SPOILING THE SHIP FOR A HAP’ORTH OF TAR

Corporate online video – oh my goodness how much fun can one person have watching these corkers?

A few years ago, websites were very basic but as time has moved on, so have websites with their moving images, flash, e-commerce, social media interaction, blogs etc – everything is that bit more sophisticated and businesses started to realise how important it is to have a top notch website to convey to their clients, their shop window.

Creating a really good website takes time and money (and in some cases, blood, sweat and tears.)  You probably started with looking at your brand and how you are going to convey that to your clients, you then have to work on the design of the site (engaging web design & builders) –  the look and the feel of it, how many pages, writing copy, adding images, building the site, uploading it, investing further in SEO (using SEO specialists.) We’re talking thousands of pounds here.

For a while now there has been the opportunity of uploading video to your site – this is going to add to the brand and convey the personal touch to your offerings.   Done well, (often with the help of Video Production companies) this can be a very effective tool for your business. However, there are many, many corporate videos out there that are seriously damaging the brand.  WHY, when you have spent so much time and effort in creating this masterpiece, do you not concentrate on HOW you are conveying your message in your videos?

Even filming a video for YouTube, this should still be about you, your personality and your brand – especially where there is a link to your website.

I have watched a fair few corporate videos and these are just some examples of what is out there. (can’t mention names unfortunately:)

• A company owner sitting by his very untidy desk (dirty coffee cups and dead plants), swinging left and right in his chair while he speaks to the camera (ie potential clients)
• A promotional video where the man is constantly flicking his eyes to the right to read off his script, talking jargon at 100 miles an hour then had information sheets periodically covering up his face whilst he was talking!!
• A corporate video where the CEO was practically in the dark, so without being able to see his face, the message was not conveyed.
• Another Business owner talking ten to the dozen whilst people were walking back and forth in the background – totally distracting.

Looking natural (as we like to say “Being yourself …Confidently”) in front of a camera takes time and effort.

• Being aware of your environment is absolutely key to how you are going to get your message across.
• Ensuring YOUR own  personality is the one that comes over.
• What to wear – many do’s and don’ts working with cameras
• Your posture and how it will affect your performance
• Your voice – the resonance, the sound, the speed and variety
• What is your message?

So my question Why spoil the ship for a ha’porth of tar?  Although a very old saying, it means; Why, when you have invested so much in producing and constantly monitoring your website, would you cut corners and scrimp on something so important as really making an impact on your personal video for your website?

See on our Online Video Presenting Skills page

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 at 9:11 am and is filed under Presentation Skills. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.