Once upon a time, creating a video was a rather bougie and expensive pursuit. Thankfully, video has come a long way and is now the affordable must-have for any great marketing campaign. "Name a great marketing campaign which can use video to promote my business?" I hear you cry… well, the "about us" video. If you're unfamiliar with what I am referring to or need a nudge in the right direction for your video, this post is for you, so stick around for a minute or two.
The 'about us' video, just as its name suggests, is a video about your company, business, product, team... or whatever you do. It is an excellent way for any organisation to explain what happens behind closed doors to potential customers or partners. It gives a friendly face to your business and allows you to tell your and your team's story fun and engagingly. Long story short, the video is really about giving insight into the business to build a relationship and trust with your audience. This little video can significantly impact your reach and reception, from more traffic to your website and social channels to increased job applications, higher sales, and much more awesomeness. You get the gist.
So you want to start brainstorming and planning your "About Us" video.… But what should you show? Who should be in front of the camera? What should you say? There isn't a "one size fits all" magical formula for an about us video because every business is unique. However, there are some things you can consider when planning yours.
For many of your intended audience, your about us video will likely be one of their earliest interactions with you and your business. So first impressions matter! Don't bore your potential customers with facts and figures about your success, prices, size etc. - YAWN!!! This strategy definitely won't get a lot of engagement. Aim for emotion - it's powerful. The goal of this video should be to evoke as much of a connection as possible to start earning people's trust.
One of the easiest tricks is to introduce the people behind the logo. So why not introduce the team that makes your business great? Allow your new audience to peek behind the scenes and meet Susan from HR, a cactus fanatic and nettle soup maker, or Dan from Finance, who has a vintage camera collection and 12 dachshunds. Obviously this is extreme, but my point is to be authentic. Show what makes your company unique - no one likes a soulless corporation, do they? By introducing your potential audience to your team on a semi-personal level, you can humanise and remove the anonymity that most faceless corporations have. This approach should encourage your audience to spend more time on your website and social channels, which in turn, should result in an increase in custom.
I know what you're thinking… "this about us video sounds all sunshine and butterflies - it must be easy", but don't be fooled! And don't leave it to the last minute. And definitely don't wing it on the day! Okay, maybe some winging it is fine, but it's good to have a basic structure or plan to work from before you start. Look at some other about us videos and do your research to create your script. Think about what you want to include and how you want your business to look. If you have a plan of what things to include and say, you reduce the risk of repetition and make the editing process much easier and quicker. Have a plan. Stick to it. Add in a splash of improv if needed.
Let's not forget to include the product or service you provide - it's important to highlight what you're all about. Explain what you do and why you do it . What is your USP? You should also include some information about the history of your company and maybe even how it has changed. You can do this by showing a few pictures and videos of when you were just starting out, but make sure they are relevant to the point you want to make. If you have any awards or accolades, include them in your video. A bit of showing off is fine and will allow potential customers to see that you are professional and have worked hard to achieve your business's success.
As with all videos, it's essential to keep it consistent throughout. Remember that your about us video is not an advertisement or promotional video. Its primary purpose is to tell your story, so you'll want to focus on how your business came about, how it continues to succeed, and the people who make it what it is.
Your about us video is a great place for any business to start when considering video as a form of marketing. They tend to perform quite well on social platforms due to their tone and generally offer a lighter side to an otherwise mundane topic. So what are you waiting for? Grab everyone and get filming. Let's introduce the world to your business!
If you want to go even further with this idea, you could extend your 'About Us' video into a 'Meet the Team' video, which could be a longer form piece that delves into your team members' lives. You could go even further again and turn it into a 'Day in the Life' film that explores what happens daily. These ideas lead to a fun project that you and your whole team can participate in; remember why you're doing it - to tell your business's story.
The Sunday Treat team are experts at corporate video content like "About Us" videos. Call 020 3835 5455 or email hello@sundaytreat.com to start working with our award-winning London video production company.
