Cheer Leadership Tip 51 - Video Replay

Ever since the first YouTube clip was uploaded in 2005, fans have consistently gravitated to this user-friendly video-sharing site. Rather than sending the standard weekly email or printed memo update to your team, why not post a video with your most relevant news to refresh the communication experience? This will allow your squad to observe your always-important body language and tone. (Refer back to Tip No. 6 for more information on the communication formula.)

Today, viewers are used to seeing clips that are recorded on smartphones and posted directly online. Even national television shows often acquire these personal videos to share the latest breaking stories. So there’s no need to call a timeout to stage a backdrop, wear a special outfit or even have a formal script. Just turn on your phone’s video camera and speak! Choose your pep talk and speak from the heart. This will surely inspire the team, and they’ll appreciate the break from the norm.

Currently, there are numerous options for video-sharing websites, including YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, Metacafe, Flickr, Veoh, The Internet Archive, Crackle, Screen Junkies, Dailymotion and The Open Video Project.

Did you know that research from Forrester showed that employees are 75 percent more likely to watch a training video than read a training document? If we translate this to other work-related items such as company updates or newsletters, I think it’s safe to assume the percentage would be very similar.

You’ve heard the saying “not enough hours in the day” before, right? If we relate that phrase to an inbox full of meeting requests, urgent requests from colleagues, and customer needs that require immediate attention, it’s easy to see why an email with the latest company news is likely to get lost in the shuffle.

One way you can increase the chances your team will open the email you sent with important news in it? Create a video! According to a study from Marketo and Clearfit reported by Vidyard, using video for email messages increases open rates substantially. Additionally, emails that used video for a direct call-to-action had a 53% higher click to open rate over emails without an obvious mention of video content. After all, videos are easy to digest, entertaining, and engaging!

This week, I challenge you to research the various video sharing platforms and find one that works for you. You might find that one site is more user-friendly to you than the others or that it has features that best fit your needs. Brainstorm what kind of content you can share via a video versus a regular email newsletter. Perhaps it’s a basic quarterly update or maybe it’s something a little more unique, like letting them know you’ll be implementing week 27’s tip, The Lunch Reverse, by taking them out to lunch next week!

FUN FACT: “Me at the zoo” is the first video that was uploaded to YouTube. It was uploaded on April 23, 2005 by the site's co-founder Jawed Karim. It was recorded by his high school friend Yakov Lapitsky. The 18-second video was shot by Yakov at the San Diego Zoo, featuring Karim in front of the elephants in their old exhibit in Elephant Mesa, making note of their long trunks.