5 Tips for Creating Engaging Enterprise Videos
When we talk to people about their challenges with enterprise video, one of the questions that comes up often is “how do I create engaging enterprise videos?”
Let’s face it, no one is born with video production skills. They have to be learned. But the most important thing to remember is that these skills can be learned, and anyone can do it.
We’d like to offer you a few handy tips to help you get the most out of your corporate videos. These tips are easy to implement, and will go a long way towards getting the most out of your enterprise video system.
Let’s take a look at five simple ways that you can create engaging enterprise videos that hold your employees’ attention, and help to make sure you’re getting your message across.
1. State your objective immediately.
Just like any other content, you want to immediately grab the attention of the person watching your video. You can do this by simply explaining the purpose of the video, and what they’re going to get out of it at the beginning.
It’s a little off topic, but I’ll bet I’ve got your attention!
Make it interesting, and give them a reason to keep watching.
2. Tone of voice matters
Remember the teacher from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? Anyone? Anyone?
The teacher was played by a guy called Ben Stein, who managed to portray the boring-as-heck high school teacher with perfection. Now imagine having to watch a video with that guy’s voice as the narrator, or even the “talking head” presenting the material.
You probably wouldn’t last long watching that video. No one wants to sit through even a few minutes of dull, dry, boring, monotonous narration.
One of the first rules of sales is that you have to believe in your product and be excited about it in order to get the person you’re selling to excited about it. You wouldn’t hear a commercial with someone dully blathering on about a product — what you get is someone who is excited to be talking about it! And the same goes for any kind of video, even corporate ones.
If you want people to believe in the content of your video, you have to sell them. Be excited! Smile! You don’t have to turn cartwheels and shoot t-shirts out of a cannon — you just have to use a tone of voice that keeps people engaged with what you’re talking about.
3. Quality of sound is a big deal
There are two elements when considering the quality of the sound of your video that need to be considered. First, is the audio capture while you’re shooting video or doing voice-overs. Second, is the audio editing where you’ll adjust audio quality and levels.
First, make sure that you’re using high-quality equipment to capture sound. You’ve probably invested in a camera that shoots high-quality video, and the sound should match. There are a lot of different types of microphones, so do some research on which one is best for you, and use it with every shoot.
When editing your videos, remove background noise, and keep all audio tracks at the same level. You should absolutely avoid any spikes or drops in sound levels, as it will do nothing more than distract from the message you’re trying to convey. And don’t forget to add captions as a supplement to your sound!
4. Streamline your message
Once I’m finished writing this blog post, I’ll go back and do an edit. Maybe twice. And then someone else will edit it. This isn’t done solely to ensure that grammar and spelling are right (oh man, I hope everything will be correct now that I’ve said this). It’s also to make sure that I’ve driven the point home in as clear and succinct a manner as possible.
The reality of our world now is that there is a lot of content for us to consume. Your corporate video is competing with cute cat videos on Facebook and vacation photos on Instagram. Which means you’ve got to be clear and concise in your messaging.
Make sure your videos are done in easily consumable, bite-sized chunks that have a clear message. Sum it up as quickly as possible. When writing your scripts, go back over them and remove any superfluous text. Be as descriptive as possible, in as short a time as you can.
This will help to hold the attention of those watching and ensure that they’re getting to the meat of the message you want to convey.
5. Use B-roll footage
What is B-roll footage exactly?
You’ve probably seen a documentary where someone is being interviewed. Interspersed between footage of the person being interviewed will often be other scenes that relate to the subject being discussed. This is B-roll footage. It consists of scenes that relate to what you’re talking about that help to keep your viewers’ attention. The video below has a very enthusiastic filmmaker who will give you some really great information on B-roll footage and how to get the most out of it.
B-roll footage will change the dynamic of what a viewer is seeing. You can use it to elicit emotional responses in the same way that a marketer or advertiser might use an aspirational image to convey a certain thought of feeling to a viewer.
It’s really important that the b-roll footage that you use be consistent with the theme of what’s being discussed. Use it to enhance the message, not just as a fun editing trick. Those who use this simple trick will make more interesting videos that are far more likely to hold a viewer’s attention.
Bonus: Ask for feedback!
The best content — video or text or image or any other medium — is most effective when it speaks directly to the intended audience. Content that resonates, that elicits an emotional response, holds attention, and conveys a clear message will always be the most successful.
You can ensure that you’re speaking to your audience most effectively by asking for feedback. It’s a small thing to ask, and will not only help you to better understand your corporate video audience, but will also give your audience a sense of participation.
This is all about making sure that you get the most out of your corporate video efforts. You’re taking the time to inform and educate your employees, so make sure that you’re giving them the very best with each and every video. Good luck!
