Internal Comms Video – A conversational way to reach staff

It’s now more important than ever – particularly as we’re all living through the Coronavirus pandemic – to have a solid foundation of employees who will remain engaged despite the difficult and unprecedented circumstances. But the definition of ‘engaged employee’ has changed with the onset of Coronavirus, and then many countries going into lockdown.

Employees now need to feel reassured, looked after, they’re looking to their employer for compassion and guidance: as many as 63% of employees think that employer messages are the most credible source of Covid-19 info.

So internal communications should be concise, simple and clear, and appeal to employees’ emotions at a time when their mental health is likely to be more fragile. There has been a shift in behaviours, in the way we work – not just remote vs. office working, but also in the way we approach our working day and how we interact with our colleagues and managers – so for internal communications to be effective, they need to follow suit and be more human and conversational, and not corporate.

We explore video as a key element in your internal communications strategy

With more video than ever before being watched, it’s clear that your employees are used to the format in their daily lives, but have you considered they may actually expect it in the workplace too?

By maximising the use of video in your internal communications, you can really enhance the employee experience. The format speaks directly to your employees – it’s conversational and dynamic. Thanks to its relatable and open nature, it inspires trust, and with trust comes loyalty.

We humans process visuals a lot faster than information transmitted verbally, that’s why infographics as another highly visual medium are so effective and popular.

Similarly, by using video to communicate with your employees you’ll help them embrace your message quicker, and remember it for longer.

With employee engagement levels difficult to quantify, it can help to count on a format that quickly and easily reaches everyone wherever they are – desk-based or remote workers, teams overseas, working on desktop or mobile – which allows you to analyse exactly how many people engaged with it.

Cost is also a key factor when considering video as part of your internal communications strategy. The initial investment goes a long way – when done well, video can age at a slower pace than other communication channels, so it will deliver returns for longer. As a digital communication channel, there are no associated print and fulfilment costs. Your employees already have the tools: anybody can play video, anywhere, so it offers the potential to reach thousands, quickly and easily, at the click of a button.

So are other methods of internal communication – such as an email or printed newsletter – now obsolete? Far from it, we all use a variety of communication channels depending on the type of message, or audience we’re trying to reach.

But video and animation are guaranteed to engage and inspire your employees, as these industry stats prove.

Just press Play…

So how can I use it for my internal communications?

Video offers a wide range of possibilities to boost the effectiveness of your internal communications, and reach your employees in engaging and memorable ways.

• You can use video in your presentations, even – when things go back to normal – in the corridors of your office, factory, or lab. Perhaps send it in an email newsletter.
• Video could be the most compelling way to share the company’s vision, or an emotive tool to celebrate how much your employees have achieved in these unprecedented circumstances. And if you’re still recruiting, or when you start again, use video as part of the onboarding process and new starters will feel immediately welcome and engaged. You can also use video to upskill and train employees, or educate them on the latest company initiative.
• If you can, keep it short and simple – not only will it minimise production costs, it’ll also help get your message across faster. Remember to focus on presenting content in a way that will keep attention levels high throughout the video – it’ll aid understanding and make a bigger impact.

Whether you maximise the power of a stand-alone internal communications video, or you use it complement other comms channels, or you take a formal or fun approach, video provides an opportunity to deliver information in an easy to consume format – it’s direct, and now more than ever, it feels fresh and dynamic.