Video has never been as integrated and accessible in our day-to-day lives than now. Not only can we constantly browse video content on our devices, these same devices double as video cameras themselves. I believe there’s a latent potential for any of today’s industry professionals to become video content producers. For many, the only thing stopping them from taking the step into video is that sensible business question around cost/benefit – is it profitable?
My simple answer is yes but, the sophisticated answer is that it depends on how you use video as a tool to elevate your business.
In our “Value of Visuals” research, we found that adopting visual communication in the workplace could give an average employee about 33 minutes back in their week. In fact, two-thirds of people understand information better when it’s communicating visually – and they comprehend it faster, as well. Let’s explore how using videos as part of normal course of business can help you save time every day and, allow you to better communicate internally and externally.
Relationships are about people connecting with people
While I’m not making a case for video to replace one-on-one conversations entirely, there is real value in using visuals to communicate. Plain text – especially long blocks of it – can seem daunting. People tend to skim through long sections of text to find the valuable information, but in doing so, they may actually miss the points you’re trying to get across. In many cases, a short video can get your message across faster, and with less chance that someone will miss the important bits. By making it as easy as possible for your target audience to discover and grasp the information they’re looking for, you can be more sure that the message is clear.
Flexibility, time-efficiency, integration – all captured with a camera
Managing a business requires a diverse range of skills and abilities. In today’s market, video content creation is essential for any business looking to engage with their own team.
Our studies of the workplace reflect this notion people absorb information better and are more likely to be motivated by visuals than plain-text. In other words, your employees don’t want to read long-winded emails.
Videos can also ensure you’re sharing a consistent message across your organisation and nullify the chance for messages deviating from their original intention. Most importantly, visuals put a face to the message and humanise the communication experience which is essential for feeling connected and motivated.
Here are some key areas to get started with your very own video series:
- When onboarding a new employee, record each time you run them through a new program via screen recording to capture the lesson. This will become part of an archive of video lessons that can be referred to in the future.
- Try recording a quick video message in lieu of written email memos. It’s quicker to speak your thoughts than type out a message. With a video memo, you also have the added benefit of non-verbal communication.
- With an increasing number of remote workers, cloud-based systems are integral to our work lives. While convenient, remote working can lead to fragmentation within an organisation with remote workers feeling like outsiders. Encouraging employees to communicate with remote co-workers across different time zones working asynchronously via recorded screencasts and including them in internal meetings can significantly boost team unity and integration.
It is important to remember the above tips are meant to simplify, and not to complicate. You don’t need professional equipment or experience to create engaging content. In fact, creation tools that streamline the video-making process are more affordable than ever. It’s simply a matter of making that first video.
Matt Pierce, Learning and Video Ambassador, TechSmith
