In today’s digital age, no tool is as invaluable for engaging audiences, conveying messages, and building brand identity as video marketing. At the forefront of this visual revolution is corporate video marketing, which enables businesses to communicate their ethos, offerings, and value propositions in an engaging and digestible format. Focusing on interview and documentary-style videos presents a unique opportunity for brands to connect with their audience on a more personal and emotional level. These formats excel in portraying authenticity and humanizing the brand by showcasing real people, genuine stories, and expertly told narratives.

At Storyboard Films, a leading Minneapolis-based video production company, we have had great success partnering with corporations to produce corporate videos that highlight real people and stories that illuminate the heart and soul of a brand. Ultimately this has been a key differentiator for our clients that has elevated them above their competition and attracted new clients. Let's explore how you can leverage interview and documentary-style videos to effectively market and position your brand.

What Is Corporate Video Marketing?

Corporate video marketing involves creating compelling visual content designed to promote a company's products, services, or overall brand. This vast domain encompasses various video types from company overviews, product demos, and customer testimonials, to training and instructional content. 

Interview and documentary-style videos are particularly distinguished for their ability to tell a story, offering an in-depth look into the company's ethos, culture, or customer experiences. Such formats aim to establish a deeper connection with the target audience by featuring real employee experiences, customer journeys, or the brand’s community impact. Storyboard Films helps clients keep the emphasis on authentic storytelling through the practice of highly skilled interviewing.

Benefits of Using Interview and Documentary Style Videos in Corporate Marketing

Utilizing interview and documentary-style videos in corporate marketing comes with several distinctive benefits. Firstly, these formats excel in authentic storytelling, creating a rapport that fosters trust and builds a deeper connection with the audience. By featuring real stories and genuine reflections, companies can humanize their brand, making it more relatable and inviting.

Highly skilled interviewing, a hallmark of Storyboard Films' approach, further enhances the quality of the content. The ability to create a comfortable environment allows interviewees to share their passion, insights, and the essence of the brand in a natural, compelling manner. When you create a comfortable and open space, interviewees are able to communicate, thoughts, ideas and passion without the impediment of self editing or censorship. One of the biggest values we create for clients is giving them an open runway and then expertly editing the interview after the fact.  Clients are often amazed at how good they come off when given this resource. And it is these carefully curated genuine exchanges that engage the audience and convey the brand authentically.

Additionally, documentary-style videos offer a narrative depth that can transform mundane corporate messages into captivating stories. Through the lens of employees, customers, or community partners, companies can showcase their values, achievements, and impact in a way that resonates on a personal level. This narrative technique not only elevates brand perception but also reinforces brand loyalty among existing customers while attracting new ones.

Efficient collaboration and a friendly, dedicated team, like Storyboard Films, can ensure that the video production process is enjoyable and aligned with the brand’s vision. The result is a highly effective marketing tool that captures the brand's special qualities and shares them with the world in an engaging and memorable way. A secondary byproduct is that it also creates a sense of pride and veritas within the company.

Planning Your Corporate Video

The success of a corporate video, particularly in interview and documentary styles, begins with meticulous planning. Setting clear objectives is the first step—understanding what you want to achieve with the video helps guide its direction. Whether it's to increase brand awareness, showcase company culture, or highlight customer satisfaction, having a goal focuses the narrative.

Knowing your target audience is equally crucial. Videos for a tech-savvy young audience will differ significantly from those aimed at professionals in a specific industry. Tailoring the content, tone, and message to suit your audience increases the video’s relevance and impact.

Crafting a compelling narrative is next. For interview and documentary styles, this involves deciding on the story you want to tell and identifying the key messages to convey. It's about choosing the right subjects—employees, customers, or industry experts—and scripting questions that evoke thoughtful, engaging responses. This planning phase is foundational to creating a video that resonates with viewers and effectively conveys the brand's message. It is also sometimes necessary to have practice sessions with interviewees to give them a greater sense of comfort and more clarity about what they want to say.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

Crafting a compelling narrative is vital when diving into the realms of interview and documentary-style corporate videos. Storyboard Films excels in weaving compelling stories that captivate and evoke emotion, setting a strategic narrative framework that is paramount. Identifying the core message, selecting relatable characters, and detailing the journey the video will narrate are essential steps.

