5 Ways Video Can Support Remote Communications

As we begin to shift our daily routines to remote and telework, we need to develop strategies to support communications to customers, employees, and members of your organization. Recently, many have been forced to make these adjustments in a very short manner, so I’m sharing 5 ways that video can help support your communications when in-person interactions might be restricted for any number of reasons.

Deliver a short video message every day

Even if you’re not holding a daily or weekly meeting with your team in-person, consider creating a quick video. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; it can just be you filming yourself with your mobile device or a webcam. You can easily text or email the video to your team. You can also try virtual meetings, using tools like Zoom, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, or any number of conferencing options. Even video chatting via FaceTime or Skype is a great option. As humans, we’re drawn to social interaction. Letting your team see you as much as possible will connect with your organization’s top priorities when face time is limited.

Host a livestream with interactive questions

Livestreaming is incredibly popular right now because it allows your audience to interact with you and your content. You can even create a small marketing plan or promotional materials to drive interest in a livestream. A straightforward livestream might be a quick Q&A session with employees or customers where you briefly present content and questions in real-time. This method is a great tool for organizational updates, educational content and with members of an organization. If you want to go a little bigger, consider a virtual town hall, where you host a panel discussion between thought leaders. Maybe you even livestream a product announcement or an event that was planned to take place in person. Let the interactive aspect of a livestream work for you by building brand awareness and customer touchpoints.

Create an explainer video to communicate complex ideas

Do you need to communicate an idea that’s abstract or not inherently visual? Are you unable to capture footage due to restrictions or limitations? Explainer videos work well because they have the ability to show relationships between various concepts. An organization's messaging is often about how the stakeholder needs to connect with your brand, and there’s no substitute for visually showing that relationship. They can even work well as companion pieces to other collateral. For example, if you’ve prepared an extensive document or presentation, consider a short explainer video to serve as an executive summary so customers and stakeholders can consume your content in various ways.

Capture deep-dive discussions for education and training

The current trend is to keep most videos short and to-the-point. However, there’s another trend of creating focused and interesting content that’s of a much longer form. We’ve seen this jump happen with the explosion of podcasts in the past few years. When people are interested in the content and it’s relevant to their work or it’s a subject they’re passionate about, they’ll watch or listen. Consider using video for deep-dive discussions. Some examples might be a long-form presentation with slides, a thought-leader roundtable discussion, or a technical demonstration. If you’ve previously done these types of things as in-person only events, consider how you can take that experience into an online space to connect with a whole new audience.

Find new ways to tell your brand’s story

As with any challenge or limitation, it’s an opportunity to find new ways to solve a problem. Take a look at your brand and consider new ways to communicate its stories to your audience. You might consider some of the ideas mentioned above, or you might go in another direction, such as podcasting, a social media strategy shift, webinars, smaller meetings, etc. As a communicator, it’s your job to work with the challenges you have and present the best solution. Consult with colleagues, vendors, and your team members on different paths forward. Pitch new ideas. Hope for a “yes” and realize the worst that can happen is that someone says no.

Video can play a huge role in your remote communication strategy. We all have an opportunity to adjust to a changing environment and prepare teams for the future of work.