Why company culture videos are important for any B2B business.
Firms want their staff to feel connected to their work, the purpose of it and the colleagues around them. Happy and fulfilled staff are more productive, they go the extra mile to make sure the place they work for is the best. It’s like being part of a tribe or team.
But, how do you show a great company culture? Both to new business prospects and new hires? Is it more than having a lavishly decorated office? A jazzy coffee machine? And beers on a Friday? The short answer is yes!
Savvy audiences know there is more than meets the eye behind photos on a glossy website. Culture Videos are therefore the perfect way to provide a look ‘behind the scenes’ of your organisation and people. A realistic genuine portrayal of life at your organisation and your team.
Culture videos are a film that presents your company culture and team in a humanised way. It’s not hyper corporate, it’s not about sales. Instead, it’s an on-brand insight into how your organisation conducts its business with the people it employs. It should focus on your staff, the relationships they share with each other and their customers. Culture videos are also a great way to let your staff share a perspective on the work they do and why it makes them so fulfilled.
Although understandably worked focussed, successful culture videos embrace a real ‘human element’ to your team and can be used on a variety of channels, it may show:
• Employee recognition
• Attitudes to professional development
• Work-life balance
• Birthdays
• Team building
• Social activities
• Client achievements
Culture videos have three key audiences that are all equally important.
A culture video is so important for generating a relationship with new clients. You have a great website, a slick presentation deck and your prices are competitive. A culture film is your differentiator. People buy from people. Your customers want to know who you and your team are and that you’re the type of people that they can get on with, that they can work with.
Your culture videos are an additional validation that you and your prospective clients’ organisation are a perfect fit while providing some brand recognition that isn’t sales focussed.
Any organisation that’s recruiting wants the best employees and team for the role. However, when you are looking to attract the best talent, you want them to want to work for you – not your competition. That means your proposition and core values need to be the most attractive. Again this is more than having some astroturf carpeting and offering free bottled water. This has to come across in your videos. If not – you’re the same as everyone else.
More and more, senior hires are looking for workplaces that they can really get along with, cultures that will take the best of their own attributes and magnify them to let them achieve more. A culture video allows you to do that – and communicate your core values clearly and concisely to whoever you might be recruiting.
It also allows you to communicate benefits such as how your employees have experienced professional development and career progression in a much more tangible and realistic setting via video. Clicking play on videos and hearing the story of an employee member that has gained qualifications and moved up the ranks is so much more inspiring than reading it on a page. And let’s face it – everyone would rather watch a film than read the script.
Give your employees something to be proud of. When you create content and videos that highlight your mission and their good work – you show them that you are proud of the work they produce. Your core values should be front and centre and show what a successful company you have, and how it’s down to the shared mission that all of your people have and stand behind.
Getting your current employees engaged with any videos also helps with the reach of your content. If people are proud, they will advocate for your business (employee advocacy) and help you succeed even further.
Making a culture film that works can be tricky. But using a video production agency can make the whole process much easier. However, here are some of our top tips to get you on track:
This means letting your hair down (a little). A culture film is an extension of your brand and your people, it’s another weapon in your video arsenal but it serves a different purpose. It’s not aimed at your MD or CEO. It’s not even traditionally something you’d have created even 5 years ago. You’re offering a behind the scenes look into your business, its people and its core values. This means whilst keeping it professional, you should keep it a little more relaxed. Especially when it comes to the language and messaging you use.
We all love stories, storytelling is in our DNA and some would argue, is the foundation of all communication at heart. You have a great story without a doubt. Your people and your culture are unique to you. It’s a story that no one else can tell, so make the most of it.
This ties in with the point above. Your culture videos are your opportunity for your staff to tell their side of the story and demonstrate your values. A message will have so much more meaning coming from a staff member than it would a voiceover. Your staff are your best asset, hearing them and their stories will have so much more meaning for viewers.
No seriously, filming your video in your place of work – not in a studio and don’t use animation. Your culture films is a sneak peek into the inner workings of your businesses. So it shouldn’t just look real, it has to be real.
It’s important your video has structure, but not so it’s rigid and regimented. Make sure you have a script as a guide for your video, but use it as a reference point and be flexible with your ideas and filming. It needs to be a natural video – not a blockbuster film.
Core values are the map for any business. It’s the foundations that a business is built on, and a shared value that you employ new recruits to fit. The culture of your business is massively affected by the people who make up that team.
According to HBR “Core values are the deeply ingrained principles that guide all of a company’s actions; they serve as its cultural cornerstones. Collins and Porras succinctly define core values as being inherent and sacrosanct; they can never be compromised, either for convenience or short-term economic gain.”
So it’s important that you showcase this in the right way – to make sure your company is seen in the right light. But what is the best sort of video for what you want to show new recruits or new clients? How can those two groups of people be impacted by the videos and content you create – and how can you make them want to be a part of something bigger than a normal company? It all comes down to the way you communicate with them – and the type of video you choose.
There are a few types of culture video that you can create. Each with a unique slant to produce a certain outcome. The first thing you need to do is define what you want your video to do. Is your video aimed to get more recruitment engagement? Or is your video there to boost your relationships with new and existing clients? Or is it both?
We’d always recommend if your video is going to have two purposes. Then really you should create two edits – one for each target audience. This doesn’t have to mean creating a second video from the ground up. Instead re-edit the video with a different message or simply a different call to action.
The main two types of culture video are for recruitment and for workplace culture. Your recruitment culture video places an emphasis on the benefits of working at an organisation whereas the workplace culture video focusses on the wider workplace. You need a video to reflect that your business is the best place in the world.
A brilliant culture film will mean nothing if it’s not viewed by the right audience so we recommend the following tips to make the most of your investment.
An about us page on your website is a perfect place for your culture video. Or better yet, a whole culture page of its very own. However, if you are offering a service-based business and your culture helps audiences understand why you’re the right fit for them, it might make more sense for the video to sit on your homepage.
If you’re aiming more for new recruitment, then the careers page will certainly be the best place.
Firstly, sharing your culture video on social is a no-brainer. Social is the perfect platform for sharing this type of content. It’s easy and it’s free to do.
However, again, if you are hoping your culture film is going to bolster your recruitment then the targeting options on paid social media can really ensure your get this video in front of the right target audience.
Your email lists will also give you some great segmentation choices to get your video in front of the right people. An email with a link to your film can be a really cool addition to nurture new customer sign-ups and subscribers. It’s a powerful and fresh piece of content for customers that have just made contact to get to know you better!
The answer is yes. In a world driven by video sharing and video consumption, a culture video is the perfect asset for any businesses looking to connect with audiences beyond the traditional sales and marketing methods. It’s an asset you’ll probably find your audience engaging with more because they get to meet the real you and your team.
Looking to create a culture video, but not sure where to start? Get in touch with our team for a free consultation today.