201cthank you’s\u201d to your team members. In fact, we have a whole host of ideas on our blog. Here\u2019s a couple to get you started: eight ideas for using internal video to engage your community<\/a> and fifteen\u00a0tips for internal corporate video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We really encourage setting up an editorial calendar for your internal videos. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet with dates, titles, a brief description of each topic, and what you will need to pull it off.<\/p>\n

Logistically, an editorial calendar pays dividends. It\u00a0will really help give your team the necessary time to plan a variety of content, and prepare for each video shoot<\/a>. This is especially crucial if your videos require booking staff or talent and a location.<\/p>\n

It will also give you a central document to go back to where you can review your content. Further, it will make coordination much easier with other internal communication efforts.\u00a0Taken all together, you’ll be able to see whether you’re succeeding in creating\u00a0a cohesive internal communications strategy.<\/p>\n

Challenge Three: People don\u2019t follow the instructions\/next steps shared in the video.<\/h3>\n

SproutVideo has great marketing features<\/a> that drive viewers in the direction you need and ensure they\u2019re following through on what you\u2019re asking of them. Typically for public videos, these features can do double-duty for internal video.<\/p>\n

Our post-play call-to-action feature<\/a> allows you to guide your viewers to action after your video has finished. With the ability to include links, images, forms, or any HTML you\u2019d like, we encourage you to test out different ideas\u00a0to determine which works best for your team.<\/p>\n

Perhaps a less overt\u00a0(but potentially very effective) way to encourage your internal viewers to follow instructions and next steps is to assign email and password combinations to individuals<\/a>\u00a0for video access. On the SproutVideo platform, login protection enables you to track viewer\u00a0interactions with your videos at a very granular level.<\/p>\n

Importantly, these insights\u00a0allow you to follow up with anyone who isn’t keeping up on required viewing\u00a0or taking specific actions.<\/p>\n

Challenge Four: Our video talent needs help.<\/h3>\n

Practice is key. After some general training, just keep practicing! Help your talent work on:<\/p>\n