Using video to increase employee engagement is a powerful tool for any organization. Not only does it make communication easier, but employee engagement videos also help to build trust and strengthen relationships between employees.
Whether your business is large or small, utilizing video can have a major impact on your employee engagement efforts. In this article, we’ll dive into the effectiveness of video for employee engagement and explore 20 ways you can use video to increase it within your organization.
Why use video to engage employees?
Businesses are always seeking more effective ways to engage employees and enhance internal communication. While emails and meetings have been the traditional methods of choice, videos can be used to amplify messages in emails and meetings.
Video is a powerful tool that can revolutionize your internal communication strategy. It is engaging, versatile, and capable of conveying complex information in an easily digestible format. It’s no wonder that according to a TechSmith study, using more visuals in internal communication can save the average organization money and time, with the potential to save over 25 hours per year for every employee.
Not convinced? Here are some compelling reasons to use more video in your internal comms:
- Personalized communication: Video allows you to convey tone, facial expressions, and body language, adding a personal touch to your messages that text-based communication simply cannot match. This helps build stronger connections with your team members.
- Improved understanding and retention: B2B DecisionLabs found that people are 13% more likely to remember details from video emails over text emails. Videos stimulate multiple senses at once, leading to better understanding and retention of information.
- Increased engagement: Video content is inherently engaging. It can tell stories, demonstrate processes, and visually represent data, making it far more compelling than blocks of text or static images. The same TechSmith study from earlier found that 48% of all employees consider video the most engaging form of communication.
Employee engagement video best practices:
Throwing a video into your email isn’t as simple as converting all of your text into a script. Here’s a list of best practices to enhance engagement in your internal communication videos:
- Keep it short and simple: Aim for videos that are ideally 2-3 minutes long, delivering the key message early on.
- Optimize visuals and audio: Invest in high-quality equipment to ensure clear visuals and audio.
- Add subtitles: Make your videos accessible and viewable in any environment.
- Foster interaction: Boost engagement by incorporating quizzes, polls, or interactive segments.
- Be authentic: Adopt a genuine, conversational tone rather than a scripted one.
- Harness the power of storytelling: Utilize storytelling techniques to captivate and connect with your audience.
- Encourage user-generated content: Motivate employees to create and share their own videos.
- Monitor engagement: Continuously improve your strategy by tracking video engagement with analytics.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to create content that resonates with your employees and cultivates a sense of community. And there are tons of ways you can do this with video. Here are the most common for internal communicators.
Practical Examples of videos for employee engagement
There are various types of videos for internal communications that can be utilized to engage and inform your employees. Let’s delve into some examples:
1. Employee training video
Employee training videos are designed to educate employees about specific skills or procedures. For example, a video demonstrating how to use a new software application can ensure everyone understands its functionality.
Start by outlining the necessary details and explaining how it benefits employees. Including a demonstration in your video will also help bring clarity to specific processes.
2. Employee onboarding video
An employee onboarding video introduces new hires to the company culture, values, and expectations. A tour of the office or a message from the CEO can make new employees feel welcome. To do this, you can leverage visual storytelling techniques to highlight the company’s background, mission, and goals.
3. Employee appreciation video
Celebrating employee achievements through appreciation videos fosters a positive work environment. For instance, a montage of team accomplishments over the year can boost morale.
When sending an employee appreciation email to the team, it’s important to personalize the messaging by mentioning specific employee contributions and highlighting company goals achieved.
4. Employee testimonial video
Sharing testimonials from employees about their experiences working with the company can attract talent and foster pride among existing staff. An interview with an employee discussing their growth within the organization can serve as a powerful testimonial.
Set these up by asking for volunteers to share their stories and experiences, which can also serve as an excellent opportunity for employee engagement. This is a great opportunity to implement effective employer branding, and build assets that can be repurposed in the future.
5. Employee welcome video or introduction video
Welcoming new employees with a personalized video can make them feel part of the team. A simple video introducing the new hire to the rest of the team can do wonders for their integration.
Even if you don’t have a dedicated video team, you can still create high-quality content using simple tools like your smartphone or free online editing software. The key is to keep it authentic and engaging while delivering important information. If you’re looking for some easy ways to get your welcome email started, we have a list of five welcome email templates that you can start using right away.
6. Employee engagement video
These videos aim to involve employees more deeply in the company. A video inviting employees to a company event or initiative, for example, can increase participation and engagement.
