Instructional videos often have a not-so-great connotation. Truth be told, there isn’t anything stopping an instructional video from being an interesting, dramatic mechanism that propels your company forward.

Yes, dramatic mechanism. And yes…we are referring to corporate videos.

There are a number of ingredients that go into making a video a great tool. Let’s take a look at four of them.

1. The Script. It has to be good, no ifs ands or buts. The script has to be dynamic enough for your employees to watch. It also has to be “real” enough for the employees to follow. If your script is concentrating on training so much to the point that you are coming up with far-fetched scenarios, your employees are going to tune that out. It has to be….believable. You have to have the type of moments where employees watch and say to themselves or others…”That same thing happened to me!”
2. Visual Interest. It has to be shot well. There has never been a time in history where people have had so many programming options. Because of this, our eyes have become trained and sophisticated enough to understand what’s good, and what’s bad. We tune out what’s bad. Attention spans are shorter than ever! A viewer practically has to be kept on the edge of their seat because it is so easy to click to the next channel. Maintaining visual interest is done through a variety of methods…shot composition, dynamic editing, use of creative graphics…even background music directly relates to the action we see on the screen. All of these visual elements are imperative to a successful corporate video.
3. WIFM. What’s in it for me? A key to always remember…it’s the audience that counts. Many corporate videos spend time touting how great their company is. While that may be true…and it is OK to pat yourself on the back; the only audience you’re going to impress is the committee members in charge of getting the video produced. An employee viewing the video has to see the value gained from watching the video in order to follow-up on the message.
4. Sincerity and Passion. A direct derivative of ingredient #3. A message from a company spokesperson or CEO has to be from the heart. It has to come across as more than just a company initiative. Employees that watch corporate videos in the form of an instructional video or quarterly message have to believe that that message is being brought to them for their best interest. They must be moved to feel that it is not only worth their time to watch this video, but that they are getting something out of it. The only way possible to accomplish this is through sincerity and passion.

Soooo…looking at that list, do you see anything missing from your last corporate video? Do you see anything that might suggest you’re running on 4 cylinders instead of 6? If so…could be time for a tune-up.

About Bright Circle, Inc.

Bright Circle is an Orlando Video Production firm that offers a full range of media services. Bright Circle specializes in producing corporate video production.