Chalk Talks: Using Video for Account-Based Marketing

B2B companies are embracing account-based marketing as a better way to identify, engage, and convert key accounts. Those using video in creative ways to help them stand out and deliver a more personalized experience are seeing higher response rates, shorter deal cycles, and better results for their ABM programs.

My name is Tyler, and in this Chalk Talk we’ll discuss how you can use personalized video content throughout your ABM programs to help you cut through the noise and turn more targeted accounts into paying customers.

Account-based marketing helps to ensure that you’re building programs designed to attract, engage, and convert those key accounts that you know are an ideal fit for your business. It’s also a great way to ensure that marketing and sales are aligned on which accounts they’re going after, how they’re going to connect and engage those key accounts, and how they’re going to use the right information at the right time to help them convert those prospects into paying customers.

The Challenge of ABM

Now, ABM sounds great, but it also comes with a number of challenges that forces us to rethink how we build these programs. This is largely because we’re often targeting prospects who have not yet raised their hand or come inbound into our sales funnel. As a result, ABM is largely an outbound methodology, and this creates a few big challenges.

First of all, at the connect stage, how do you capture attention and awareness? How do you stimulate a response from individuals who haven’t yet come inbound into your programs? Once you’re building engagement, how do you build trust? How do you build a more personal connection? And how do you create a sense of urgency for an account that may not think that they’re ready for a demo? And finally, how do we move from individual lead level intelligence to account level intelligence to help us better understand and tailor our message for a solution that targets an account as a whole? The good news is, video content and video analytics can help you with each of these challenges head on, so let’s take a look at how you can use video to supercharge your ABM programs.

Video for Account-Based Everything

When you’re trying to generate awareness, and this ties directly to that connect stage, there are a few different ways that you can use video to stand out and get the responses that you need. The first is leveraging video with an email marketing campaigns that are targeting individuals at key accounts. Let’s say you’re going after GE and you have 50 different contacts across the business that you know could be a fit for what you do. Instead of blasting them with the same old text-based email or a link to an ebook, include a video, a customer testimonial related to the industry that they’re in. Perhaps even a custom video recorded by your marketing and sales team that explain exactly why and how you can help their business achieve their results. This can be much more powerful and generate much higher click through rates than traditional email marketing.

The second is the one I get really excited about, is taking this to the next level with personalized video. This is the idea of sending out in an orchestrated way a video to a number of different individuals within a key account, but personalizing the content in an automated way to include their first name, their title, or perhaps their company name right inside the video and right in the thumbnail image. Let’s take a look at how personalized video actually works in the real world.

Personalized Video for ABM

Let’s say you’re a business and I’m targeting you with one of our ABM programs, and this is a thumbnail of a video that lands in your inbox.

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Now, you’re more likely to click on this than a traditional text-based email, but what if this video included your name in it? Or your company name? Would you be more inclined to click through and watch that content or to share it around the office with your peers and colleagues? Well, the good news is the data says yes. In fact, users are five times more likely to engage in a personalized video message than they are in traditional text-based email. That can be the difference to standing out in their inbox and getting your message heard, and being swept aside and lost in the clutter of their overly busy inbox.

Another great way to stand out is not just in the inbox, but in the mailbox using something like this, a video card. Video cards can now be shipped to people directly, and they include a video screen right inside them where you can have a custom video or one of the ones you have off the shelf as a way to explain exactly how you’re going to solve problems for them. This can not only be a great way to generate awareness, but it can be a great way to create brand buzz within their office, as things like this tend to get shared around very, very quickly.

Video for Sales Engagement

So, now you started to get their attention from a marketing perspective, how do you engage with them in a one to one level in your sales team? That’s where personal video messages come into play. Imagine as you’re hitting your accounts with these automated marketing emails, they get a personal video message from an account rep at your company to introduce them to themselves and to your business. Let’s take a look at what that might look like.

This here is a personal video message sent from ViewedIt from a sales rep to an individual at a target account.

<video>

You can see they’ve written their name on the whiteboard so that right from the thumbnail image you can tell that this is a personalized message just for you. Now, videos like these, just like with personalized video, tend to generate 5x or higher response rate than traditional text-based prospecting emails. Again, this is a great way to not only create a great brand experience, but to introduce your business and to explain exactly why it is you can help solve problems.

