Create your own intranet promotion video

So, you want to celebrate your new or revamped intranet with a video? Great idea! But what do you do and how do you go about it?

I am not an expert in video or in communication. I also do not know the purpose and effect any of the videos in my collection have had in its organization. Have they been broadcasted widely? Were there targets for intranet adoption, and if yes, what were they? Have targets been met and if yes, was that solely the video’s doing? I do not know.

Still, after seeing so many assorted videos, I think I can give you some tips:

• If you have the budget, hire a professional. They have better equipment, more creative ideas and they will spend less time than yourself.


• If you do not have money, prepare to spend time. You will have more to learn and more to practice, and most likely more to re-do as well.


• Have you thought about making this an internal competition? You may have some talent in your organization that loves the opportunity to shine.

No budget? No competition? Time enough? OK, let’s go!

1. What is the story?

What do you want to say and what do you want to achieve?

2. What message type do you want to create?

A demo? A teaser? Something with a person? Do you want to amuse people or do you also want to teach them something?

3. What can you learn from others?

Global collaboration, 24/7 availability of content, access from anywhere, better document version control, one-stop-shop are frequently occurring themes in my video collection, so just borrow ideas from them. (especially the Animations have some nice visualizations of these topics)

4. Write a script and rehearse it.

Do not think you can improvise. You will need to write out the complete text, check it with others and rehearse it a few times. It will help you fine-tune the message and keep time.

5. Always review the end result critically and redo if it is not up to standard.

Remember this is an important message for a large audience! And if you publish it on the intranet, you do not want to be included in my collection with some critical remarks.

6. Select the video type.

I would suggest one of the following options if you go for DIY.

• Demo of the functionalities.
  
  This can be done on your PC with Webex, Camtasia, Screenpresso, Lync or another screen recording tool.
  
  Before you start, close down all other programmes, remove distracting popups like email or chat notifications, and turn off your phone.
  
  Use a demo account so you do not have to reveal personal information on the internet.
  
  Check with IT that they are not going to do software updates and mandatory reboots during your recording. (I have experienced that while giving a training for a worldwide audience…most annoying!)


• Talking head(s) video or interview.
  
  This can be done with any good video camera.
  
  Select someone who feels comfortable in front of a camera. Better have a manager who feels at ease in front of recording gear than the CEO if he or she does not feel comfortable – it shows!
  
  Remove all clutter from the environment. Lots of personal belongings in the office, unpacked boxes in the background or a cluttered desk all distract from your message.
  
  Rehearse the texts and project the words on a computer screen during recording, if possible.
  
  Ask your actors to switch off their telephone or any other potential disturbance during the recording.
  
  You may want to add in some screenshots or text slides for variety afterwards – just a talking head can be a little boring, especially if the video is more than 2 minutes.


• Animation.
  There are various tools for that, such as Powtoon, Videoscribe, a recorded Prezi, a document camera, or PowerPoint-saved-as-movie. For iPads, there are YouTube Capture and Adobe Voice apps.
  
  Now these tools all look very simple, and promise you that you will be able to create animations in an instant, even without any training, but please take that with a grain of salt. You will still need a concept, a message and a script, drawing or other visual talent, patience and a lot of time in making mistakes and doing iterations to get it right.

Good luck! And remember to share your results with the world.

Have you created an DIY intranet launch video of your own and if yes, did you use any of these tools or do you have other suggestions?

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Source: B2C_Business

Create your own intranet promotion video