If you have anything coming up, such as a charity event or team-building activity, create a teaser video to build anticipation and excitement among employees.
7. Employee experience video
Showcasing what it’s like to work at your company can help retain and attract talent. A day-in-the-life video featuring various roles within the company can provide insight into the employee experience.
These are fun and engaging ways to highlight the company culture, values, and work-life balance. You can also use these videos for recruitment purposes on your career page or social media platforms.
8. Employee-generated video
Encouraging employees to create their own videos can foster creativity and community. A video contest where employees share their favorite work moments can be a fun and engaging initiative.
For these videos, you don’t have to worry so much about production quality as the focus is on employee participation and expression. These videos can also be shared internally through an internal social media platform or company newsletter.
9. Employee of the month video
Recognizing outstanding employees with a dedicated video can boost motivation. A short video highlighting the employee’s contributions and achievements can make them feel valued.
As part of these employee recognition ideas, it’s important to include specific examples and stories of how the employee has gone above and beyond in their role. This can also serve as a way to set the bar for other employees to strive towards.
10. New employee orientation video
These videos can help new hires understand their roles and responsibilities. A video outlining the company’s policies and procedures can be a helpful resource for new employees.
These videos can be easily updated if there are any changes in policies or procedures. Including interactive elements, such as quizzes or surveys, can also make the orientation process more engaging and informative.
11. Employee recognition video
Publicly acknowledging employees’ hard work can increase morale and productivity. A video showcasing an employee’s successful project and its impact on the company can be a great recognition tool.
For this type of video, it’s important to focus on the employee’s accomplishments and how it has positively affected the company or their team. Including interviews with colleagues can also add a personal touch in addition to your other employee recognition ideas.
12. Employee safety video
Safety videos can educate employees about workplace safety procedures. A demonstration video on proper equipment handling, for example, can prevent accidents.
A little bit of humor and creativity can also make these employee safety emails more engaging and memorable. Including real-life scenarios or testimonials from employees who have experienced accidents can also emphasize the importance of safety protocols.
13. Employee value proposition video
These videos communicate what makes your company a great place to work. A video featuring employee benefits, career development opportunities, and company culture can effectively convey your value proposition.
This is a more specific and targeted approach to recruitment, allowing potential candidates to get a better understanding of the company’s values and offerings. It can also serve as a reminder for existing employees about why they chose to work for the company.
14. Employee branding video
Branding videos reflect your company’s identity and values. A video showcasing your company’s commitment to sustainability, for example, can strengthen your brand image among employees.
These employer branding videos can also be used for external marketing purposes, promoting your company’s values and mission to potential customers and clients. It can also help attract like-minded individuals who align with your company’s brand.
15. Employee newsletter video
Instead of a traditional written newsletter, try a video format. A monthly video update covering company news, updates, and upcoming events can be a more engaging way to keep employees informed.
Filming these videos in different locations around the office or featuring employees from various departments can add a dynamic touch. You can also include behind-the-scenes footage or bloopers to make it more lighthearted and entertaining.
16. Webinars
Hosting live or recorded webinars on various topics can provide valuable professional development opportunities for your employees. They can also encourage discussion and interaction between employees.
17. Executive messages
Videos featuring messages from top executives can keep employees connected to the company’s leadership and provide updates on company goals and initiatives. It’s important to keep these videos authentic and personal, to help foster a sense of transparency and trust within the organization.
18. Experimentation and brainstorming sessions
Consider recording and sharing brainstorming or experimentation sessions, where employees can come up with new ideas for the company. This can also inspire others to contribute their own ideas and foster a culture of innovation.
19. Virtual team building activities
In today’s remote work environment, virtual team building activities are essential for maintaining a sense of community among employees. These remote employee engagement activities can include online games, virtual happy hours, or team challenges that can be recorded and shared with the rest of the company.
20. Employee wellness videos
Promoting employee wellness is crucial for overall well-being and productivity. Consider creating videos that showcase various health and wellness techniques such as mindfulness exercises, yoga, or healthy cooking demonstrations.
How to use ContactMonkey for your employee engagement video strategy
Once you’ve decided what kind of video you want to create, and have done all the work to create your video, you need a platform that will allow you to easily distribute and track engagement with your videos. That’s where ContactMonkey comes in.
ContactMonkey is an email tracking and analytics software that also offers a powerful internal communication tool. You can easily share your employee engagement videos right in employees’ inboxes, allowing for seamless distribution and increased viewership. Here’s how you do it.