Now, once you’ve got their attention with one to one personal messages, you can use tools like ViewedIt to record custom demos, custom screen captures, that again, show them exactly how you can help their business, and that helps you develop a more personal and trusted relationship. You can also start sharing relevant customer success stories, and again, other videos that will help bring your brand to life and showcase how other businesses like theirs have solved problems with you.

Turning Viewers into Customers

So, things are going well. You’ve now engaged with this key account, you’re hitting more people with your content. Now how do you use insights to help you convert that deal? Well, with tools like Vidyard you can actually understand which individuals within that account are engaging in your video content, what are they watching, and which parts are they replaying? This can give you some really great insight into who’s interested in what, but what you can also do is take all of that information up to an account level. So you can understand, for example, at ACME overall, how are they engaging in my video content? Who are all the different stakeholders that are watching that information? And what can I glean from that to help me understand not only what the individuals are interested in, but what a tailored solution for that business overall might be.

As I’m ready to present my proposal, again, I can use a tool like ViewedIt to record a custom video proposal where I can actually speak to my audience to explain exactly what’s included in the package, what the costs and terms are, and to answer any questions that may come up.

So, a number of great ways in which you can use video to help you connect, engage, and convert key accounts as part of your ABM programs. My name is Tyler Lessard, and this has been a Vidyard Chalk Talk.

The post Chalk Talks: Using Video for Account-Based Marketing appeared first on Vidyard.

source http://www.vidyard.com/blog/chalk-talks-using-video-account-based-marketing/

How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects

Music is one of the most powerful catalysts for creating an emotional connection with your audience. If your viewer has a connection to your company or message, then they will be naturally drawn in to discover the details and deepen their relationship with your project or brand.

That said, here are ten practical tips for choosing the perfect music for video content:

1. Consider the role of music

Decide what role music will play in your video. Should the music support or drive the messaging? If you notice the music too much, it could be pulling away rather than adding to the overall impact. Determine if you are conveying broad information or if you are trying to impart technical details that your viewer will need to focus on without distraction; this will dictate what kind of music you should use.

If you’re trying to convey detailed technical info, you should choose a supportive underscore that doesn’t pull the attention of the viewer. If you’re trying to convey broad concepts, then look for foreground music that evokes more emotion.

Examples of good foreground music:

Examples of good background music:

2. Use intro and outro music as “bookends”

Consider giving music or sound design a featured role in the opening and or closing sections of your video, acting as a set of “video bookends”. This helps set your tone, hold your message together, and leaves your viewers with a feeling of completion. One way to do this is to pair music or sound design with an image for three to five seconds. Using “bookend” music, or simply turning up the volume of the music at certain points, can also be used to divide your video into chapters or segments.

Example of fresh mix use music:

3. Base your choice on reference music

Having reference music on hand can help you find what you’re looking for. For example, if you think that the intro to the new Jason Mraz song is the perfect vibe for your video, consider going to www.bedtracks.com, and using the Sonic Search tool. You can drag and drop an mp3, or copy and paste a Youtube/Vimeo/Sound Cloud url into the search bar on Bedtracks. After your reference track is analyzed, you’ll be directed to the search results page where your reference track will be sitting at the top of the list of similar tracks the Sonic Search tool has found.

Also, If you’re hiring a composer, it’s helpful to provide reference tracks with your creative brief to give them a clear sense of the mood, genre, and tone of what you’re looking for.

4. Know your budget

Depending on whether you’re hiring a composer to create original featured score, or paying for a license to use a track from a music library, a music budget can vary widely. You can pay between $10-$100 for library music for small business and personal use video (i.e. not broadcast or large company advertising), and approximately $300-$1000 for a quality composer to create an original score for a short video.

5. Consider hiring a composer

Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video. Through custom score, composers can convey mixed moods and concepts that develop through the duration of a video. For a featured explainer video that talks about your brand and acts as an introduction to your company, allocating money in your budget to pay a composer to create original, more featured score will pay off. If you have a series of videos to create, musical cohesion throughout the videos is another worthwhile thing to consider, and a composer can help you create this strong musical branding.

