Developing Your Video Strategy for High-Performance Culture, Part 2

Part 2: What does an effective video strategy look like?
Video is the best way to seed high-performance culture quickly. Video can communicate complex messages and create emotion simultaneously so the viewer can receive the required information and also feel compelled to action.

Building a video strategy into your organic communication process can lead directly to employee engagement and high-performance. We’ve seen it over and over again.

When you think about your video strategy, it has to have a number of elements. It has to be aligned with the strategy that senior management and the CEO have defined. There are three characteristics of strategically aligned video:

  • It has to reflect the real strategy of the company. Otherwise it’s window dressing.
  • It has to be engaging. (We like to say, “Do not bore.”)
  • It has to be human. That’s the way real communication and connection happens.

An unaligned strategy is when you’re hearing different messages from different people, which creates all kinds of problems. When your video strategy is in alignment, it prevents problems and the right messages travel and spread effortlessly.

We like to say, “please put yourself in the seat of the person who this video was intended for.” These aren’t broadcast videos. These aren’t general entertainment. These are specifically made for certain kinds of audiences. If we think of video in terms of these categories, a specific message to a specific audience, this is what we mean by having video strategy: holistic, connected, aligned, working together.

Your video communication strategy can begin in any one category (or remain exclusively in one category), but often these uses inform each other and overlap in terms of footage and budgeting.

Here are the categories and a brief description of each:

BRAND VISION A brand helps to define your vision, establish your culture, and set a clear direction for the future of your organization. It connects with employees, customers and investors alike.

RECRUITING & RETENTION Attracting and retaining top talent is crucial. Companies with a strong on-boarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and report more than 70% increase in productivity.

  • Recruiting
  • Onboarding
  • Training

SALES & MARKETING According to Cisco. 85% of online visitors will watch a video on a website, but only 15% will read the website content.

  • B2B
  • B2C
  • Sales force training & motivation

FUNDRAISING & INVESTOR RELATIONS Videos can tell complex stories in a succinct form and have the added benefit of provoking an emotional connection while showcasing authenticity.

  • Mergers & acquisitions
  • Annual report
  • Crisis communication

VALUES & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Culture is key to business success and should be continually reinforced. Each value serves a unique purpose and supports recruiting and onboarding as well.

LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION Video is the most strategic and compelling tool for leaders to motivate and inspire their people to achieve a shared vision by appealing to untapped human needs.

  • CEO message
  • New leadership
  • New vision
  • New business
  • Risk management
  • Sustainability
  • Corporate responsibility
  • Celebration
  • Recognition
  • Milestone

As you begin to look at video as a strategic tool, the possibilities open up. It’s not so much about creating a 2 or 3 minute video as it is about solving a specific communication problem, or better yet problems, that video can solve better than any other format.

UP NEXT Part 3: Can I Shoot This on My iPhone?

(Read Part 1: What is culture and why is it crucial for business success?)

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“It’s one thing to understand the role of video in business communication, it’s another to know how to use video to solve actual business problems. Vern Oakley gets that.”

LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT

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