What Are The Best Ways To Improve A Company Video?

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StrategyDriven Business Communications Article |Company video|What Are The Best Ways To Improve A Company Video?Corporate videos can sometimes be creatively pigeonholed. Some may assume them to be dull and dreary.

Still, the best businesses defy people’s expectations with their offerings. They create compelling opportunities in impossible situations. The same frame of mind should be applied to creating corporate videos, which can play a crucial role in accelerating business growth and increasing brand awareness.

There is plenty of room for creativity and innovation here. Instead of producing bland and generic content, your company has the chance to develop something insightful and unique by exploring unique video ideas. Not only this, but your firm can keep improving its video content offerings over the years, developing it all alongside the evolution of your brand.

Here are some of the best ways to improve your corporate videos today.

Keep it Short and Sweet

Nobody wants to sit through lectures today, irrespective of format. Information is also cherry-picked and more likely to be shared when it does not inconvenience people’s time. Short-form videos can generate more interest.

People’s attention spans are becoming shorter. Many companies are hurriedly developing short-form content, with ‘YouTube Shorts’ paying creators to create this content to lure in audiences. Firms will increasingly explore these newer channels to appeal to their respective markets.

Even if you do not have a presence in these digital spaces, recognizing that people are increasingly gravitating to this content is key. You can then spend every second wisely and make an impactful impression as soon as you can with your company videos.

Truth tends to be more straightforward. Any content that meanders may be interpreted as misleading or embellished in certain respects. Others may interpret company videos as more legitimate and authoritative when concise and to the point.

Utilize Free Subtitle Software

Subtitles cannot be treated as an afterthought. They are an essential component of a corporate video, promoting inclusivity and emphasizing and reaffirming points being audibly made.
You can implement these features for free with the right tools. Some will have varying features that afford more creative control. You can mix and match at your leisure as no costs are involved.

There are many ways to add captions to video, and they are each worth exploring further. For example, web-based Fastreel enables users to add subtitles in SRT format. Others like MySubtitle can be downloaded on App Store, allowing users to add text to shorter videos from their smart devices. Both options can be downloaded for free and favor different modes of working.

Subtitle Workshop and Jubler are also free. The former has advanced features, and the latter makes quicker subtitle implementation possible. Whether you need speed or precision, you will get results with your subtitles with no costs or stress.

Perfect Storyboards

Do not focus on a script alone. Think about storyboarding your company video, too.

Visual references are key. Each frame should progress logically with compelling imagery. There should be no sudden changes in theme, tone, or pacing. Structure your ideas and develop a throughline for your content. Use the right digital tools for that job.

There are many great programs firms can use to storyboard their video content. Price models range from $10 to $799 one-time fees, which means you have suitable options for any budget. Some of these services also have iPhone and Android versions to enable flexible creation conditions and techniques as well.

Each panel of your storyboard should pop with a distinctive flair, and planning programs make that possible. You will also avoid production errors and give a clearer creative vision to the directors, cinematographers, and editors of the company videos. Everything you produce will be more likely to be on schedule, and big creative ideas can be concentrated and focused.

Develop Working Relationships with Actors

Actors are more than a mouthpiece for your business. They are also representative of it. If your brand becomes well-known, these performers can also become an integral part of your brand.
Remember that your audience needs to connect with the person seen or speaking. Make sure you hire someone that can match the charm and warmth that your company presumably has. Your working relationship will get off to a better start after a competent casting process.

Learn how to work with actors. Create a character alongside them. Encourage improvisation if your short-form video has a lighter or comedic tone. Do not confine them to dryly reading scripts, and instead collaborate to create something heartfelt and unique.

Pay an equal amount of attention to your voice talent. Gain an understanding of what the voice acting process is like for the performer and director both. Refine skills in banking audio reels, improve line readings, and have the knowledge to create a professional sound in a home studio or office. Improve techniques to get your voice actors in the proper headspace to perform.

Gauge Social Media Reactions

Professional analytics can provide useful insights into how well your video is performing. It is also useful to look at a broader picture and see what louder, individual voices say about your content.

The best or worst ads draw the biggest reactions online, with middling results rarely discussed. It is to be hoped your content will fall into the former category. While analytics can show how many people watched your video, only social media can help you understand their emotional, visceral reaction to what you created.

Short-form videos need to create an impact, so make sure you learn about how to create and promote them. Many people will stumble across it and watch the video in its entirety if it is only a few seconds long. There may be a stronger urge to reshare it on public profiles if it is something worth seeing. Analytics will not reveal much in this situation, but honest feedback will be found on social media.

Social media users often have their guard down, too. People may be polite in test screenings and surveys, but in the safety of their online profiles, they may be more inclined to express their thoughts and feelings honestly. After all, that is what many people use social media for. Place value on constructive feedback and ignore any ruder remarks you encounter.