6. Explore a music library

These days, many small and larger scale media producers choose to use a music library with detailed search functions to find music for their videos. Well-developed search functions allow you to filter your searches based on sonic density/sparseness, different genres, instrumentation, organic versus electronic score, and many other useful criteria. Music for a video with wall-to-wall voiceover where they mood is fairly consistent can easily come from a library because the music will play a less featured role. If you need more featured music, this is accessible via some online music licensing libraries. Libraries have different licensing agreements and price points available, depending on what the music is being used for.

Here is a list of some good libraries to consider:

• www.bedtracks.com
• www.premiumbeat.com
• www.yookamusic.com
• www.pumpaudio.com
• www.themusicdealers.com
• www.audiojungle.com

7. Choose music that will speak to your audience

Consider demographics when choosing music for your video. Is your target market people that listen to music based on a cultural tribe they’re a part of (hiphop, indie rock, or electronic dance music, for example)? Will the choice of a certain genre speak straight to the heart of the viewer you are trying to reach? If you’re trying to reach a broad market, or many age ranges, look for music that is broadly appealing; you don’t want to alienate your audience with anything too genre-specific.

8. Utilize sonic frequency and tone

Studies in the realms of physics and neuroscience show that there are predictable physical and psychological responses humans have to music. Tone and frequency impact us in certain ways and should be considered when choosing music for your video. Are you finding, for example, that you have to turn down your music in order to hear the voiceover, so much so that it becomes indistinguishable? When your video contains a lot of voiceover, it’s wise to avoid choosing tracks with complex melodies played on instruments that use the same frequency spectrum (notes and tones) as the human voice – instruments including guitar, violin, cello, viola, and parts of the piano and keyboard instruments. If you want the quality and mood of these instruments, then use tracks that have simple melodies or repetitive chord progressions. This way, you will have more room to turn up the volume so the emotion in the music can be clearly conveyed. If you want to convey power and strength alongside a voiceover, try using instruments in the low frequencies (bass, for example).

Below is a chart that can act as a simple guide to considering the emotional impact of instrumentation and frequency. Keep in mind that the quality of the chords being played (minor vs major, etc.), must also match the desired mood.

9. Pacing

Choosing a track with consistent rhythm will allow you to work with stops and starts to highlight important points. Sometimes a great way to accent an image or a message is to actually pull out the music for that moment and then re-introduce the music right after. Be careful not to overuse this technique though, as it will lose its efficacy.

Example of good pacing in a video:

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10. Public doman music and utilizing sonic cultural equity

Are you looking for a track that is culturally recognizable, but you don’t have the budget to license the Star Wars theme? Consider the host of recognizable compositions that fall into the public domain. Public domain compositions are created by a composer who has been deceased long enough that the intellectual property becomes public domain. Using this public domain music does not require an expensive license fee or royalty. In most countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention (an international agreement governing copyright of literary and artistic works), copyright term is based on the life of the author, and extends to 50 or 70 years beyond their death. After this period, the work enters the public domain.

Here is a good source site to search the world of public domain compositions: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library

And here’s a good source for public domain compositions with high quality production available at a reasonable price: Partners In Rhyme

Have fun selecting the perfect track and let me know if you have any questions about sound design!

Updated in 2017: Music As The Star

Since this post was originally published, a new trend has emerged in video marketing that we felt was worth an update! Oliver does a great job of outlining the steps you need to take to ensure your music is the perfect fit for your marketing video, but what about when your video features nothing but music? Take, for example, this awesome video from Chipotle:

Tubular Insights put together a great post on how to create ‘silent’ marketing videos – or videos that take a page from silent films of yesteryear and feature only music – so I won’t rehash too much of what they have to say. But take a look at the examples they have shared for some inspiration!

One of the added bonuses of music-only marketing videos is that they make great content for social networks that auto-play videos without sound to begin with. Viewers may not always be in a position to have audio with their video (i.e. watching content while on public transit) so assuming that your prospects may hear nothing at all on Facebook is always a good bet. Videos that feature only music and no narrative or sound effects must be compelling enough visually to draw people in without the promise of dialogue, and this effect can be achieved with or without the sound. For example, try watching the Chipotle video on mute – you still get an awesome video, and the music only adds to the engagement.

