When it’s time to communicate to employees, many organizations turn to written internal communication channels like email, intranet articles, and guides. But employees are already so overwhelmed by the amount of communication they receive each day that they really don’t want another thing to read.

So what can you do? Create a video instead. Videos are a great way to:

• Grab employees’ attention
• Convey complex information quickly
• Build excitement

Here are 5 ways to use internal communication videos to engage employees:

1. Tell a story
Storytelling builds emotion, creates tension and helps employees understand what’s going to happen next. Storytelling also allows you to introduce characters, which help employees relate to the content and easily grasp the situation.

Example: Your organization is restructuring: Two divisions are coming together with a single leadership team. The change has been announced via email, but employees don’t understand what the reorganization means to them.

What to do: Create a video that explains the need for restructuring, how the transition will take place and what will be different for employees moving forward. Develop characters representing employees going through the change, so they can picture how the transition will affect them.

2. Walk employees through different scenarios
Scenarios allow employees to see themselves in specific situations so they understand how they’ll be affected and what needs to be done.

Example: HR is introducing a new compliance policy with a lot of legal jargon that employees don’t understand. In addition, policy documents are cluttered with too much detail, which adds to employees’ confusion.

What to do: Produce videos to explain each key role and illustrate what it means to employees. For instance, create a character named Logan and show how he submits an issue using the new ethics hotline, then shares a detailed explanation during a meeting with a compliance team member.

3. Generate excitement
If you want to create enthusiasm for a new service, make sure you use the right channel. Video is perfect for building excitement when you show enthusiastic people and uplifting imagery and play fast-paced music. 

Example: 
IT is introducing a new help desk, but IT team members are worried employees won’t follow the new process to request assistance. And they’d like employees to be aware of all the ways IT can help.

What to do: Create a video to introduce the IT help desk, including segments about issues that representatives will assist with such as:

• Email sync problems
• Computer malfunctions
• Software installations
• Wi-Fi setup
• Program training

Introduce help desk representatives so employees can put names to faces. Show workers dressed as superheroes who can swoop in to save the day when an employee’s computer crashes. Think Superman!

4. Train new behaviors
Teaching employees how to use a new tool is often challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Keep in mind that people learn by repetition and visualization — and with video, you can achieve both.

Example: Internal communication is launching a new intranet because the old one is outdated. The communication team is planning a lot of tactics to teach employees to navigate the new site, but it’s hard to demonstrate actions in a guide or email.

What to do: Create several quick training videos to help employees learn the new intranet’s functionality. For instance, show a screen capture of a cursor clicking through the site to demonstrate how to find such important items as:

• HR policies
• Organizational charts
• News updates

Employees can re-watch videos as often as needed to remember how to perform certain actions.

5. Increase senior leader visibility
When it comes to creating a presence for senior leaders, written channels are not ideal. Remember that employees want to see leaders’ faces and hear their voices, not just read a formal email from them.

Example: Your senior leader wants to send an end-of-year message to his team. In the past, the leader always sent a long, boring email, which metrics show many employees don’t open.

What to do: Instead, create an end-of-year video to help employees feel connected to their leaders and get a sense of their personalities. For instance, start the video with something lighthearted, such as having the senior leader tell a few jokes or lip-sync a song. Yes, this might take convincing, but employees appreciate the humor. Then, switch gears to an uplifting message regarding the company’s success and next year’s plans. Lastly, include a sincere “thank you” to employees for their hard work this year.

Leader videos aren’t limited to end-of-year messages. You can create videos for any leadership message, such as company changes or big wins.

Originally posted on medium.com