To conclude, you should use these tips to improve your chances of success with business videos. The video marketing sector is highly-competitive and ever-evolving, so keep doing your research to ensure that you’re always ahead of the curve.

5 Modes Of Communication Essential For Business

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StrategyDriven Business Communications Article |Modes of Communication|5 Modes Of Communication Essential For BusinessAlmost all businesses are essentially communicative organizations. Businesses need to communicate internally, with consultants, and with consumers. Here are five modes of communication that are absolutely essential for modern businesses.

Telephone

The humble telephone, probably invented by Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell in 1875, still has some very important roles to play in business in 2022. Telephones are the most commonly used means of direct audio communication between consumers and businesses. They are also the most convenient way to instantly confirm information within an organization. One problem associated with telephones is the amount of labor it takes to consistently field calls. Third-party telephone answering services typically offer companies the option of outsourcing their inbound calls.

Social Media

In 2020, an estimated 3.6 billion people were using social media around the world. This number is expected to grow to 4.41 billion people by 2025. If you take children out of the equation, that means that the majority of the people on the earth will use social media very soon. This makes social media an absolutely essential communicative avenue for all public-facing businesses.

Social media is key for marketing, data collection, and recruitment. Companies relying upon big datasets often harvest communicative information from social media in order to make accurate forecasts. Social media allows companies to seek out candidates for roles using extremely specific parameters. It’s also a great way to reach consumers you know are already invested in your products or services.

Email

The history of email can be traced all the way back to 1965 when academics at MIT developed a method of sending messages via the institute’s computer terminals. Today, email is one of the most important forms of written communication. Email is usually the first method used to communicate between departments, set up meetings, or field consumer inquiries. Emails can also, crucially, be used for sending files from one computer to another. Although cloud computing is making this less of an important feature, it still remains useful.

Video Conferencing

Remote and hybrid working solutions are now considered to be part of the ‘new normal.’ The coronavirus pandemic prompted more workplaces than ever before to permit home working. Video conferencing technology is one of the most important innovations that has allowed businesses to operate successfully under remote-working conditions. Video conferencing tools like Skype and Zoom existed long before the pandemic, but the increased amount of need for such tools during the global catastrophe raised them to the status of ‘must have’ services in almost every field of business. The chances are high that your next meeting will be on Zoom.

Project Management Software

Project management software is now considered to be a crucial communicative tool for businesses chasing complex strategic aims. Instead of being a traditional mode of communication, project management software typically combines many different communicative channels and allows them to be viewed and interacted with on a central dashboard. Video recordings, instant messages, and memos can all be accessed easily using the best project management software. This makes the organization of a team far less complex.

Top 3 Essential Tips for Writing a Professional Email

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StrategyDriven Business Communications Article |Writing a Professional Email|Top 3 Essential Tips for Writing a Professional EmailOrganizing your thoughts and writing a coherent professional email can be a disaster. Trying to put your thoughts together whilst sounding confident and business-like is not an easy skill to master. If you write professional pieces all the time this may be a skill you want to learn.

What goes into writing a professional email? What should you be particular to keep in mind while you’re typing? Is there anything that you should make sure to include in every email?

These are valid questions. These questions are not always ones that are easily answered. If you’re looking for tips to keep in mind the next time you write a professional email, then we’ve got the right ones for you.

1. Etiquette and Audience

Writing a professional email takes close attention to detail. One of the most important things you can do is be mindful of who your audience is. Keep everything in a tone that is both assertive and accessible.

When writing for a large audience it’s important to remember who will be reading the information you’re explaining. Always double-check that it doesn’t come across as harsh or too much. It is important to write for your general audience.

2. Concise Is Best

When it comes to professional writing you want to make sure that there is a lack of fluff. Don’t bog down your readers with the information they don’t want nor need. Re-read your article several times in order to be sure you’ve included all of the important information.

The attention span of your readers is much shorter than you may think. You only have a couple of seconds to hook them and keep their attention on what you have to say. Re-read through your finished message a couple of times before sending it out.

3. Double Proof Read

Finally, to assert what you want to say make sure it is all correct. Your professional email is being seen by an audience that sees you as being in charge. Everything in the email is a reflection of you.

Proofread what you’re saying to the best of your abilities. Running it through spell check or other services may help you to find any errors that might be remaining.

Before sending your email out with a mass email service be sure that everything is correct. By writing an email you have one chance to convey all of your thoughts clearly.

These Professional Email Tips Will Help You With Your Next Message

Writing a professional email can be difficult. You want to make sure that it says you mean business. What you don’t need with a professional email is for it to sound too laid back.

With these tips, you’ll be able to click send with assurance. Take away some of the stress that comes along with struggling to compose an email. Write the messages that show other co-workers you know what you’re talking about.

For any further help with that perfect email or business in general, our blogs are here. We can provide you with the support you need when you need it.

A Management Guide To Better Written Communication In Business

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StrategyDriven Business Communications Article | A Management Guide To Better Written Communication In BusinessThere is an old saying which goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” and therein lies a very powerful message for modern business management.

