By Rieva Lesonsky
Is your small business capitalizing on the power of video for both internal and external communications? A new study shows that while many companies do use video in some form or another, many are failing to take advantage of everything video can do.
The study, conducted by BurstPoint Networks, found that companies are using video to connect with audiences including employees, customers, partners and more. More than 56 percent of respondents said they currently use videoconferencing technology; more than 50 percent said they currently use live video streaming or prerecorded video broadcasts.
The three primary reasons survey respondents cited for using video technology in their businesses were to replace in-person meetings (58 percent); to help with training, education and HR functions (62 percent); and to issue company broadcasts (44 percent).
Overall, companies are pleased with the results they’re getting from video. Almost three-quarters of those surveyed (73 percent) said there are better exchanges between executives and employees when using videoconferencing, and 69 percent said video technology improves their communications with external audiences as well.
But although the majority of companies are using video, there’s still lots of room for improvement. More than three-fourths (76 percent) of survey respondents said they would like to better leverage videoconferencing within their organizations, and 65 percent said they would like to stream video on-demand.
“The survey also found that cost is perceived as a prohibiting factor in video implementation, when in reality, due to technology developments, this is no longer the case,” said Tom Racca, president and CEO of BurstPoint Networks, in announcing the survey results. “As we are in a new era of video, implementing this technology no longer has to be a scary prospect.”
How can you use video in your business? Here are some ideas:
- Record videos demonstrating your product or service.
- Interview a key customer or industry leader about trends in your industry.
- Record testimonials from satisfied customers and post them on your website.
- Record events your company holds.
Post your videos on your website, your social media accounts and on YouTube.
Image by Flickr user Jeffrey Beall (Creative Commons)
Christine Banning is VP of Marketing and Communications at 
