Have you discovered the power of video? If you have any question as to the popularity of this media consider this; on YouTube alone, over six billion hours are watched each month while approximately 100 hours of video uploads every minute. This doesn’t include the thousands viewed on news, DIY and business websites. The numbers are staggering. Isn’t it about time you start telling your story and capture your share of the watching audience?
There are two ways to use videos in your company, internally and externally. Videos can be created to share information with your employees. This is especially helpful if you have multiple locations or difficulty getting your entire staff together at one time. Stories to tell may include results on how the company is performing; new initiatives to be implemented such as quality, cost reduction and customer service improvements. It can also be a good way to recognize employee achievements. Producing videos for external customers is an excellent marketing tool. Not only can you can provide a visual but demonstrate products in use. Don’t forget to include customer testimonials to create a powerful selling tool.
So what do you need to make a video? Not much these days as any type of digital camera, video cam or phone may be sufficient. It should be noted the some of the most viral videos have been made on inexpensive equipment. To create the final product, you can hire someone to edit your footage or do it yourself. There is plenty of video editing software to buy or download for free. It all depends on how much sophistication is needed and who will be your audience. Finally locate your videos on the company websites to be easily accessed and seen by customers. For internal videos, use your company intranet or have a password protected link. Whichever you decide keep your company’s privacy in mind.
As you begin building your library of content remember to make the videos entertaining and fun to watch. Keep them interesting and a good learning experience for the viewer. To hold viewer attention until the end, limit the length to 2-4 minutes. Lastly make sure your story is coming across clearly. Define what you want to communicate in advance and “shoot” for that goal.
Ted Saul is a business coach that assists with Business Plans and Project Management. He holds a master certificate in project management and has earned his MBA from Regis University. Ted can be reached on LinkedIn, TedS787 on Twitter or emailing Ted@tsaul.com
