We’ve already talked about ways your Project Team can use video to build stakeholder support (4 WAYS Project TeamS ARE USING VIDEO), but what if you’re not sure where to start? Below are some common mistakes project teams make when leveraging video, along with ways you can avoid these everyday pitfalls.
1 – Creating videos that are too long. Unless your stakeholders have specifically asked for in-depth coverage on a project, it’s best to keep videos to a length that won’t overwhelm viewers—three or four minutes is usually a good guideline as a maximum. Project Teams often leverage videos that are even shorter in length to good effect. Remember, too, that these bite-sized videos are easier to add to already-full meeting agendas than something that’s overly long.
2 – Covering too many topics in a single video. Videos that are complicated or try to tackle too much in one sitting usually end up being confusing and ineffective. It’s better to create multiple videos that each cover one aspect of your project, rather than try to cram everything into one. Viewers are also more likely to be engaged by your videos when they can pick and choose the subjects they want to see.
3 – Making poor quality videos. You may not need a full video production team, but cell phones and older model cameras often don’t produce good enough video to keep viewers engaged and informed. Low lighting conditions often make images difficult to see, an unsteady hand leads to blurry footage, and loud environments can quickly render a video nearly unwatchable.
4 – Releasing videos as-is. If your video includes an on-camera speaker, adequate lighting, and good sound quality, you can probably make it available to viewers without much editing. However, most videos will benefit from captions, an audio track, the careful removal of unnecessary footage, and smooth transitions between shots.
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