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As marketers, we’re very familiar with the messages stemming from interviews with celebrity CEOs such as Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook or Elon Musk. These visionaries captivate audiences with ideas for new products and an overall outlook on their respective industries.
But what makes these interviews so interesting for customers? Well, they provide a way for the leaders of these innovative companies to connect with end users, partners and even internal employees. Interviews provide a way to connect on a deeper level with audiences….at scale. A single interview-based video provides genuine comments from a CEO that can be shared with thousands of individuals.
So, what’s stopping your marketing team from capturing interview content of your CEO? Why aren’t you providing a platform for your CEO to connect with end users or customers? Well, one of the most common reasons is that CEOs are busy – in fact, 80% get their day started at 5:30 a.m. Calendars are crammed with phone calls, meetings, speaking engagements and travel. Needless to say…time is precious.
But what if you could get a total of eight videos from a single sit-down interview with your CEO?
Would you feel more confident when scheduling the video production crew and developing the videos? If you plan well, you can effectively capture content to support a series of eight different videos from just a single 60-minute session.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s possible (including interview questions for capturing the content from your executive).
1) Thought Leadership Video
Thought leadership marketing is often considered a key practice for B2B marketers looking to establish themselves as an authority figure within a certain niche. In order to be a thought leader, it’s crucial to showcase the insights from a company’s executive team.
Video allows you to capture key insights from your CEO while also maintaining an authentic connection with the audience. Here are a few interview questions that can help spark thought leadership around a specific topic (note that you can fill in the blank with any key topic related to your organization or its target audience):
- For viewers who are unfamiliar with __________, can you describe this in the layperson’s terms? Can you define ______________?
- Describe your position on _____________.
- How does your organization address ______________?
- What should customers be aware of regarding _______________?
- What steps can customers take [to handle / take advantage of] _____________?
After you obtain answers to these types of questions from your CEO, the video can be packaged within a blog post or other form of content (landing page, guest post, etc.). In addition, if there are a few topics to explore, you might even be able to develop a series of videos, each covering a specific topic that are all linked together. For example, Single Grain CEO Eric Siu consistently produces videos around a particular topic and then creates a YouTube playlist for them.
In this video, the CEO of S’Well, Sarah Kauss, describes her organization’s stance on making a difference in the global environment by preventing people from carrying plastic water bottles. In addition to this topic, Sarah also presents an authentic view of her company’s growth goals and how the organization was funded with just $30,000 of capital.
Further Reading:
2) Company Culture Video
The Content Marketing Institute website points out that one of the most powerful uses of an interview video is also one of the most underused: recruitment or “company culture” videos.
There are a couple ways to capitalize on this sort of video marketing. You could do a purely CEO-based interview. A video of this style would feature the CEO talking about the company and in particular, talking about his/her experience within the company. This is a key motivator if the CEO worked his/her way up through the ranks or if they recently joined the organization. In order to visually support the CEO’s interview, the company culture video could feature b-roll and other visuals captured in the organization’s working environment.
The other “flavor” of this type of video features several different speakers. These people work at all levels in the company, from the new hire in the reception area to the highest positions of the company. This type of video gives you an opportunity to talk about what the company offers people in terms of benefits, career advancement, and company culture – ultimately sharing a great story with viewers. The CEO, in this case, would be supplemented with content from a variety of employees.
Irrespective of the type of company culture video created, here are some key interview questions to spark comments from the CEO:
- Describe why you enjoy being a leader within this organization.
- What differentiates the people at this organization from other companies?
- What do you look for when hiring an employee?
- What types of employees excel here?
- If someone were debating between working at this organization or a competitor, why should they choose this organization?
In this video from Atlassian, the CEO is featured alongside a number of other employees. The executives and other employees discuss core values and other key attributes employees share at the organization.
3) Industry Trend Video
This type of presentation can cover a gamut of subjects, from company policy to new business trends. It can also expand beyond just a “talking head” and include slides, b-roll and other elements (diagrams, charts).
And if the video is meant to highlight an industry trend related to a specific product or service that doesn’t exist yet, it’s possible to include some sample motion graphics to convey major concepts. If you don’t have a motion graphics designer on staff, there are some online tools available that allow you to develop quick visuals to support an interview.
In contrast to the thought leadership videos referenced in #1 above, this type of video often focuses on what’s trending now and how a company is positioned for the future, perhaps focusing on an opportunity instead of a challenge. Rather than just providing a definition or opinion on a subject, a video touching upon an industry trend can highlight the CEO’s vision for the future.
Here are some interview questions to support an industry trend video:
- Can you describe the biggest trend within the _____________ industry?
- What sparked this trend?
- How do you feel this trend will continue? Will it subside, become more prevalent?
- How has this particular trend impacted your organization?
- How is your organization positioned to capitalize on this trend?
One of the major challenges that businesses face is attributing revenue to their advertising and marketing initiatives. In this video, Marketo’s CEO discusses why the organization acquired Bizible and how Marketo is committed to revenue attribution for all marketers.
4) Onboarding Introduction Video
When a company gets a brand new customer, onboarding is an important step to ensure that they get off to a great start. A video from the CEO can be used to introduce the organization, assist with any initial onboarding tasks and provide an overall welcoming experience.
