To see where the future of work is headed with regard to video, people need only look at the past or, in this case, a recent portrayal of the past. In the hit AMC TV series Mad Men, which depicts life in a 1950s advertising agency, typewriting was considered a specific skill set and a standalone profession. Now, typing is a commodity and an expected function in nearly every role. This very same expectancy is beginning to happen with video production in enterprises. The U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that video editing is expected to grow by 9 percent from 2023 to 2032, triple the 3 percent average for all other occupations during this time period.
This is reflected in consumer demand as well. Ninety-one percent of people want to see brands produce more video content, and everyone is insatiably consuming short-form videos on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms for business and leisure. There are currently more than 45 million professional content creators in the creator economy and over 162 million amateurs. The rapid growth of this medium means the demand for video will soon outweigh the resources and budget that companies typically spend on dedicated video production teams. This is an excellent opportunity for training professionals to take the reins and help organizations properly expand their video capabilities to support this need.
Big brands are already making the transition
While this trend is still in its infancy, Fortune 500 companies already recognize the need to strengthen their video acumen. One of the world’s largest multinational software companies recently converted its staff of 1,500 technical writers to video content producers, believing this to be the future of that profession. Another major technology company utilized a small group of its existing workforce to create video tutorials for common issues to help reduce call center congestion. Similarly, another enterprise software company established a subdivision within its sales team dedicated to providing video content to support new business outreach. It was so successful that the video team grew and now supports many other parts of the organization.
Even though these companies took different journeys and approaches to improving their video creation posture, they all utilized a series of overlapping tips to achieve success.
Get organized
While the need for video may be obvious, setting up an individual or team to successfully create video content is much easier said than done. Companies may think they understand the requirements to begin capitalizing on video, but they must first allocate enough resources and attention to putting in a proper training program. While some individuals may have prior video experience because “they work in marketing” or “use these skills on their personal social media,” it is a faulty assumption to believe that experience will naturally set them up for success without proper training.
Focus on branding first
Organizations looking to scale video production often feel the market pressure to produce quickly because they are already behind other brands. However, the companies most successful at this have taken the time to first emphasize brand strengthening and consistency. Video is an exceptional venue for delivering brand value, therefore, aspiring videographers must be trained on how to embed the right logo assets, identify the optimal brand placement, use proper color schemes, styles, and adhere to any other brand guidelines. Then, it is time to move forward with how to produce compelling, constructive video.
Teach basic video production in increments
While training professionals may very well appreciate the idea of increasingly video-skilled sales and marketing teams, it isn’t a reasonable expectation to bring them to the same level as a video production professional within a short time frame. In fact, overloading them with tips and tricks might be counterproductive. It’s important to focus on teaching the basics of video creation in small increments. For example, one session can be devoted to recording techniques, another to splicing video, and so on. Once workers get the hang of the fundamentals, they can explore the nuances at their own pace.
Leverage video mentorship programs
As with learning any new trade, there are immense benefits to connecting novices with the video professionals on staff and opening the lines of communication for questions, concerns, tips, or tricks. Carefully constructed lessons are important, and so are video experts who are willing to offer guidance to fellow employees.
Choose the right software
One of the most significant challenges in training video production as a secondary function is the ‘mismatch’ between video editing software and skill level. Dedicated video producers are fine using the most professional editing platforms, but these typically are not user-friendly for novice creators. So much of teaching new skills is communication and coordination, which can only happen if both parties can effectively use a common toolset. Any company serious about expanding video capabilities with this approach must consider software that offers a low barrier to entry for novices but also provides an expansive professional feature set for the more experienced users.
Video production growth in organizations happens naturally but could greatly benefit from a controlled program led by the training department. With so much innovation and change happening across all industries, training professionals can seize the opportunity to help smooth these transitions for their organizations and build even more value for their own department in the process.
