by Content & Social Media Strategist Andrea Rosario, Digital Brew
With the continued rise of video, brands are being forced to stretch their creativity and set new bars. In case you’re feeling the pressure, here are some fresh tips and inspiring examples you’ll want to keep in mind when producing your next corporate video.
**1. Get personal. **
Let them get to know you–on a personal level. Yes. Don’t just tell your audience what you do. Show viewers who you truly are as a company and what you believe in. Whether your goal is to recruit new talent or show your audience the human side of your business, culture videos are a great way to build brand trust. Remember to keep it real and stay humble–Shopify’s corporate video is a great example of this.
Life at Shopify
**2. Show, don’t tell. **
Don’t bore your audience with facts. Don’t tell them what you can do for them. Chances are they can find this information on your website. Instead, use your corporate video to share an experience. For example, Google understands customers are not looking for a list of features. They do a great job at showing their product in action, sharing an experience with the viewer that is both engaging and relatable.
Meet Duo Google
3. Don’t be afraid to have fun.
Most corporate videos are created for promotional purposes. Hey, at some point you’ve got to make the move and deliver your pitch. You are trying to sell something. Leadpages® proves a promotional video can go straight to the point without feeling salesy. So don’t be afraid to be creative and let your company’s personality shine through.
Leadpages®: So Easy To Use You'll Wanna Celebrate!
4. Don’t waste the viewers time.
Think 30 seconds is a short amount of time to capture your audience’s attention? How about 5 seconds? That’s how long YouTube gives advertisers before the “skip” button shows up allowing viewers to skip right through your precious video. This has motivated brands to find some extremely creative ways to engage viewers within those crucial first 5 seconds. And when it comes to effective pre-roll videos, Geico is king. Geico’s ‘Unskippable’ ad campaign is innovative, hilarious, and highly effective making it impossible for viewers to skip through – literally. But keep in mind that engaging doesn’t always mean funny. If you’re jumping on the pre-roll bandwagon consider this tip from The YouTube Insights Team: “If humor just isn't right for your brand, consider taking a ‘suspenseful’ or ‘emotional’ tone in the first five seconds.”
Forest: Fast Forward - GEICO
**5. Tell a story. **
Or better yet, let your client tell their story! According to HubSpot, 78% of people say they trust online reviews just as much as recommendations from acquaintances. People want social proof. Having real people share their success stories in your corporate video will help you make an emotional connection with your audience and add credibility to your brand.
Empowered by MailChimp: Tattly
Last thoughts:
So what’s the secret recipe to a successful corporate video?
Here’s what Michael Cardwell, Founder and Creative Director at Digital Brew, had to say:
“Storytelling and emotional engagement are the two most important elements that make a great corporate video. That story could be the journey of your company and how you’ve helped people or it can be an inspiring or fun story that illustrates how you help your customers be successful. Most people don’t enjoy watching a marketing video that is just a bunch of facts. You need to be selective about your highest value propositions are and share those. That also means you may need to leave some value propositions on the cutting room floor, but your website and your sales team can address those.
Your video should be a conversation starter, not a replacement for the conversation. If you position your video in this manner, you will captivate your audience and leave them wanting to read more or pick up the phone and call your sales team.”
About Digital Brew
A full-service video production company that believes in forming connections through visual storytelling. Inspired by your ideas and goals, they craft explainer videos, film logo animation, brand videos, commercials, and just about any type of video your company needs. The team thrives on giving you tools that drive measurable success.