Creating a video that features nothing but music is no easy task, but as you can see from the above example, and the additional ones in Tubular Insight’s post, the results can be moving, spectacular, and memorable.

The post How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects appeared first on Vidyard.

source http://www.vidyard.com/blog/choosing-music-for-video-content/

6 Video Podcasts B2B Businesses Can Learn From

Podcasts are nothing new. While the medium was invented somewhere around 2000, Apple’s decision to add podcasts to iTunes in 2005 thrust a new light, and new subscriber base, onto the concept of short-form audio content. Commuters rejoiced, and brands were quick to find ways to capitalize on this new captive audience.

Fast forward over ten years, and a new medium has grown from this already popular content channel. Bolstered by a recent trend towards cord-cutting, and devices like AppleTV and Google Chromecast, video podcasts are staking their claim as not only one of the most engaging syndicated content forms, but one of the most popular. Many brands are looking to video podcasting as a new medium for promoting thought leadership. And they should – Convince and Convert reported that 21% of Americans consume podcasts (both video and audio). For context, 21% of Americans also use Twitter. That’s a big audience.

To help you learn from this awesome medium, I wanted to look at what the most popular video podcasts have going for them, and understand how you can apply this to your marketing efforts. According to Apple’s current rankings, here’s what I discovered.

TED Talks – Not Just a YouTube Phenomenon

Whether the topic is Business, Health, Science & Medicine, or the top-level TED Talks: Ideas Worth Spreading, the innovative video and live event series showcasing thought leaders has long been one of the most popular YouTube channels in history. And the content works just as well in podcast form too. TED does a lot of things right, both on YouTube and in their podcasts, but here are my big takeaways from their success:

• The content is always engaging. Even if you aren’t excited about every topic, with subjects like “How I learned to read – and trade stocks – in prison” and “Your company’s data could help end world hunger” it’s hard not to find something of interest in their vast library of content.
• Episodic content works as long as you stick with it. TED has the benefit of having literally thousands of videos at their disposal, but unlike the Netflix binge-watch strategy, Podcasting allows TED to release these videos over a longer span of time, and often automatically download new episodes to subscribers devices. The ability to automatically have your content show up in an app that many users see daily on their TV or mobile device is a big win for podcasting, and TED takes advantage of this by uploading at least one video per week, often more.
• Diversifying subjects. In the top 20 podcasts I saw on iTunes, at least four of them were TED talks, but on vastly different subjects. Business was separated from Health, which was separated from Education. This allows people to hone in on their specific interests, and receive regular content updates only on what they care about. If your business caters to different markets, and you’re thinking of launching thought-leadership content, keep this in mind as your audience on iTunes grows.

Comedy – Syndicating Laughter

Stand-up comedy is an art form that seems to have stood the test of time – pun intended. From live events to televised specials, all the way though to several channels devoted to comedy on a round-the-clock basis, one thing is clear – we love to laugh. And networks pushing comedy on the masses have been quick to take advantage of the syndicated nature of podcasts. Comedy Central’s Stand-Up podcast ranked in the top five when I looked at video podcasts, and it’s not hard to see why. Every day my Facebook feed is flooded with John Oliver clips, and bits from Dave Chappelle’s latest standup special. Podcasting allows Comedy Central to deliver this experience on a weekly basis that users can subscribe to, and automatically receive updates for. All of their clips are short – clearly designed to be consumed alongside other media or during a quick laugh break – but consistent and readily available.

One of the big lessons I take away from this for B2B marketers is the idea of “snackable” content – Comedy Central in particular is taking bits of longer-form content and making them free on a scheduled basis, but the meat of the podcast is really to get people watching the longer standup routines available on their channel, or website. We’ve applied similar thinking with some of our longer interviews – offer a teaser with some of the more shareable nuggets of wisdom, and use this as an incentive to watch the full talk.

Brands that are creating longer-form content like webinars or feature videos could use podcasting as a way of offering tidbits of this content for free to a captive audience while still driving viewers back to the full feature.

All The News That’s Fit to Podcast

One of the first uses of radio technology was delivering news. Being able to broadcast a message about current events across the vast distances was an incredibly novel idea, and helped keep people connected with those vast differences were otherwise physically difficult to maneuver. Television was no different, with news broadcasts dominating the most popular time slots on this new medium as well.

