You’ve just spent a good amount of time and resources to making an organizational system change that will make work easier and more efficient. The only problem now is getting people off the legacy systems and onto the new one without too much strain.
Change is hard, but it doesn’t have to be.
With video as part of your change management strategy, you can create excitement around the launch, increase awareness of the new features and benefits, and even build trust. Here are some tips on how to make a video work to your advantage.
Focus on the benefits
If you want to make a how-to video, by all means, it’s a great idea. But for your launch video, it’s a good idea to focus the ways that the features of this new system benefit everyone.
Make it fun
First and foremost, you want people to watch your video from start to finish. And you also want it to be memorable. A creative, interesting video is something people will talk about in the office. Maybe it’s a movie trailer-style video (“In a world where the employee portal hadn’t changed since 1998, one company was willing to take a bold step into the future”). Or a motion graphics “explainer” that tells the story of how the new system changed everything for one team member.
Also file under Make it fun: Keep it short. If you want people to watch this, you should max out at two minutes or less.
Build trust
One simple way to do this is the testimonial. You may want to have someone from the leadership team, or a few people, talking about the new system. You may also want to feature a cross-section of team members from across your organization. Whomever you choose, make sure to be somewhat heavy-handed with the editing—no one wants to watch one person talk to the camera for three minutes.
Make the investment
This video may play a big role in the adoption of the new system at launch. Therefore, you should consider it an important part of your strategy and plan to invest a decent budget. It’s crucial to leave it to the professionals—a professional production company, managed by your agency, will make a big difference in sound and picture quality. And a good editor will keep the story moving. If you choose to go the animated route, your agency should find a motion graphics animator who matches the style and tone of what you’re hoping to communicate.
These are just ideas and tips to get you started. The exciting thing about using video is that you get to be creative and innovative in the choices you make and the message you spread to your team members. It’s a great way to personalize your communications and make sure people look forward to hearing from their organization’s leadership.
