Don’t underestimate the impact of an effective corporate video. In a visual world, video remains your best bet for communicating with audiences.
Do you find that a vivid visual tends to linger longer in your memory than words? According to research, our brains are hard-wired to process words with short-term memory, while images anchor themselves directly in long-term memory. This gives visual content, such as videos, incredible power. By sticking to the following principles, you can create a compelling corporate video that gets your message across.
Know your purpose
Before you do anything else, identify your objective. You should be able to easily explain why you want to create this video.
Ideally, you will have identified a gap or need in your corporate communications. Perhaps you need to update the “About Us” video to reflect a reworked mission statement, or promote a newly-launched product or service.
If you don’t know what you want to achieve, then stop right there. The decision made at this stage will bleed into everything else, so your purpose needs to be crystal-clear. If not, it’s highly likely that the final video will be ineffective, wasting precious resources in the process.
For a clear picture of what you want to achieve, you will want to brainstorm with all the staff members involved. A video production partner can also help you further develop your video’s purpose.
Identify your audience
Once you’ve established your purpose, it should be fairly straightforward to identify who you are talking to.
Are you talking to a mass, general audience or a specific group of consumers, stakeholders, or employees? While it may seem obvious, understand that this step is crucial to shaping your message. The reality is that not everyone will find what you have to say interesting. Hence, you must craft your message according to your audience’s particular interests.
Hopefully, you already have a rather solid understanding of your target audience. This will guide the messaging creation and video format, as well as determine the platforms on which to share the video.
Wrap your core message in an emotional story
Corporate videos unfortunately have a reputation for being dull. These notions are not unfounded as many tend to focus too much on facts and numbers.
We all know that stories that pack an emotional punch are far more memorable. To attract viewers and engage them, you have to connect with them emotionally. So, think about the story you want to tell to this particular audience. What journey do you want to take your viewers on, from beginning to end?
You can always engage the services of a video production partner for your story and script. Their expertise can help you develop an emotional bent to your video, enhancing your message with storytelling tips and tricks.
Show, don’t tell
We’re living in the golden age of video, with the ability to bring many styles to life. You can opt for classic but crisp live action videos or get creative with animation, motion graphics, and more. The sky is truly the limit.
However, keep in mind that the style should complement the story. It should enhance your message and help communicate your company to viewers.
Don’t forget to KISS
Our attention spans are getting shorter these days. To avoid losing audiences, don’t forget to “KISS” – or “Keep It Short and Simple”. With an editor’s eye, check to see whether high-level statements come through in a clear and concise way. We want to make it as easy as possible for viewers to understand and remember the story, without being overly redundant. Remember that they don’t have your level of information, so clarity is key.
The ideal length will depend on the kind of video, but I would suggest aiming for under 2:30 minutes. Your video should only go over that for educational and technical content or film-like storytelling.
Here are some stand-out examples of corporate videos.
Superb animation makes this Dupont corporate video an easy watch. It skillfully visualizes the narrator’s words, helping tell the story in a creative and succinct way.
Slack reimagines the testimonial, with its fun story, snappy pace, and slick graphics creating a true entertainment experience. The everyday language and humor also help establish authenticity.
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