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Content Guidelines for Enterprise Communications and Workplace Learning
Today’s digital media technology is innovative, feature rich, and functionally robust. With it, we can view content, create it, manage it, share it, and communicate with others via many methods and media channels.
These tools and capabilities are empowering individuals, as consumers and as employees; with the ability to determine what information they consume and share with their friends and associates throughout the workplace. However, digital media is only as good as the content that it delivers.
Why is this critical to the enterprise?
Because if the video content is not compelling and relevant to the targeted viewers, they’ll tune it out, which may result in lost sales and unhappy customers.
This is nothing new!
Over the years, as technology has improved and form factors have changed, the core messages, information and story telling have remained relatively constant. Certain content will be time sensitive and/or require audience participation and interaction. Other content may have and extended shelf-life and be conducive for consumption at the convenience of the viewer. These criteria, along with the make-up of the targeted audience, will determine whether the content needs to be delivered live or should be produced for on-demand viewing.
What’s the formula for successful enterprise video communications and workplace learning?
Today, most organizations have video equipment and capabilities throughout the enterprise…
Where virtually everyone is a potential contributor, shooting, editing and distributing company related user-generated content using various consumer, pro-sumer and commercial equipment. As a result, the video and audio quality can range significantly. Viewers have shown that they have expectations for content production values to meet the high quality screen and sound capabilities of viewing devices. However, they also have shown a tolerance for poor video and sound, when the content is compelling.
First, and foremost, know your target audience, so that the content is compelling and relevant to them!
Although the message may be similar for both internal and external audiences, the timing, viewing locations and devices, and the desired actions and outcomes, may be drastically different!
Be sensitive to work schedules for associates and managers! Which means don’t overwhelm employees with too much content… too often. This can have a negative impact on their job performance. Program length should be determined by the subject matter and targeted audience. Clearly, town-hall meetings and certain training classes may be lengthy.
However, highlights of these and other content may be conducive for editing down to multiple, short modules for distribution to extended audiences and on-demand viewing. In fact, it’s not uncommon for content featuring a single item or topic to be brief: 30 to 90 seconds.
In summary, it’s important to remember that:
Content is King…
It needs to be relevant, fresh, timely, easily accessible and readily available for the target audience.
You should incorporate interactivity into programs and learning sessions to encourage participation and drive engagement.
Don’t overwhelm employees with too much content….
And design the length of video programs according to the subject matter and targeted audience.
Use, re-purpose, and re-use relevant content…
This can be very cost effective.
Leverage all available media delivery channels for the right blend of live and on-demand content.
Establish video production guidelines and policies to protect the organization’s brand…
As well as manage the workflow.
And finally, VIDEO CONTENT should drive the selection of media and technology solutions for the enterprise video communications and learning ecosystem.
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