by LeAnne Miller
Recent studies indicate that the average viewer watches 22 hours of online videos in a single month. Is your company’s video one they’re dying to watch?
The good news is…you can create quick, exciting testimonial videos—no longer than 60 seconds each—that will give potential hires the inside story on your company’s culture.
The better news is…you’ll be giving current employees the star treatment and a reason to brag to their friends (potential candidates) about where they work.
Here are 10 tips to get you started:
1. Pick people the camera loves. Not for looks—for passion. While it’s nice to reward a good employee with video star status, if that employee doesn’t have the personality to convey love of company on camera, you need to find someone else.
2. Hire a stylist. It’s cheap. And it makes everyone feel very Hollywood.
3. Don’t give out the interview questions in advance. If you do, people will memorize their answers and recite them robotically on camera.
4. Never tell someone on set to “just be natural.” This is a scary, confusing command that no one knows how to follow.
5. Tell them “It’s impossible to make a mistake.” First-time employee video stars are often worried they’ll look dumb on camera. Not true. Any segments that don’t show them at their best will be edited out.
6. Remind them they were chosen for a reason. The way they act, the way they talk, the way they think, the way they emote—in other words, their basic, real personality—got them noticed.
7. Sit on a phone book if necessary. If you’re the one asking the questions, you’ll be sitting in front of and under the camera person. As you talk to the interviewee across from you, make sure your eyes are level with theirs. If they’re looking DOWN at you, their eyes will appear to be closed on camera. That’s where the phone book comes in. Find one and sit on it.
8. Request another take if you’re not happy with something. Make sure you address this quickly, quietly and as if it happens all the time. It does. No big deal. Reshoot and move forward.
9. Pick exciting b-roll. In your background footage, show employees doing what they do best in interesting surroundings—maybe a comfy reception area or a creatively decorated office. Does your company allow pets? Coax a puppy onto the lobby couch and zoom in for a close-up.
10. Keep it short (30–60 seconds per video). Online viewers have priorities. They need to surf other sites, answer client calls, go to meetings, tell an officemate about the pitcher of margaritas they consumed last night and text significant others. Waste their time and you’re history
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By 2015, video traffic on the Internet is expected to more than quadruple. Are you ready?
Litmus test: If you’re not bouncing off the walls and telling friends how amazing your company video is right now, you may want to start thinking about an upgrade.
![]( "LeAnne Miller")
LeAnne Miller
Creative Project Manager, Multimedia Producer and Writer
Wearing both creative and strategic hats, LeAnne Miller writes and produces videos for the U.S. Army Medical Department, Toyota, Ross Stores and other employers. She has been instrumental in the completion of successful and award-winning employment branding projects for NAS clients such as American Family Insurance, H.J. Heinz Company and PetSmart. And, having begun her NAS career supervising the agency’s writing staff, she remains a go-to copy coach and mentor.
