Businesses operate across multiple locations and time zones, leveraging a complex network of employees, partners and vendors. Closing information gaps while communicating in a clear, authentic manner helps to drive better business decisions. Yet no one needs another memo or email to land on their desks. Video has emerged as a preferred communication vehicle for businesses looking to engage and unify their teams, generate revenue and build customer loyalty.
Savvy companies know that video can be an incredibly impactful way to differentiate from competitors, and raise brand and product awareness among prospective customers, partners and employees. From sales enablement, product marketing, executive communications and human resources, companies are using video as a cost-effective tool across all departments, helping to generate measurable business growth and results.
Video increases conversion by
50%
While there are countless benefits to incorporating video technology into your company’s overall communication plans, some line of business (LOB) leaders are hesitant to adopt it. Budget concerns as well as questions about the best way in which to use video in their departments need to be addressed before they commit to it. This guide will help you build a strong case for expanding video across your company’s departments without breaking your budget.
BOOST YOUR MARKETING IMPACT.
Video adoption often starts in the marketing department where it often has its own sales-related targets to meet, including producing qualified leads. Modern marketers know that video can help them maintain consistent, relevant, personalized communication with prospects and customers. Video technology allows both B2B and B2C marketers to facilitate and track viewing experiences while leveraging that data into their marketing automation and CRM platforms. Not only can marketers “connect the dots” between video views and revenue, but also determine how video views contribute to revenue generation.
Marketers that use video and other rich media achieved measurable sales targets vs non-users:
66%
INCREASE IN QUALIFIED LEADS DELIVERED TO SALES (MQLS).
29%
CONTRIBUTION TO OVERALL REVENUE.
40%
INCREASE IN AVERAGE CONTRACT VALUE (ACV) YEAR-OVER-YEAR.
EFFECTIVELY ONBOARD EMPLOYEES.
Ask any hiring manager when they need to onboard top-tier talent, and they usually reply, “Yesterday.” Business is moving at the speed of innovation and highly skilled workers are rapidly placed into a new role to perform. However, it’s essential to onboard them properly. New employees are 69% more likely to remain with a company for three years if they are onboarded effectively. And that goes beyond just giving onsite employees a basic orientation, handing them their employee badge, and showing them where to find the restrooms and free snacks. You need to integrate them into the company culture, their teams and their workflows.
Companies with work-from-home programs or remote office locations are challenged to effectively onboard their employees. Since these employees don’t work at a central office, it can be difficult to communicate the company culture and the importance of their role within a larger team. Video can foster a sense of community by connecting them to office events, allowing them to “meet” their colleagues and participate in virtual meetings.
75%
OF EMPLOYEES ARE LIKELY TO WATCH A BUSINESS VIDEO THAN READ A WRITTEN DOCUMENT.
81%
OF ENGAGED EMPLOYEES STAY WITH THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYER FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
$11
BILLION IN REVENUE IS LOST EACH YEAR DUE TO EMPLOYEE TURNOVER.
EFFECTIVELY ONBOARD EMPLOYEES.
Once an employee is onboarded, companies want to ensure they perform at optimal levels. From an operational standpoint, this means cost-effectively getting employees up to speed in their roles within the first 90 days. This is especially critical for remote employees who have a 50% higher retention rate and 12% higher productivity than their onsite colleagues.
Video allows you to accomplish all of this in a personal yet cost-effective manner. It enables new hires to meet others, as well as learn about your company’s mission, value proposition, products and services. It also fosters an emotional connection with your newly-minted teammates.
6 WAYS VIDEO CAN CREATE AN ENGAGING ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE.
1. COMPANY OVERVIEW/LEADERSHIP WELCOME.
Schedule a regular date for CEOs and key executives to greet their new colleagues and share an overview of the company’s mission and business objectives.
2. GET TO KNOW OUR COMPANY.
A video about the company’s history, beliefs, culture, activities in the community and overall purpose is a great way to inspire your new hires.
3. VIDEO EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTIONS.
Each new hire should create a brief video introduction. You can insert these videos into org charts, adding searchable meta tags, so new employees can easily connect through common interests.
4. EMPLOYEE-GENERATED CONTENT.
Have seasoned employees participate in “Day in the life” segments. This is a fun, personal way to educate new employees on roles, responsibilities, and dynamics. It also makes for a great employee recruitment tool!
5. DEPARTMENT OVERVIEWS.
Have line of business managers summarize the roles and goals of their team and department.
