CEO videos prove most effective form of communication – do you have the camera skills?

It might seem easy to create, but there are certain skills required to make an effective online CEO video message. Whether you like it or not, people make judgements very quickly about the quality of your offering based on how you come across on camera. Viewers don’t want to watch a corporate talking head, they want the real you. To present naturally on camera takes specific on-camera training, and lots of it. That’s where we step in.

CEO videos are a formal or informal address conveying important messages to key stakeholders or employees. Examples can include a product launch, internal reporting video, welcome message or any other communication piece.

In this article we present one CEO who’s created a highly successful video message, followed by our assessment of how he achieved this.

Stats and facts to convince you of the benefits of a video message

• The open rate on video is much higher than the click through rate on text
• 59% of executives would rather video than text-Forbes
• Viewers are 10 times more likely to engage, share and comment on videos
• Almost 5 million videos are watched on Youtube everyday – YT statistics 2017
• Emotion and tone can be added, making a connection with the audience easier
• Exposure on video can enhance your public profile
• Nailing the art of giving a good presentation on camera is an essential skill for all C-suite executives

Being prepared before camera

The following video is an example of how preparation creates an effective message. This CEO comes across as a natural in front of the camera and inspires us to change.

This is an example of a CEO who has really shed the starchy CEO image and instead has developed an engaging and approachable tone, enhancing his and his company’s profile and credibility.

• Peter is relaxed immediately and looks natural
• He is genuine and passionate about what he is saying
• We believe him because he doesn’t appear scripted at all
• He uses great eye contact and body language
• He uses pace and varied tones very well

Top marks for Peter!

The key ingredients to deliver an effective on-camera message:

Get off to a good start and grab the audiences’ attention

 The way you start your presentation is critical. You’ve only got a short window of time to convince your audience to stay or switch off. Start with an attention-grabbing opener.

 Take a deep breath …and relax

It’s important to find ways to relax, as when you are not relaxed it’s hard to be

enthusiastic and passionate as you convey your message.

 Boring your audience to death is not cool

 Is there anything worse than a long, boring presentation?

It’s a fact that all great speakers tell personal stories. The audience loves to hear about the triumphs and hurdles of people’s personal experiences. Stories connect people.

Emotionalise the data

Stories help us remember things. An inundation of figures, tables, statistic and charts, doesn’t, and unless you are reporting a huge profit or increased shareholder dividends, you run the risk of people wanting to poke their eyes out!

Steve Jobs from Apple – a great speaker, was great at emotionalising the data, for example, rather than talk about the amount of gigabtyes an Apple device could hold, he would convert this unit of measurement into the number of music files a device could store –much more effective in the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) stakes.

Practice makes perfect

Lots of practise frees up your mind, gets rid of nerves, and allows you to be relaxed.

Smiling, having a persona, and looking confident in front of a camera is no easy task. When we watch media professionals or other speakers present with ease on camera we often wonder how they do it so naturally. For the majority, it’s specific on-camera training, preparation and relentless practising that results in that polished, on air and often times live performance.

Focus on the message

As you prepare your message, think about what your audience needs to hear. What’s the value of your message to them?

Keep it simple and to the point

Leave your audience wanting more. Less is more. The consensus is that corporate videos should be no longer than 2 to 4 minutes.

Use your body and your personality

Use the tools at your disposal. Use tone, facial expression, passion and emotion to its full advantage.

According to Albert Mehrabian’s rule of communication, viewers judge a speaker’s attitude, feelings and thoughts more by their body language and tone of voice than the words spoken.

If words and body language disagree, the audience will believe the body language more.

The benefits of specific on-camera training

Many people freeze when the camera rolls.

Something that seems so easy suddenly becomes hard.   Being unprepared and nervous before a camera can totally change your demeanour and expressiveness – a sure way to lose your audience.

But you’re not alone. Many seasoned presenters feel nervous before giving a presentation both on and off camera.

If you’re planning to create a quality video, make sure you have the skills in front of the camera to come across as authentic, professional and credible. These are easily learned with the assistance of professional journalist trainers, like Media Manoeuvres.