Now that video podcasts have come into their own, it’s no surprise that news broadcasts are quickly inching up in the rankings here as well. Global National ranks in the top 10, and offers a daily, 22 minute summary of international and local news to Canadians. Similar news programs are popular on the US listings as well.

To me this is one of the biggest indicators that video podcasts are here to stay, and that businesses can benefit from this new medium by simply adapting their existing thinking to include this content type. News broadcasts are literally as old as mass communications, and yet they have stayed relevant by offering new and innovative ways to consume them. What existing content types are you using now that could be adapted into a more syndicated, weekly or monthly format? Could your talking head interviews become the next big podcast sensation? You’ll never know until you try!

¿Hablas español?

A quick perusal of the top 20 podcasts right now in iTunes offers me daily lessons on Spanish, French, and Chinese. All of these podcasts are under four minutes, and teach a very specific topic, syntax, or set of words, using visuals to help hammer home the concept. For most people, language education stops after high-school, so having an easy daily way to interact with a new language presents this learning material in a way that anyone can consume. Miss a day? Just watch it the next – every episode is under 15 minutes.

As many businesses adopt short-form educational content and post this to their website and social channels, a great number of them are neglecting a huge user base among the podcasting community. If your business is already creating how-to videos as part of your content marketing strategy, iTunes may be a great free venue to build an audience and credibility for your thought leadership.

Downward Dogging

Much like language learning, a number of the top featured podcasts on iTunes are monthly or weekly free yoga podcasts that give short practice sessions. While these sessions are free, they’re typically limited to shorter routines, and designed to encourage yogis to visit a main site to pay for longer lessons. YouTube is also full of examples like this:

If this sounds familiar, it’s typically what we preach for your social content! Use short-form teasers to encourage people to visit your site to engage with longer, more premium content. Numerous yoga studios take advantage of this medium for distributing their teaser content, and as you drift out of the top 20, that number only grows. And unlike YouTube, when a viewer finishes your podcast, there’s no related content to steal them away – just whatever call-to-action you choose to end the podcast with, like this:

And then a quick jump back to the podcast menu to consume more content!

Apple – Owning Your Channel

While this particular example is somewhat timely, I feel like it’s important to include it as Apple’s current first-place position in Podcast downloads has a lesson in it for every content channel. With Apple’s Keynote this week, the top billed podcast in iTunes is… you guessed it… the Apple Keynotes.

Whether this is a legitimate ranking or one that has been slightly skewed, Apple owns the iTunes platform, and thus has every opportunity to use it as a vehicle to promote their own exciting news. While your podcast on iTunes won’t have the same clout when you unveil a new product or service, don’t be afraid to take this stand with your other owned channels. Post product updates on your blog, and have that content intermixed with your other thought leadership or culture pieces. People who come back to your page over and over again are a captive audience – don’t be afraid to market to them now and then. Just don’t do it every day, and you won’t upset anyone.

Getting Started

Converting your video content into a podcast isn’t particularly difficult. Apple has some solid documentation on how to make it happen, and if you’re looking to share your content on another site like SoundCloud, it’s easy to syndicate your content to a subscriber base there as well. Videos created for podcast content are also excellent as YouTube content, but be aware that as part of YouTube’s content network, you’re subject to their tendency to recommend similar content, which means your viewers may find themselves watching a video from your competitor on a similar topic. Or worse, watching a video of a cute cat wearing a sweater, and never looking back.

As with anything, make sure you include a CTA in your podcast to take the next step – while you typically can’t link to anything, using a vanity url like “yourwebsite.com/podcast” and using that as a way to link to whatever offer you’re discussing is a simple way to make it easy for viewers to find you.

Have you experimented with podcasting with video? Let us know in the comments, and tell us how that went!

The post 6 Video Podcasts B2B Businesses Can Learn From appeared first on Vidyard.

source http://www.vidyard.com/blog/6-video-podcasts-b2b-businesses-can-learn/

How I Use Video to Build Trust and Accelerate My Sales Cycle

As a salesperson, no matter how long your sales cycle, one of the most important things that you need to build with your buyer is trust. Actually, I’d argue that you will never get a deal done without it. If someone doesn’t trust that you have their best intentions in mind, that you can help them solve their challenges, and that you are an expert in your field, they will not buy from you. Period.