6. IT ORIENTATION.
Rather than try to get on IT’s schedule every month, have them record standard training and educational content to share with your new employees. How-to videos can show new employees how to conduct video conference calls, set up their email signature, order new business cards and much more!
TRAIN YOUR TEAM.
Whether you work for a small-to-medium sized business or a global enterprise, you know how challenging it can be to get all of your teammates together for an in-person meeting. With remote teams working in different geographical locations and time zones, it can be almost impossible to schedule an internal product introduction or sales training. Why not use video instead and reap the following benefits?
1. IMPROVED LEARNING.
Video created and shared by employees, for employees, can add an “insider’s perspective” to any training session, helping to boost interest and retention.
2. REDUCED COSTS.
Shifting a portion of training to on-demand video allows employees to engage in self-paced learning at their home base without having to generate unnecessary travel expenses.
3. SELF-PACED, INDEPENDENT LEARNING.
Shifting from a “push” model that requires trainers to present before a live audience to a “pull” model enables employees to search for what they need when they need it. This model can facilitate higher levels of employee participation in your training programs.
4. INTERACTIVITY.
Interactive videos keep employees engaged and helps boost retention. Consider incorporating short quizzes throughout your next training video to help employees remember key takeaways.
Fast food giant Wendy’s uses video for training, education, and HR-related purposes. Their HR and operations teams create short-form videos, typically three minutes long, that help explain new products, equipment management, and food preparation. More than 300 video on demand (VOD) assets are published to Wendy’s WeConnect portal. These same videos are also uploaded to company’s learning management system (LMS).
Wendy’s instructional videos include pop-up quizzes and other interactive features. The company also leverages video analytics tools to gauge viewership including who is viewing specific videos, how long they view them, the total number of views and more. Armed with insights into employee viewing and retention, the company has been able to decrease seat time in training courses, allowing employees to be more productive in restaurants.
COMPANIES THAT USED VIDEO FOR TRAINING REDUCED VOLUNTARY TURNOVER BY AN AVERAGE OF
7.7%
AND INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY BY 4% OVER 12 MONTHS.
5 TYPES OF VIDEO FOR TRAINING AND EDUCATION.
1. PRODUCT UPDATES AND TRAINING.
Product information and demonstration videos can bring your colleagues up to speed on the latest features and benefits. Work with your product team to develop video clips that demonstrate the product in action.
2. SALES TRAINING.
Use video to communicate corporate sales strategy, including tips for establishing relationships, demoing products and sharing info on successfully closed deals.
3. SALES ENABLEMENT.
Video can arm sales reps with best practices and up-to-date information on sales strategies and tools. Consider filming a different sales leader outlining a challenging sale and what was done to overcome objections and win the account.
4. ON-DEMAND CONFERENCE LEARNINGS.
Recorded presentations, meetings, and other activities from conferences can facilitate knowledge sharing among team members.
5. COACHING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
New managers can learn about best corporate practices, personnel policies, and more via on-demand videos.
BUILD AN EMPLOYEE NETWORK.
Beyond the financial savings, video as an internal communications tool has proven critical for improving employee engagement. Unlike emails, memos, and other company documents, using video to communicate company information results in the following benefits: higher productivity and profitability, lower turnover and absenteeism, better relationships and enhanced team building.
For enterprises with multiple satellite offices and geographically dispersed teams, video can facilitate a sense of community and connection among employees. It
also streamlines communication and ensures that employees receive the same information at the same time.
For example, Ford Motors has a video site that is only accessible for employees of Ford. The site serves as an information hub, containing company promotion videos, recordings of town hall meetings, team updates and more. Having a central source for company videos helps to connect employees working in different departments with each other. It is also great tool for new employees to learn about internal company news and events.
3 WAYS TO INFORM, ENGAGE, INSPIRE AND RETAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH VIDEO.
1. COMPANY UPDATES.
Consider filming an interview-based video of corporate changes or new initiatives. These videos inform employees of changes in direction, structure, or strategy, while explaining decisions. They help employees feel that they’re “in the loop” and part of the company’s evolution.
2. EVENT RECAPS.
Event videos create positive relations with employees and can help boost morale. Awards ceremonies, team-building events and annual parties engage employees as a community, while video recaps let them relive a fun and memorable day.
3. EXECUTIVE MESSAGES.
Short video interviews and presentations featuring the CEO and other executives about company performance and updates create a connection between upper management and the workforce. These videos help build a well-informed, inclusive community.