Technology companies are in a segment of their own. Often disruptive and lean, technology companies need to make the most of their advertising dollars. Tech companies need to recruit the best employees, and they need to be conscientious about their company’s brand and identity. Video for tech companies can help in all of these areas, with video being an extremely versatile type of content investment.
Here are four of the major areas in which video for technology companies really shines:
Marketing
One of the major uses of video for tech companies is, of course, marketing. When it comes to marketing, video has a number of advantages: it’s compelling, engaging, and unique. Here are four core areas in which technology companies can use video to their advantage:
• Introducing people to your business. Many tech startups are in emerging markets or disruptive markets. They need to explain their product or their company business model to an individual before the individual commits. Video is one of the fastest, easiest ways to connect with consumers in a relatable way and explain complex concepts.
• Launching paid commercial marketing. Just like paid commercials on television, paid online commercial marketing is a huge boon to tech companies. Paid online commercials are far cheaper than television commercials, and they allow you full control over the demographics that see your marketing. A high quality, polished commercial can often yield significant returns.
• Interacting with your customers. Live videos or Q&A sessions can give customers reassurance that they’re being listened to, as well as building out a content library by giving answers to the questions that customers are most likely to have. Interacting with customers through video can build personal relationships and improve conversions.
• Improving the reach of your brand. Discussed more in-depth later, one form of marketing is simply brand awareness. Through better brand awareness, your company will be able to improve upon the recognition and trustworthiness of your brand. The more recognizable your brand is, the more likely customers will be to make purchases later.
These aren’t the only methods, but they are the major ones. Marketing and advertising is really everything a company does that is public facing, which ranges from its brand identity videos to its recruitment.
Recruiting
For a tech company, it’s all about hiring the right talent. Video can be used for the purposes of recruiting employees who are a match for company culture. Recruitment videos can come in the form of:
• Behind-the-scenes videos. These videos show potential employees real insights into how the company works. A behind-the-scenes video will show the company culture in an informative, casual, and nuanced way. These videos will give employees a better idea of what’s expected of them, both in terms of work processes and work priorities.
• Videos about the company’s story. The company’s story is an important one, as it leads directly to the company’s motivation, mission, and values. Today, many people within the tech center aren’t just looking for salary; they’re looking to work for a company that they believe in, and a company that they think makes a difference. An inspirational video about the company’s story may improve upon the company’s acquisition rates.
• Company benefits and company culture. Of course, just as many employees are interested in the company’s story, many employees are also interested in the benefits. Video overviews of the company’s core benefits, such as catering or flexible schedules, will intrigue higher value employees. Many companies release videos that show exactly how the company will help its new employees, such as Starbucks’ videos which highlighted their impressive back-to-school college funding program.
• Employee testimonial videos. No one knows a business better than its current employees. Companies that wish to promote their strong culture may want to post employee testimonial videos. Employees can talk about how they’ve grown as a professional through their work with the business, and what the business has done for them. When it comes to any type of testimonial, sincerity is best: choosing real employees with real stories will give you the authenticity you need.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlyAs6INhfE
Tech companies need to concern themselves not only with procuring the best employees, but also procuring employees who are going to stay. That puts an emphasis on not just finding employees who fit the company’s specifications, but finding employees who are a good cultural fit.
Training
Perhaps one of the most commonly known uses for video for companies of all types are training videos. Training videos make it possible to acclimate new employees consistently, without any potential for educational gaps.
• Introductory and welcome videos. These videos are often in a long sequence, introducing the employee to the basics of their job. These introductory and welcome videos are usually played within the first few days of the employee’s training, and they’re intended to acclimate the company to the company’s environment and also its processes. This is a fast, easy way to get employees quickly up to speed, without having to invest the time of another employee for basic training.
• Specialty training videos. Sometimes, employees may need to learn special, specific processes and procedures, such as safety-related processes, or workplace standards. These specialty training videos can be used for specific classes of employees, who need additional training. When it comes to safety processes in particular, videos ensure that there is nothing left out and there aren’t any gaps in the training process. This will reduce the potential for danger, especially in tech companies that rely upon manufacturing processes.
• Re-training and refresher videos. Training isn’t static and it sometimes has to be updated. Regularly reviewing re-training and refresher videos can keep employees knowledgeable about business processes, especially business processes that they don’t frequently use. The Disaster Recovery Process is an important one: while it’s vital that all employees know what to do in a disaster, disasters (ideally) occur so infrequently that their training may be easy to forget.
• Interactive training videos. New, interactive videos can improve upon training, by quizzing employees and running them through testing scenarios. While watching a video, an employee may find their mind drifting, or may find it difficult to retain the information. Interactive videos ask employees to take action during the video, which will help them retain the information that they’ve received.
When properly done, training videos save a significant amount of administrative hours. Not only does it prevent the need for continuous in-person training, but it also makes it possible for employees to reference videos if they need more information.
Branding
Video can be especially useful for extending an organization’s branding. Through video content, a tech company is able to establish its voice and its identity. These videos may not necessarily need any particular direction: instead, they may be solely for the purposes of entertainment.
• Informational and product videos. Many companies define their brand around their products, such as Apple. Informational videos about exciting, upcoming products and services are a great way to display what your company is about and what your company generally values. These videos will also serve as advertising.
• Internal events and seminars. Events and seminars get people excited about the company’s endeavors, while also updating viewers on the company’s new or modified products and services. Internal events showcase the company’s culture and brand, by giving behind the scenes peeks into their operations, and letting users know how the company creates its products.
• Content-focused, user-friendly videos. These are videos that have little to do with the company’s own products, but rather resonate with the company’s major demographics. This provides interesting content to the company’s user base, which then improves the company’s relationships with its users. As an example, many companies have started sharing memes on social media, as a way to connect to their user base, even if those memes don’t directly relate to their products.
• Updates and vlogs. Google has made an excellent habit of regularly updating its customers with changes. The Google video channel is frequently updated with short, to-the-point updates that remain on track with the company’s brand: simplicity and users first. Updates can grow a customer base significantly, as each individual update is another opportunity to expand the company’s reach.
While branding videos may not point users directly towards conversion, they still fulfill a valuable service: they educate customers about what they can expect from the company.
Key Takeaways
Video can be used to augment virtually every area of a tech company, from internal marketing to external marketing. When a company is able to leverage video properly, it’s able to achieve an excellent ROI. Each individual video will be able to grow the company’s following and traffic, directing this traffic and activity directly to the company’s own products and services.
Of course, video needs to be produced properly as well: a video has to be professional, insightful, unique, and memorable. Today, customers are inundated with content from every side, and they are only likely to interact with the content that they find most compelling. An analysis of your marketing demographics and the right demographic targeting can drill down to what your customers want the most.