On LinkedIn today, you tend to see a lot of articles being written about spammy sales tactics, cold calling ineffectiveness, outbound sales fails etc. Why is that? 

As buyers become more sophisticated and well-researched, maintaining trust throughout your sales funnel is more important than ever. Spammy tactics and spray-and-pray messaging evaporates trust and kills your credibility as a salesperson, and it is nearly impossible to recover from that first impression. The bottom line here is this: modern buyers have higher expectations of the customer experience – they want salespeople to focus on adding value and being helpful, not pitchslapping or trying to force a deal.

In my experience, strategically leveraging video in your sales process is a game-changing way to build trust, establish authenticity, and strengthen relationships with your buyers.

After sending hundreds of videos to prospects and existing customers, I’ve found that video moves the needle for me in three key areas.

1. Speed of execution
2. Intelligence through analytics
3. Increased context and personalization

Read on and check out the videos below to see how these three benefits come into play:

When Should I Use Video In My Sales Process?

I’ve experimented with customer-facing videos while running full cycle enterprise deals for PostBeyond. There are definitely nuances to maximizing the effectiveness of your videos, depending on your relationship with the buyer and how far they are along in the sales cycle. Here is a breakdown of how I think about using video across the funnel:

How Do I Make My Videos Feel Authentic?

Video is a new medium for most salespeople, and if you aren’t comfortable on camera it is natural to be a bit hesitant to get started. I’m willing to bet that once you do though, you won’t look back. I view video selling as the next evolution of social selling, so here are some tactics and tips to help you get in the groove:

Want more tips? Check out Lesson 3 in the Video Selling Institute: “Best Practices for Creating Videos for Sales”.

This All Sounds Great, But What’s The ROI?

Just like the hesitations I’ve heard towards embracing social selling, you may be thinking:

“My buyers are old-school – sending them videos will freak them out or make them feel uncomfortable. This medium won’t resonate with them.”

Believe me – if you focus on being thoughtful, adding value and going the extra mile to personalize your content, the responses will be overwhelmingly positive no matter who your buyer is. Here is one success story from a customer in an older demographic working in a very highly regulated industry:

Do you have questions or ideas on how to improve on the tactics I’ve shared above? Please share in the comments – I’d love to hear your feedback.

The post How I Use Video to Build Trust and Accelerate My Sales Cycle appeared first on Vidyard.

source http://www.vidyard.com/blog/video-build-trust-accelerate-sales-cycle/

Meet the Team, Vidyard Style: David Halk

Meet the Team is our monthly chance to introduce you to the fabulous, quirky, talented people that work at Vidyard, using our favorite medium — video! For this episode, we heard from David Halk, Solutions Consultant extraordinaire. Find out what brought him to the world of startup technology, and who his favorite wrestler is in this new video:

What Didn’t Make the Cut

Dave had way more to say than just why being a vet or lawyer wasn’t for him, so here are a few answers that didn’t make the cut:

What brought you to Vidyard?

What brought me to Vidyard was predominantly the culture of the company. It’s a fun company full of fun people. It’s fast moving and it’s very exciting to work here. I can’t wait to see where everything goes in the future!

What’s your favourite place to eat in Kitchener, and why?

Jimmy’s Lunch. It’s on Victoria and it’s the last authentic diner in this area. There’s only one thing to eat at Jimmy’s so you should get the breakfast because it’s all you get. There isn’t really a menu.

What’s the secret to an incredible lawn?

I have spent a lot of time experimenting with gardening and landscaping and I have found the secret: it’s hiring someone else to do it for you.

 

The post Meet the Team, Vidyard Style: David Halk appeared first on Vidyard.

source http://www.vidyard.com/blog/meet-team-vidyard-style-david-halk/

How Video is Reviving Culture for Remote Employees

Workers around the country are packing up, purloining potted desk succulents, and trading their work desks for the ones at home. Today, 63% of workers are remote (for at least one day per week) according to The New York Times, up from 34% in 2005. 

There are a number of reasons behind this shift. Sure, communication technology makes it possible, but workers are also demanding more flexibility while companies are finding less value in paying for high-priced real estate. Together, they’re agreeing on a new contract for work-life balance but, without everyone in the same building, they’re also finding that it’s harder than ever to maintain their office culture.

