A business is only as good as its employees, or so the saying goes. It makes complete sense, given the fact that a company couldn’t possibly function without a group of people collectively working towards the same goal. To have any hope of being efficient and successful, the business and the people working within it, need to have access to an effective internal communications system.

The somewhat recent technological disruptions brought forth by the Internet of Things (IoT) have changed this system quite a bit. Even the rigid, hierarchical system of communications isn’t as it once was. Cloud computing, mobile devices, social messaging, and CRMs, among others, are already part of the mainstay and prevalent throughout the business environment. All of these, in their natural way, help to streamline communications, improve collaboration, and drive overall productivity.

When it comes to video, however, it has long since been classified as one of the preferred methods of communicating with customers. It’s estimated that by 2021, over 80% of all customer-oriented content crossing the web will be in video format. So, why isn’t video also used to enhance internal communications?

Well, most of it has to do with the video that hasn’t traditionally been a business communication tool. The recording technology has also been cumbersome and somewhat expensive. Fortunately, however, these no longer seem to be as big of an issue.

Increased Effectiveness.

Most of us are aware that video is better received by people than the traditional text. The reason for this is that people can better absorb information from a video than from a different source. To give an example, Google has highlighted How-to videos as the preferred go-to method for over 65% of millennials looking to pick up a new skill.

With this in mind, a series of step-by-step how-to videos can be created, especially for new employees, on how to use specific tools or software systems. Traditionally, they would often ask a senior colleague to help. But with these videos, however, there’s no longer the need. What’s more, the same series of videos can be used over and over again, as long as they remain relevant and up-to-date.

Better Engagement.

The preferred form of business-related communications is email. 72% of US adults prefer it this way. Email isn’t the most efficient means of internal communications possible. Employees usually find it much easier to record themselves talking through a problem rather than writing it down in an email. Even in day-to-day digital conversations over Whatsapp, people generally prefer to record themselves than type their messages.

How-To Improve Internal Communications with Video.

Depending on your business and industry, video content can take on numerous uses such as messages related to company changes, announcements, quarterly reports, training, onboarding, etc. But as a general rule of thumb, they should be a maximum of around 4 minutes long, since people rarely watch longer.

Try keeping it simple but also frame it within a story. There’s a reason why PowerPoint presentations are boring, and that’s because there’s no narrative. Another good rule to abide by relates to the video length. Generally, if it’s longer than 30 seconds, animation and post-production are somewhat mandatory to ensure engagement. Less than 30 second-long videos, however, can rely mostly on live action and just a mobile phone to be useful.

Lastly, collaborating with a professional will ensure that you can get the most out of the video communications.