Employer branding videos are a powerful tool when it comes to attracting and engaging quality candidates. After many years of working with companies to create standout employer branding videos, the Launch team has learned a few tips. Here are four things to keep in mind when you start working on your employer branding video.
Be Authentic
It can be tempting to play it safe when you make a video about your company, but that can result in a bland, uninteresting video. But it’s a lot more interesting (and accurate!) to make sure the message and tone actually represent your company’s personality. This is your chance to shine a light on unique aspects of your company culture. It’s not enough to say “our people make the difference” — show what makes your people different.
One good trick to shift your thinking: Focus more on the “why” than the “what.” Your audience probably has an idea of what you do. But why do you do it?
- Why are employees or customers better because of what you do?
- What problem are you solving?
- Why do employees work for your company?
Ask employees these questions, and you may find out something interesting or inspiring to feature in the video.
If your company doesn’t have a clear mission or value statement, be prepared to spend some time defining your “why.” The tone and message for the video script will depend on it, and getting this part right is extremely important.
Establish Specific Goals
Knowing what you want people to do after viewing your employer branding video will help you produce a video that gets results. Identify the intended response before you start production.
Ask yourself:
- How do you want viewers to feel after watching?
- How do you want viewers to respond?
- What action should they take next?
Knowing the answers to these questions makes it easier to shape the video.
Team Up with a Partner to Guide the Project
It will take some significant time, effort and resources to produce a video that helps you achieve your goals, but hiring a production partner that understands the employee branding space and your industry will often achieve a better result and save you some time. They’ll have a better understanding of your specific needs, your employee base and your message. That means a reduced time commitment from you, since your partner can take most of the work off your plate.
Ask your video partner for guidelines to help you keep the project on track. Here are my suggestions for keeping creative projects moving:
- Be open to all ideas. You never know where you’ll find inspiration. Set a creative outline for the project, then gather any idea you can find. Give your team a deadline to share ideas, then review the best ones.
- Assign one person to be in charge. Establish a point person to vet ideas for the message, script, graphics, direction and so on. That person will also be in charge of keeping the project on-time and on-budget.
- Put a deadline on it. Plan for a well-managed video project to take 8 to 12 weeks. Costs will vary, so have a candid conversation with your production partner about what you can spend. A knowledgeable partner will be able to tell you where and how your money is best spent to achieve your goals.
Distribute Strategically
Simply uploading a video to your recruiting website probably won’t bring in huge results. Plan your distribution strategy with engagement in mind. Decide how you’ll measure engagement. Are you aiming for views? Shares? New job applications?
Then consider how you’ll extend the life of the video beyond its initial launch. Could you use the video to kick off an extended media campaign? Are there events later in the year where you could share the video? How could you incorporate the video into your recruiting process?
A major project like an employer branding video deserves a long life, so before you start filming, brainstorm where, how and when you’ll distribute the video and how will you measure its success.
To read more, check out our recent profile on HR leader Tim Sackett’s blog: Great Video as Part of an Employment Brand and Beyond?
Are you ramping up your video strategy? If you’re looking for ideas, we’d love to help. Check out our project archive for inspiration or get in touch to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
ABOUT LAUNCH MEDIA
Launch Media is an award-winning, full-service media production company. We strategically conceptualize, design, produce and distribute visual content – video, motion graphics, and digital media – that delivers an immediate impact and leaves a lasting impression. Ready to launch? Contact us.