Written in 1839 by an English author, the sentiment expressed that the written word was a far more effective communication tool than a weapon.

Written over two hundred years ago, it is a lesson that still holds good today, and it would benefit the canny business manager to spend a few moments to ponder its significance.

A low literacy crisis

A study by the US Department of Education in 2020 found that 54% of the adult population of the USA – that is, 130 million people between ages 16 and 74 – lacked proficiency in writing and were graded as reading below a sixth-grade level. When viewed in this light, the question is just how this low literacy level impacts business and the overall economy.

This rightly raises several questions and can be viewed from both the perspective of the employer and employee alike.

Do workers with lower literacy levels in positions involving a high degree of written work output and/or a requirement for high levels of reading and comprehension cope adequately, or do they become unduly overwhelmed or dissatisfied?

Email and written communication

Email is likely to be the second most widely used communication tool after the telephone system for most business concerns. For many organizations, email is likely to be the first contact a potential new client will have with the company.

Based on the quality of outgoing emails, how exactly is the business being perceived by clients and potential new customers? A poor first impression can make or break a business relationship.

Consider providing staff with a deeper understanding of the importance of good communication skills. Ensure personnel makes avail of support applications like ‘Spell Check” or a communications editor like Grammarly. An explanation of how to use grammarly can be found here. For employees involved in the preparation of business letters, contracts, or reports, serious consideration should be given to the implementation of such support applications across the organization.

Social media – the new communication mode

In addition to lower literacy levels, professional organizations also face the intrusion of modern communication culture into the workplace. The mass uptake of social media accounts and communications apps has given rise to the popular use of abbreviations and emoticons, which have steadily found their way into more formal business communications.

Whilst their usage can be deemed acceptable in friendly, informal emails or written communications, the manager should maintain a healthy awareness of general business communication standards.

Deeper staff training and awareness

Given the importance of good business communication skills, management can further assist and equip their staff by providing a deeper level of guidance and training.

Consider providing a guideline to applicable staff members outlining best corporate practices with regards to written and email structure and presentation. The use of support applications to assist staff in meeting these guidelines can be recommended within these documents.

Remember that communication is always a two-way street – assisting staff by providing a support structure can not only assist in raising the bar with client perception, but it can also potentially contribute to improved levels of employee satisfaction.

Communication Levels- Importance of Quality Communication Channels

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StrategyDriven Business Communications Article |Communication|Communication Levels- Importance of Quality Communication ChannelsCommunication is an integral part of any business’s operations and growth. Employees understand their roles, coordinate with one another, and operations run more smoothly. There are different levels of communication ranging from an upward, lateral and downward movement of information.

Upwards Flow

Communication starts from the subordinate levels to the supervisors, then the managers and finally reaches the executive. The upward flow of information enables the management to get feedback, state of affairs, clients’ needs and day to day reports and suggestions. The subordinate staff handle clients and other vital operations. They better understand the company’s needs and status and communicate the same to their supervisors or managers. To make the communication flow better, invest in collaboration solutions that improve and encourage free communication. It makes communication more transparent, faster, effective.

Lateral Flow

Different departments have their communication channels which enable a smoother flow of duties, coordination and transparency. Employees of a particular department can collaborate efforts and then pass reports to their managers. Managers have their horizontal communication channels where they compare performance and operations in the departments and detect any problems then extend the information to the executive. Lateral communication builds working relationships and friendships between team members and improves teamwork. Improved communication helps members work together to achieve a unified goal.

Downwards Flow

Communication about the company’s goals, vision and structural operations is passed down from the owner to the managers who work together with the supervisors to ensure the subordinate staff understand and work unitedly to achieve growth. The communication is not just through word of mouth but also the company website, training sessions, brochures, retreats and feedback reports. Through communication, a business owner can structure the operations to best suit the company vision, clients’ needs and current demands.

The Open Door Policy

Most organizations, although still uphold the three forms of communication, encourage the open door policy. Employees can freely walk to the manager or the executive without going through their supervisors and managers. The information flows more quickly, and employees and the company at large get faster solutions to problems. It also helps the managerial team better understand their employees, building more solid work relationships. Nowadays, most small businesses find it easier to work with lateral or horizontal communication channels as it encourages the team spirit.

Benefits of Improved Communication Systems

There is a better and faster flow of information, meaning that when there is a problem, it is detected, the concerned parties notified immediately leading to quicker solutions. Employees work better when they have stable communication structures. They build better relationships with their bosses and each other. Clients too are happier and more satisfied with the service delivery. Their needs and grievances are communicated fast and the appropriate measures sought in time. Everyone in the company better understands the businesses status and can easily access the information they need. Documents can be retrieved or shared easily, and knowledge passed on to different departments more efficiently.

Effective communication improves productivity which boosts company profits. In the end, everyone is happy.