< Back to all posts
Internal Communications Best Practices: 5 Types of Video Your Company Needs
Internal communications are a vital part of any company structure. No matter your size or specific industry, if you’re not effectively communicating with your own employees, how can you expect to build your brand externally and set your business up for long-term growth? In the modern digital age, internal communications best practices start and end with video.
With so many channels and platforms of communications, ensuring your message is accurately received is more important now than ever. And when it comes to communicating with your employees, studies via Pop Video show that when workers watch video they’re likely to retain 95 percent of the intended message. Compare that to just 10 percent retention rate with text.
With that in mind, here are 5 types of video your company should be using to maximize internal communications.
1. Company Mission and Vision Videos
Your company’s unique voice, vision, and mission are vital aspects of your identity that need to be properly communicated to your employees. Especially during hiring periods and on-boarding new employees, communicating your corporate mission and vision via video can be a powerful and memorable means to further boost employee buy-ins rather than a pamphlet or employee handbook.
Maybe shoot a short, documentary-style video explaining your company’s history and recent high points. Take the time to highlight and interview real employees and chronicle any exciting milestones or achievements your company has accomplished. A special message from a founder or CEO can go a long way to solidifying a message.
And the best part? Video content like this tends to be evergreen, meaning you’ll be able to use it for years to come, updating it only when necessary. Utilizing video to capture the culture of your company can help new and current employees to truly want to invest in an organization’s long-term growth.
2. Training and Safety Videos
In terms of corporate media, training and safety videos are probably pretty commonplace across industries. Unfortunately they also often suffer from a dated approach. Training and safety videos should absolutely be a part of your internal communications plans, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be captivating.
Approach training and/or safety instructional videos with the modern viewer in mind. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles, including:
–Animation: adds longevity and a new layer of creativity to the sometimes “boring” training video
-Use humor and strong script-writing to make for a more entertaining experience
-Lose the boring “talking head” tropes of old training videos.
–Create action and a narrative
Training videos are in place to ensure that tasks are carried out correctly and to create a safe, functioning work environment for every employee. Ensure your internal communications do not suffer from complacency.
3. Walkthroughs, How-To Videos, and Other Resources
In the same vein as corporate training videos, your company might have other internal resources that help employees do their jobs better and more efficiently. Rather than specific job-training or safety precautions, these resources are scaled-down to more simple tasks.
Think standard operating procedures, employee task checklists, or guides to use specific computer software or programs. Many times these resources are included in packets, or as database text, but odds are they’re better served in video.
Videos that offer on-screen walk-throughs or step-by-step guides to specific tasks are much more useful because they visually demonstrate and teach employees. Plus it creates efficiency in the sense that an employee can seek this information out and learn it on their own without taking the time of a manager or co-worker.
4. Peer-to-Peer Videos
Sometimes internal communications can get messy. The intended tone of emails and texts can be misread and misunderstood, leading to confusion, tension, and a lack of cohesiveness. But video allows for more direct communication, with visual cues like gestures and facial expressions.
For larger corporations where employees of different departments might not be in the same location, peer-to-peer videos allow for that direct communication to take place. You might consider creating an internal forum where these types of videos can be independently filmed, or live-streamed, and shared internally by employees.
Allowing communication to happen in real-time creates a more direct sense of connection and community. Opening the floor to give your employees that accessibility can only boost the level of efficiency and openness in your internal communications.
5. Video Updates and Announcements
Finally, video can be an excellent means of providing company updates and big announcements to a large audience. Consider replacing internal company newsletters, memos, and email chains with:
-Quarterly vlogs from the CEO to update board members and shareholders
-Video event announcements or highlights
–Live-streaming conferences, meetings, and other corporate events
-“Day in the life” or video series that highlight specific employees or departments
Internal communications should go well-beyond basic memos, e-mails that BCC everyone on staff, and the same-old VHS training videos. Think bigger for your internal communications, and just how much of those previously inefficient platforms can be boosted by video.
No matter your industry, even a slight uptick in utilizing videos more regularly can do wonders to boost your employee retention and create an environment where regular internal communications is both effective, and entertaining.
Ready to Boost Your Internal Communications?
If you’re ready to take your internal communications more seriously and shift to a more video-intensive plan, understand that it will take time. You may need to start out with small, incremental implementations and build from there.
Regardless, there’s no doubt that video continues to be a leading strategy for effective communication, internally and externally. It should be a priority for your company to make video a permanent fixture in your internal communications plans.
To get started, you may need to consult and outsource video production to a third party to best plan your approach and ensure your strategy is executed consistently over time. That’s where Crews Control comes in. No matter where your business is located, we have the best video production crews to execute your most creative plans.
From the right equipment to post production edits, we’ll connect you with the best video crews to execute your vision, every step of the way. Don’t let your internal communications suffer any longer. Reach out to us today for a free quote!
Leave a Reply