If your company sells a product or provides a service, the CEO has the ability to highlight some of the most important things to do in order to get started. Here are some questions to help you guide this type of video:
- What is the first thing a new customer should do in order to be successful with this product?
- What is your experience with this product?
- Where can customers go for help when using this product (Project Manager, Online Support, etc.)?
- What other resources are available for customers (i.e., community, knowledgebase)?
An introductory video from the CEO can be used in an email or housed on a landing page for new customers.
One of the best examples I’ve come across is the onboarding guide presented by Wicked Reports. Here’s a blog post on how they use video to outline their patented process:
Further Reading:
5) Company Vision Video
A company’s vision is perhaps the single most important thing to communicate, both internally and externally. For potential customers (external audience), it’s important to communicate the vision of the company to help differentiate your entity from the competition.
For example, if you’re a leading technology company, prospects need to understand how you plan to launch new features, explore integrations and enhance the overall user experience.
On the other hand, outlining the company’s vision is important to employees. According to the Entrepreneurial Operating System, if your employees don’t understand where you’re going, how can they help you get there? A video led by a CEO helps everyone get on the same page.
Here are some interview questions you can use to capture the company’s vision from the CEO:
- How is this organization different from other competitors?
- What are some of the areas of focus or innovation within this company?
- What are the biggest priorities for this company this year?
- What are some of the biggest changes you foresee within this industry?
- In what ways do you see this organization evolving in the next few years?
- What is the biggest problem you solve for your customers?
- Can you describe the company’s vision in a few sentences?
In order to get a sense of how to set up this type of video, check out how ServiceTitan sat down their CEO and other executives to put together a “Letter from the Founders.” This video outlines their core vision: the success of their customers.
6) FAQ Video
Prospects and customers alike often have a large list of the same questions. And that’s why an FAQ page is a valuable asset to help provide commonly requested information to website visitors (there are even plugins available if you’re using WordPress).
One of the ways that you can enhance the user’s experience is by introducing video content within the FAQ page on your website. In fact, companies ranging from funeral homes to law firms use FAQ videos to answer frequently asked questions.
In order to streamline the creation of FAQ videos, you can use interview content from your CEO. By introducing your CEO and presenting answers in a concise way through video, you have the ability to develop rapport with your audience.
To capture answers to these FAQs, simply ask your CEO to answer each question on camera. Try to keep the answers short – less than one minute in length. In this case, it’s not about creating a lengthy how-to video; these FAQ videos are simply there to provide guidance to the viewer and point them in the right direction.
Furthermore, if you’re looking for a more direct way to connect with viewers, have your CEO look directly into the camera and answer the questions. By conducting the interview this way, your CEO has the ability to “look viewers in the eye” and provide authentic responses in a one-to-one setting.
One of the examples we came across recently was an FAQ series presented by Legends of Learning CEO, Vadim Polikov, who answers questions that many folks wonder when initially learning about the benefits of an organization:
7) Product Introduction Video
When a company rolls out a new product, it is often the CEO who introduces it. Technology companies use events and keynote speeches to introduce products all the time. However, a product introduction is powerful when captured on video because the content can be embedded on a product landing page (for lead generation purposes) or sent out to an email list of existing contacts.
Here’s a breakdown of some questions to use in order for your CEO to introduce a product:
- Describe why this product was created.
- What are the biggest benefits of this product?
- What problem does this product solve for users/customers?
- What is life like without this product (try to get the CEO to paint a picture of the time or money the product saves)?
- What updates or new features are on the horizon?
- In one or two sentences, describe what this product does.
- Are there any specific features that you can outline for us?
Recently, TypeForm launched a new version of its product. In this video, you’ll see the CEO and other executives discuss key benefits and the rationale behind some of the updates.
Further Reading:
8) Invite/Event Promotion Video
The use of live events is still a very effective strategy for companies. But if you’re going to invest a lot of time and resources in an event, you’d better get a solid list of attendees, right? Well, that’s where your CEO comes in.
By featuring the CEO in an email invite or in a video promoting an event on a landing page, you can garner more interest from prospective attendees. Here are a few questions to use in order to generate a quick invite/event promotion video featuring your CEO:
- Describe your role within the organization
- Tell us a little bit about this company’s event
- When is the event and where will it be located?
- Who will be attending the event?
- What happens at the event?
- Why should you attend the event?
- Why is the company organizing this event?
- How does this event help attendees?
Here’s a short video from Avid CEO, Jeff Rosica. He is featured in a quick “video invite” and simply drives the audience to sign-up for the company’s user conference, Avid Connect.
Concluding Thoughts
Executive interviews bring a great deal of power and expertise to a company’s overall marketing strategy. Videos that feature the CEO can be used all along the customer journey, from building awareness to helping differentiate your company from others. The CEO can outline the company’s vision, highlight new products, enhance recruiting efforts, provide thought leadership and more.
At the end of the day, you can build a small library of videos to reach prospects and customers…just by conducting a one-hour interview session with your CEO. Just ensure that you’re organized before sitting down with an executive (that’s why we included so many interview questions above) as this will allow you to hit on as many topics as possible!