In a fleeting digital world, empathy toward customers is an invaluable asset. In turn, companies that fail to let audiences peek into their own human side also fail to build trustful and lasting relationships with potential clients.
Doubly so in a B2B environment: customers like to associate friendly faces they can rely on with the company they’re doing business with.
As the finest video companies out there will tell you, company-culture videos are among the most effective types of content you can use to foster empathy and win your customer’s hearts.
But—there’s always a “but”—for your video to have that desired effect, you need to reach five key milestones. This article will lay those out and discuss tricks and tips that will help you get the most out of your company-culture video.
1. Define your company’s identity (It’s more than what you sell)
Your brand is more than just the products and services you commercialize. Of course, your audience might have first heard about you from a product ad or a review from a colleague, but with a company-culture video they’ll get to know the values that build your identity.
Many brands can sell the same product, but no two brands have the same set of values. That’s also why no two company-culture videos can be the same; your piece should be a singular reflection of your brand’s unique personality.
So, the first thing you’ll want to do is to draft a list of the core values that encompass your company culture. You can start big, with “integrity” and “social responsibility,” for example, and then work toward more specific goals associated with your everyday tasks—such as “workplace diversity” and “promoting creativity and out-of-the-box ideas.”
2. Use the power of storytelling
You’re probably wondering: How can your video communicate such abstract and universal values as integrity or social responsibility? The answer: through storytelling.
Storytelling is the oldest art form; it has shaped the way we communicate since the beginning of time. There’s a reason we are drawn to characters, plot, and a three-act structure of beginning, middle, and end.
In your video, your brand’s values will be represented by the people who work in your company and their actions. Writing your script with that in mind will give a clear order to your ideas and let you figure out captivating ways to tell your brand’s story.
It’s also useful to think about your company-culture video as an explainer video: You’re using relatable characters in your story (in your case, real workers!) to create an emotional connection with your audience.
The following example has become a sort of a classic company video. It features BambooHR employees talking about what happens after they finish work at the office. Balancing work with life plays a huge part in the company’s culture, and in this piece they find the perfect way to illustrate that.
3. Interview your company’s workers
A company-culture video isn’t complete without interviewing the people who do the work. They are the friendly faces your audience will associate with your company, and help to prevent customers from thinking about your brand as a faceless corporation.
Draft a list of the main questions you want to ask your workers, but also leave room for small talk and open-ended questions. The best interviews don’t feel like interrogations, so try to capture the natural flow of a conversation.
One more thing: using real people and not actors is an unbreakable rule of every company-culture video. Doing otherwise would defeat the entire purpose of your piece! After all, your company is only as good as the people who work in it: a unique set of individuals united and working toward the same goal.
4. Get creative!
Maybe “fun” is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about corporate videos… but it should be! By balancing a heartful and entertaining tone, your video will stick in your audiences’ minds.
Some companies prefer an overtly dramatic and serious video about their company’s story and values, but most of those feel off-tone. The most interesting pieces are the ones that offer a real glimpse into what a normal day in the office looks like—including all of its inside jokes and quirkiness!
In the following example, Basecamp decided to play a game of blind coffee taste with employees. It’s an inventive way of getting to know its workers and shows how trust plays a key part in the company’s success.
5. Promote your finished piece
Once you are done working on the final cut of your video, it’s time to get your audience to watch it!
Of course, the first thing you’ll want to do is to post it on social media, especially where your company has a big presence, and on business-oriented platforms such as LinkedIn. You can even make a shorter version of the video and upload it natively to boost engagement.
But your promotion shouldn’t stop there. Your company-culture video will look amazing and capture your audience’s attention on your company’s landing page, especially if you have an “About Us” section. Also consider including your piece as part of your email marketing strategy, and send it to your customers. We all like to know more about the companies we buy from!
Last but definitely not least, share your video with your coworkers! It will make them feel proud to be represented as part of your company’s values.
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Company-culture videos have long been used as a tool for recruiting new workers. If your company is proud of its work culture, there’s no better way than a video for showing that to your B2B clients. With the five key tips outlined in this article, you should be ready to go produce your own piece.
Remember: People trust people. It’s as simple as that.
This article first appeared in knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu
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