Remote workers bring home new challenges

Remote working offers both advantages and disadvantages. The Harvard Business Review reported that when the travel website Ctrip allowed workers to telecommute, the company not only saved $1,900 per month per worker, but those employees also “started earlier, took shorter breaks, and worked until the end of the day.” With no commute or line-of-sight supervision, employees had time to handle personal matters and were overall more productive. But, precisely because of that self-focus, company cohesion also suffered, and in Ctrip’s case, many employees felt isolated and opted to return to onsite work.

Without the chit-chat around the water cooler, life can be stressful. According to a study by the International Labour Organization, 40% of remote workers reported high levels of stress compared to only 25% of their onsite colleagues. It can also lead to less cooperation: According to Fast Company, “company culture doesn’t necessarily translate virtually” and remote peers are more prone to disagreement. The cost of cohesion has been enough to convince very large companies like Yahoo!, Aetna, and most recently, IBM, to reverse their remote worker policies. IBM, in particular, cited a desire to “improve collaboration and accelerate the pace of work.”

Yet, as remote working marches on, companies will have to find a solution to the remote culture challenge, and some are discovering it in the use of inter-office video.

Video killed the never-ending email thread

The next big internal communications wave is video, and it’s being used to revitalize remote company culture. Much of what leads to remote worker isolation in the first place is that all the classic inter-office communication channels like email, message apps, text, and phone calls cull down people’s personalities. When so much of our communication is nonverbal, video brings it all streaming back.

Check out this example that I sent around to our entire team, across the globe, when we launched a recent content asset, our video in business benchmark report:

When peers can see the smiles, gestures, winks, grins, yawns, and scoffs of their peers, they bond. And when video is even easier than composing an email, people can share more unfiltered thoughts and pipe more personality across the airwaves.  

Some executives have realized this and are encouraging video from the top-down. Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, a social media software with offices in eight countries, has chosen to use recorded videos for communicating real-time thoughts to the company. “These quick smartphone videos are the best way I’ve found to deliver that,” Holmes told Fast Company. Even here at Vidyard, our CEO Michael Litt shares monthly video selfie updates (although he’s eager to try virtual reality for a remote work experience, too!) that are informal and brimming with personality. He’s constantly on the road, but we barely notice it (sorry Michael) because we’re always hearing him and seeing his mug.

Here’s a recent example he sent the team:

Other companies are encouraging peer-to-peer video messages where co-workers can connect with each other on a daily basis. Virgin Pulse, an HR software firm with ten offices around the world and hundreds of employees working remotely, finds that using apps like FaceTime and other video chat tools help remote employees feel included, reports Fast Company. And across the country, we’re seeing workers utilize Vidyard’s own free video sharing tool ViewedIt for sharing peer-to-peer thoughts, employee onboarding, capturing meetings, sharing weekly stand-ups, working through problems, product feedback, and in lieu of long-winded emails.

As companies become more and more global, even staying in touch across different offices and different countries can become a challenge. While formal company updates are always shared, it’s the smaller moments full of personality that often contribute more to building a great remote culture. With our second office opening up across the country in Vancouver, we’ve been putting this into play. Here’s the first video we received from the Vancouver team to give us a not-so-formal tour of their digs:

The result of all this video is that remote employees have exposure to the personalities of the people they work with and can build those core bonds and a cohesive culture that makes companies successful.

The future of work may be remote, but with the use of video, your culture doesn’t have to feel like it.

Want to light the video spark at your company? Download ViewedIt to capture and share videos with one click.

The post How Video is Reviving Culture for Remote Employees appeared first on Vidyard.

source http://www.vidyard.com/blog/video-culture-remote-employees/

Goodreads: Be Like Amazon Giveaway

We have teamed up with Goodreads to giveaway 10 copies of the hardcover edition of Be Like Amazon: Even a Lemonade Stand Can Do It. Good luck!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Be Like Amazon

by Jeffrey Eisenberg

Giveaway ends June 08, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

The post Goodreads: Be Like Amazon Giveaway appeared first on Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg.

source http://www.bryaneisenberg.com/goodreads-like-amazon-giveaway/