A good ‘About Us’ video tells the story of a brand, provides necessary information, fulfills a need, establishes a bit of social proof, and clearly shows what a brand is about. We’ve discussed a lot of different kinds of videos in this blog: interviews, series, and outdoor shoots, but your ‘About Us’ video is perhaps THE most important video you can make for your brand. This week, we will share eleven considerations that will elevate your ‘About Us’ video, starting with “the basics”.

About Your About Us Video

There is no exact formula for creating amazing ‘About Us’ video. In fact, your video should really be your own unique snowflake. However, there are six basics that most effective videos have in common.

1. Time

Admittedly, you have a lot of ground to cover in your video; however you need to do it efficiently. There are longer ‘About Us’ videos out there (we’re going to link you to one further down this page) but you should try to keep the length of your video nestled between the one and three minute mark. We’ve harped on this point in some of our other posts, but understanding your audience’s attention span is the first step in getting your point across and turning potential customers into loyal patrons.

2. Language

This video is an introduction between your brand and a potential customer. Your script needs to reflect that idea. Imagine yourself at a social mixer. How would you introduce yourself to strangers in the room? Would you get caught up trying to include complicated parts of your life story? Or would you try to communicate the most interesting information about yourself clearly and succinctly?

Hopefully, the second option has struck a chord with you. Think about this scenario while you’re writing your script. Write for accessibility. Don’t bog your audience down with technical jargon. Use exciting language that is clear and concise. Avoid long narratives and focus more on explaining information or telling stories in short blurbs.

3. The Stars

An ‘About Us’ video is about your business, but it’s also about you and any dedicated employees that are the backbone of your brand. This video is an opportunity to put a face to your brand, which is exactly what some of the most effective ‘About Us’ videos do.

This video isn’t about driving sales; it’s about making a connection, something that happens on a personal level. Make yourself and your team a part of your video. [This video from Zendesk is technically a recruiting video, but it does such a great job of using the company’s team to illustrate their culture that we had to include it.

4. Emotion

Presenting an emotional appeal is another foundation of an ‘About Us’ video. Emotional appeals separate dry videos from those that inspire audiences to learn more about a brand or business. Emotional appeals can be done in a number of ways: moving storytelling, music, haunting images, affective copy.

Intellectual Revolution is an online resource that strives to enlighten and empower through access to information. The site’s ‘About Us’ video demonstrates how music and copy can come together in a way that not only introduces the brand, but inspires the viewer to learn and do more.

5. Clarity

An introductory video should be clear. As you’re planning your video, decide what information really needs to be included in order to pique a potential customer’s interest. Good ‘About Us’ videos limit the distractions a viewer might encounter. Is that clown really communicating your culture? Edit your ideas and focus on vital content that effectively and credibly communicates who you are.

6. Content

Remember our brilliant restaurant analogy? A good video will encourage people to enter your site and explore your brand. In an environment where thousands of options are just a click away, your video can make the difference between a viewer continuing to interact with your site or surfing away. ‘About Us’ videos are as varied as the brands they represent, however there are several types of content that many of the best include.

Additional Tips for Success

Beyond the basics, there are certain factors that can help set your About video apart from the competition.

7. Brand History

This video is an opportunity to tell the story behind your business; when you started shop, what inspired you, who your leadership is. Your history is essential to who you are as a brand. If you have an interesting story about your start-up, share it.

Your history not only tells customers who you are, but also makes you more tangible. Your story makes you human and being human makes you relatable; not just another company on the Internet.

This storytelling gem is from Lego. The nostalgic video (you may need a tissue) integrates the company’s values into their unique history. Though it’s long, the story is worthy of your 16 minutes.

8. Culture

An ‘About Us’ video is the ultimate reflection of your brand’s culture. Culture isn’t about action plans or statistics, it’s about your values, who you are as a brand or what bonds your office together. Culture can be communicated through a witty script, but it can also be shown through what you choose to film.

9. What You Do

Don’t forget to (concisely) explain what you do. An ‘About Us’ video is half who you are and half what you do. The possibilities of demonstrating your mission, values, or services are endless. Many companies have hired web animators to cartoonify their missions and services. Or, simply show what it is you do. Visit your factory. Film your team at work.

Remember, this particular video is NOT a sales pitch – it’s an introduction. Keep your script smart and succinct. You have an entire website to focus on the particulars of your business.

10. Social Proof

This video is your first step in building trust and loyalty. How do you do that? Show off your credentials. Use testimonials of happy customers or happy businesses that you’ve worked with. While your ‘About Us’ video shouldn’t sound like an infomercial, don’t shy away from including elements that are going to start building your credibility and trust.

Here’s a great example of how Seabreeze, a small New Jersey business, integrated testimonials into their company’s video to highlight their services and articulate their values.

11. Distinguishing Yourself

An ‘About Us’ video is your first opportunity to distinguish yourself. This video should separate you from your competition in some way. Maybe you have a more dedicated team, a more responsible mission, or a more creative approach to doing business. Maybe your product is simply better, with the awards to prove it. Show how you’re innovative.

12. Call to Action

The last element of your video should be, in some way, a Call To Action (CTA). You’ve spent one to three minutes introducing your brand, telling your story, inspiring your audience, or rapping about your corporate culture. Your CTA should match the tone and content of your video, encouraging a viewer to take the next step.

CTA’s that follow ‘About Us’ videos should promote further brand engagement: integrate your social media, promote subscriptions, or provide links to your website. CTA’s are effective and will make it easier for your audience to take the next step in getting to know your brand.

Your ‘About Us’ video is the gatekeeper to your website. It’s most likely the first video a visitor is going to gravitate towards on your page, so don’t let your video be an afterthought to the rest of the content on your site. Instead, use your introductory video to whet the appetites of hungry audiences!

What strategies have worked for you? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

If you’re ready to share your ‘About Us’ video with the world, SproutVideo provides clean, easy-to-use video embed codes for adding video to your site.