Internal Comms Video Production
Keeping your people informed and aligned through video
What are internal communications videos, and why use them?
In our 13+ years making video, we’ve witnessed how the structure of organizations have changed to reflect the evolving digital world. Hybrid work policies have become the standard. Some companies continue to utilize an entirely remote workforce. This creates opportunities for global expansion that is possible for even the smallest startups.
The new way of work made it difficult to ensure all employees, members or contractors were on the same page. Instead of sending out a newsletter or sending messages on Slack, we utilize the power of internal communications videos.
As your company's video production partner, we can help educate and inform viewers on any topic. Internal comm videos are a great way to align people through engaging, important, and bite-sized video content.
Added bonus, video performance can be tracked (and even who) you’ll have insights into what topics are resonating and what ones are falling flat.
Still deciding? Don’t worry, we have thought of 6 Reasons Internal Communications Videos are Unique that expand in detail the value of them.
What are some characteristics of an internal communications video?
- Three minutes or less
- Clear and concise
- In your brand voice
- Audience-specific
- Consistent
When and how should I use an internal communications video?
Whenever you need to roll out mass communication to an entire company or department, it’s a good idea to consider putting that content into an internal comms video.
We’ve seen them replace company-wide emails, departmental intranet posts, or on-boarding handbooks, as these are typically wide-reaching efforts. As is true with a lot of internal communication, it’s important that these messages come from the top and management is behind the distribution (and, hopefully, production) of them.
This is our third year working with Demo Duck and they were fantastic from start to finish. They were patient while we solicited participants for our member videos and were on top of the project whenever we found someone.
Amy Boese, ASCP
How does Demo Duck approach an internal comms video production?
We find it important to approach the content in a similar fashion to that of our educational video content We’ll dive into understanding the subject matter you’re trying to get across, who will be benefiting from it and how. That’s where you come in! Luckily, you have the audience; your own people and you can even give us a good understanding of how they’ll consume the video content (smartclass room, laptops, on lunch break, etc.)
A lot of times we find it beneficial to select certain members of your team to be featured in the video in order to help personalize the experience and get people excited about a corporate video production. This also allows us to create more videos at a lower price per video (yippee!). We’ve typically animated more dense subjects that need a visual presentation to communicate the content clearly. In the end, you will walk away with enough footage.
With Internal Communication Videos, we found it beneficial to use member of your team as actors to help personalize the experience and get people excited about corporate video production. This allows us to create more videos at a lower price per video (yippee!). Giving us more flexibility with the animation production that will typically be used when explaining more dense subjects that need visual presentation to communicate the content clearly.
Internal communications video production examples
'Speak Up' Hotline Animation
Microsoft IT Supply Chain Animation
SAI Teamwork Animated Video
Internal comms videos FAQs
How do you measure success for an internal communications video?
By tracking views and engagement, you can see what your people are most excited to learn about and what percentage of them have watched it.
How much does an internal communications video production cost?
An internal communications video series typically costs between $10,000 – $15,000 per episode depending on the style (live action, animation, testimonial).
How long does an internal communications video take to develop?
An internal communications video often takes 8-12 weeks, with production typically moving a little faster than videos that are external facing.
Our video will include 'internal-only' info, so how do you handle that?
Look, we get it! It's okay to request that the video not be featured in our portfolio or used for marketing purposes. That's all stuff we can sort out during the paperwork process before we kick things off. You don't work on these types of productions without expecting to have to keep some work hidden and sign some NDAs.
Will you help us figure out the best style for these?
Of course! Oftentimes the most freeing aspect of these internal comms videos are the fact that they won't be seen externally so there's less scrutiny around brand guides and messaging, and we can make them playful and a tad different. As long as they still feel like your brand and culture, which is important, we can explore some different styles during concepting.
What are the common hurdles for these internal communication video productions?
We've found that executive alignment can be a little tricky with these, to be honest. The primary reason is that since these aren't following a marketing playbook, and there's some flexibility on executing the internal message, some high level folks may not be as familiar with the content and understanding of new ways to communicate it. Getting those executives looped in upfront really goes a long way in creating a smoother process throughout production.