For an interview, it’s crucial to choose subjects that reflect the diverse stakeholders of the company—from employees and management to satisfied clients. These narrators provide authentic voices that embody the brand's values and experiences. For documentary style, structuring the storyline to showcase challenges, solutions, and successes creates a gripping narrative that keeps viewers engaged. Each story beat must align with the unique value that the business provides its clients, ensuring that the message not only entertains but also informs and persuades potential customers.

Production Process

The production process for creating engaging corporate videos involves several crucial steps, starting with pre-production planning. This phase includes:

• Identifying the right messages or stories

• Designing an interview guide that provides an open space for employees or clients to share those messages and stories.

• Creating a storyboard or shot list that highlights compelling visuals that can amplify the stories and messages.

• Creating a detailed plan that clearly lays out the shooting process and what is expected from those participating in the project. 

During production, technical expertise comes to the forefront. Utilizing top-tier equipment, Storyboard Films captures high-quality footage that is visually appealing and technically sound. Lighting, audio, and camera work are orchestrated to produce the most professional results possible. The talent is directed to deliver natural and persuasive performances, crucial for the authentic feel of interview and documentary styles.

Post-production is where the narrative truly comes to life. Editing is more than just assembling shots; it involves choosing the right sound bites, pacing the video for maximum impact, and integrating various elements like graphics, animation, or music to enhance the storytelling. This stage also includes color correction and audio mastering, which refine the look and sound of the video, ensuring that the final product is polished and ready for distribution.

Distribution Strategies

Once the corporate video is produced, the next step is an effective distribution strategy to ensure it reaches the intended audience and achieves its marketing goals. Depending on the target demographic, the video can be shared across various platforms including the company’s website, social media channels like LinkedIn, YouTube, or Instagram, and during corporate events or conferences.

Email marketing campaigns can also be a powerful tool to distribute videos directly to clients or potential customers. Additionally, integrating the video within blog posts or articles on the company website enhances SEO and increases the opportunity for viewership.

For extensive reach, partnerships with industry influencers or thought leaders can be pursued to share the video with a broader audience. Paid advertising campaigns on social media platforms or search engines can further amplify visibility, directing more traffic to the video and increasing engagement metrics.

Measuring Success

To evaluate the success of a corporate video, businesses must track specific metrics that align with the video’s initial objectives. Key performance indicators (KPIs) can include view count, engagement rate (likes, shares, comments), and play rate. More nuanced metrics like the average watch time and click-through rate give deeper insights into how effectively the video maintains viewer interest and prompts action.

Analyzing the lead generation data, such as the number of new contacts or direct inquiries following the video launch, provides a tangible measure of its marketing impact. Additionally, feedback and surveys can be invaluable for understanding viewer perception and effectiveness in conveying the intended message.

For a comprehensive analysis, tools like Google Analytics and social media analytics platforms can track these metrics and help correlate video performance with an uptick in website traffic or product sales, thereby measuring ROI and informing future video marketing strategies.

Let Your Brand's Story Come to Life with Us

Transform your brand's narrative with Storyboard Films, the Minneapolis-based experts in genuine storytelling and high-quality corporate video production. Our artful interviews and engaging stories capture the essence of your company, connecting deeply with your audience. We value your vision and time, offering an efficient and collaborative process led by our friendly, dedicated team. Whatever your business needs—corporate tales, vibrant commercials, impactful nonprofit messages, or dynamic event showcases—we craft videos that resonate and inspire.

Let's create something remarkable together, sharing your unique story with captivating visuals and heart. Choose Storyboard Films for a seamless journey to showcase your brand's soul and achieve remarkable success.

Request a creative consultation today and let your brand's message be heard far and wide through the power of compelling video storytelling.