From Video Hack to Dedicated Video App
Original content by Carlo Sicoli, Co-Founder of Soaq.
On August 7th, Ryan Holmes from Hootsuite wrote a LinkedIn post about the need to frequently share breaking company news, solicit and respond to employee feedback. He considered using a newsletter, but that was too impersonal. Video conferencing apps wouldn’t accommodate the thousand-plus number of employees so he started sharing video updates, which he recorded on his own time via his smartphone.
The Content Part
For Soaq, this was music to our ears. We love hearing about companies embarking on their video journey. Since our inception, our vision is to provide companies just like Hootsuite with an dedicated video sharing app that they can use to safely record and share:
- Company-wide messages just like Ryan’s
- Employee driven “how-to” videos
- Product launch videos
- Profile videos
- Quick tip videos
- Technical support videos
In his post, Ryan goes on to shed light on a few other key points that inspired us even further — “Don’t make it a work of art…and keep it real”. Firstly, making video needs to be easy. In most cases, it needs to replace something else in order for it not to be such a “make-work” project. It can replace lengthy emails, company updates, sales updates, job aids, etc… Finally, as Ryan mentioned, keep it real, keep it authentic. This helps the audience relate to the content and the subject more effectively…oh and it drives down the time it takes to make the video, which is huge.
The Techie Part
In addition to the type of videos you can make, you also have to consider the distribution and consumption. Distribution and consumption are completely different elements of your video initiative. You can get the video there (distribution), but it doesn’t mean it will be consumed. If you can distribute the videos through a secure line that’s accessible from any device under most connection strengths, then you’re golden! People can consume on their own time from any device. If you have to store your video on a CMS (like sharepoint) and ask employees to check it out, you’ll likely see a significant drop in consumption and more importantly engagement. Furthermore, if you have to post it on a feed, then you’re at risk of losing out to the noise.
To Close
To sum up, don’t over think making video. Just like sending an email, some consideration and a quick goal or key point is all you need to create your first video. The power of video cannot be disputed and your employees are already getting a video experience outside the office anyway. You will likely be surprised how well received your first video will be -regardless of quality. Congratulations to HootSuite for kicking it off with such success.
To learn how our app helps organizations host and share video, visit www.soaq.co or send us an email at info@soaq.co
