What to Include in a Corporate Video

Corporate videos are used by businesses for a range of purposes and to reach different types of viewers. The most common use is to build the business brand, but there are many other uses, such as introducing or explaining new products and services, client testimonials, training staff on business functions and safety, showcasing an event, (including live streaming), staff profiles and investor/ shareholder presentations.

One minute of video is reported to be able to present 60,000 words of information. Forbes Magazine reports that around 60% of senior executives prefer watching videos to reading text. Corporate videos can be indexed by search engines such as Google to improve SEO ranking, the website traffic and ultimately sales. Sharing corporate videos is easy and can result in going viral if they are entertaining or pertinent.

As the attention span of viewers contracts with the ever-growing flood of information we are presented with every day, keeping viewers engaged and entertained is essential for corporate videos to be watched and remembered. This requires great skill in a range of disciplines, such as concept development, storyboarding and all the aspects of producing, shooting and editing. Then there is the task of getting it to potential viewers.

Probably the most important consideration in planning is what the business wants to achieve with the corporate video. This starts with defining the audience and the basic message to be communicated to them. A pertinent adage to consider is “Try to please everyone and you will please no one.” Corporate videos generally have a defined audience and message, so working out the best way to deliver this in a succinct, professional, possibly entertaining way is the key to creating a successful presentation. Working with a local videographer early in the planning phase is the key to a smooth project from start to finish.

Regardless of the overarching aim of the corporate video, it should always include building brand awareness and acumen. As mentioned it is often the only purpose. Incorporating the many aspects of the brand, such as logos, colour scheme, jingles, positioning statements, mascots and personalities achieves this, even if the video is primarily focused on a particular subject. There are many subtle and overt ways the brand can be presented and benefit.

It is a fact that people generally buy on emotion, so creating a corporate video that connects with viewers on an emotional level is one of the most powerful and resilient ways to increase its effectiveness. This also applies to engaging new or existing staff. However, it should not be trite, cliched or insincere.

An overload of facts and figures can often turn viewers off. Short interludes with a logo animation with music sting, or a useful or interesting piece of trivia or relevant information can re-engage viewers in a long or complex video where they may be losing interest. Likewise, a verbose or repetitious script can be a turn-off.

There is a marked synergy when viewers see and hear information at the same time. According to Harvard Business School, people only retain around 20% of what they have heard and 30% of what they have seen, but around 70% of what they have seen and heard simultaneously. Viewers also retain more information when it is woven into a story that engages them or is relatable and people like to see the benefits to them, not just hear about them.

Sophisticated animation of text, icons, diagrams, graphs and logos is an industry-standard for a professional contemporary corporate video. The right voiceover talent needs careful consideration, including demographic, gender and style. Likewise, the importance of the right music bed cannot be underestimated. When the right music is doing its job, it is taking the viewer on the journey and reinforcing the message without them necessarily being aware of its role in engaging them.

The right talent is vitally important. Just because someone is a good communicator doesn’t mean they won’t suffer from what is referred to as the ‘possum in the spotlight’ syndrome, i.e. camera-shy. Do a screen test of staff before committing to use them. Stage acting experience can be a good indicator. Non-speaking roles are not so demanding. If you are not sure the person can perform the role, consider using a professional through a talent agency, preferably one that will agree to a one-off charge, rather than having to pay again to continue using it in the future. Be careful using humour, it can backfire.

The old saying, ‘Pay peanuts, get monkeys’ applies, but the prices charged by video production companies can vary wildly. Thankfully many of the ingredients that make up a good corporate video are readily available at a minimal cost. These include royalty-free music beds and sound effects, animation templates and plugins, stock videos and stock images. Drones provide a low-cost way of getting aerial footage, and camera support devices such as stabilizers, sliders, jibs and cranes all increase the production value. So shop around, define your expectations and make sure the quote includes them.

Hosting the completed video on your YouTube or Vimeo channel enables a link to be easily embedded in your website. An advantage of Vimeo is that an unrelated video, sometimes your competitor, does not play after your video finishes, as it often does on YouTube. Posting the whole or edited sections of the video on social media platforms is another way of getting it seen. Social media outputs may be short, (< 1min), include a square rather than widescreen aspect ratio and have subtitles, as many may view them without sound.

All these aspects are important in the creation of an effective corporate video, and they have come about as a result of over 25 years of experience and hundreds of corporate videos which Able Video has produced. So get in contact to discuss your project and learn how cost-effective it can be to get the best results by utilizing our talent, knowledge and resources.