If corporate trends follow personal ones—and there’s plenty of evidence that they do—it’s time for large corporations to get more serious about vlogging (video blogging). To be sure, lots of companies are using video to liven up their web content, marketing campaigns, product launches, event communications and—yes—their blogs, but vlogging offers an additional benefit.
In the B2B space, vlog posts allow companies to showcase the expertise of their subject matter experts, communicate with their audience at a more intimate level and share content in a format that’s more interesting to consume—making it a popular medium both on desktops and devices
Creating a successful vlog doesn’t happen without effort, however. Here are a few tips to get it right:
- Determine, upfront, how much time you’re willing to commit.
While your vlog itself doesn’t have to be long (two to three minutes is plenty), it will take time to find things to vlog about, figure out what you want to say and record a few takes. Knowing this going in will help you determine how frequently you want to vlog.
- Make it a group effort.
One of the best things about a company vlog is that it doesn’t have to be the responsibility of just one person. Different members of your team can offer different expertise, insight and subject matter—and spreading the responsibility around increases the chances that episodes will be recorded regularly.
- Set a budget.
A vlog doesn’t have to break the bank. Depending on the level of professionalism you require, sometimes a smartphone camera is all you need. That being said, if a DIY look doesn’t exactly mesh with the rest of your brand, you may want to invest in a higher quality mic, camera or recording studio to give your vlog a more polished look.
- The message matters just as much (if not more than) the medium.
Yes, videos are cool. And yes, pictures are worth 1000 words. But the words you say while on camera matter. A lot. Your video can include Oscar-worthy special effects, but if you’re not offering insightful, useful or informative content to go along with them, your clients are going to stop watching. For this reason, it’s important to brainstorm what vlog topics will be of interest to your target audiences, create a content calendar and take the time to write a script (even a rough one) ahead of time to keep you on point.
While these tips should help get you started, they’re definitely not the be-all end-all. Throughout your vlogging journey you’ll undoubtedly uncover systems, processes and formats that fit your company tone and style, and allow the personality of your vloggers and business to shine through. Which, ultimately, is the point—isn’t it?
Have you started a company vlog yet? What are some things you’ve learned along the way?