To start, sign into your ContactMonkey account. Don’t have one? You can sign up for a free demo here.
Build a visually appealing email with an email template
Start creating your employee engagement video email by choosing a pre-designed template or create your own using the drag-and-drop editor.
To create a well-structured email template that houses your content, use ContactMonkey’s HTML email template builder. This powerful tool allows you to effortlessly craft templates for internal emails, incorporating email writing assistants. By doing so, you can guarantee consistent formatting and messaging throughout all your communications.
As part of your template, you can include
- A personalized introduction addressing the employee by name
- A catchy subject line that will entice employees to open and watch the video
- A thumbnail of your video with a play button overlay
Upload your video onto a hosting platform, such as YouTube or Vimeo
Once you’ve created the video, upload it to a hosting platform. This is a website that gives your video a place to live before you put it in your email. Most of the platforms out there have a pretty robust privacy feature that lets you customize who can see the video. Each video will also have a URL.
Copy the link to your hosted video and save that for later.
Customize your email with content blocks
Use the drag-and-drop builder to easily insert content blocks into your template. You have the freedom to choose from a variety of elements, including titles, text, and even multimedia options like images, videos, and gifs. This allows you to create visually appealing and engaging emails.
One block you’ll definitely want to pull in is the “Video” block. Insert your chosen video into the email by clicking on the “Video” icon in the toolbar and selecting the video file from your computer or a link from an online platform. This is where that URL you copied from earlier comes in.
Customize the rest of your email with text, images, and any other elements you want to include
To effectively communicate internally, it’s important to consider your audience. For instance, if you’re sharing a new policy or process with your team, using videos or images can help break up the text and make it more accessible. On the other hand, for informational or technical emails, sticking to text-based content blocks might be more suitable.
Adapt your approach based on the nature of your message and the preferences of your recipients. Remember, effective internal communication plays a crucial role in achieving business objectives.
Personalize your employee emails with merge tags
ContactMonkey’s email template builder allows you to effortlessly incorporate merge tags, enabling you to send personalized emails. Additionally, when you import your email template into your inbox, you’ll have the option to include merge tags in your subject line.
Merge tags provide a straightforward and effective means of enhancing internal email engagement. For example, you can use the “First Name” merge tag to address employees by their first name in the email’s introduction, making it more personal and engaging.
Generate copy using the AI assistant
Once your template is prepared, simply choose the content block you wish to generate copy for. This is where you’ll discover the full potential of AI email writing assistants. When you begin writing, you’ll notice a blue button labeled “Write with AI”.
Clicking on it will open a new window where you can enter a prompt. ContactMonkey’s AI email writing assistant, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-3 technology, has the remarkable ability to understand and adapt to your unique writing style. It offers tailored suggestions and can even compose entire emails on your behalf.
Avoid blank pages with fast and easy AI-powered emails
Maximize your open rates by using scheduled sending
With ContactMonkey’s engagement distribution timeline, you can easily identify the most attention-grabbing times for your email campaigns. Armed with this valuable information, you can strategically schedule your future email sends to ensure they land in your employees’ inboxes at optimal moments.
Once you’ve discovered the best time to send internal emails, as outlined in this helpful guide, you can effortlessly schedule future email campaigns using ContactMonkey’s convenient scheduled sending feature. This powerful tool allows you to leverage your email metrics to boost engagement and make your messages stand out amid the sea of other emails your employees receive.
Send relevant emails to employees using list management.
If your internal communications data indicates that a particular segment of your workforce is not actively participating in specific campaigns, you have the option to utilize list management features. This will allow you to create new email lists and re-engage those individuals.
By using custom email lists, you can ensure that you send relevant information to employees, boosting engagement and key metrics. ContactMonkey seamlessly integrates with HRIS solutions like Workday, ADP, and Azure Active Directory, automatically updating email lists as employees join or leave the organization.
Unlike external communication, internal communication addresses the unique needs and goals of employees. For example, operational guidelines can streamline processes for successful product launches.
Increase email engagement using employee video communications with ContactMonkey
With ContactMonkey, sending engaging and impactful videos to your employees has never been easier. Start using it for your next employee newsletter video or any other type of video mentioned above, and see the positive impact on your internal communication and employee engagement.
Book a free demo to see how ContactMonkey can easily include video in your next internal email.
