Innovative Video Ideas to Elevate Your Executive Presence

Video marketing is quickly emerging as the gold standard for executives looking to build their personal brand.

In this blog we will explore video ideas and video tips for personal brands, helping to tell your story and connect with your audience.

Today video marketing has become ubiquitous. Think Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Vlogs, TikTok videos, Facebook ads, Shoppable videos, Live press conferences and events, News reports, and interviews, Music Videos, Movie Trailers & Teasers, DIY (Do-It-Yourself) tutorials, Fitness Videos, Software tutorials, Product explainer videos, Sports highlights, and replays, Webinars…We see videos everywhere!

Video is crucial for personal brands because it fosters a sense of connection, authenticity, and trust that static text-based communication often struggles to achieve. When people see you on camera, they connect with your personality, voice, passion, expertise, and mannerisms. This humanizes your brand, making it more relatable and trustworthy. This boils down to building stronger relationships with your audience, leading to better engagement and loyalty.

Video Marketing Packs A Financial Punch Too

Sure, video helps you connect with your audience, but it also translates into real results – increased sales and revenue. It directly influences lead generation, website traffic, and sales.

According to research done by Wyzowl in late 2023, most marketers report a strong return on investment (ROI) from video across crucial areas such as sales conversions, lead generation, and brand awareness.

Here Are 5 Video Ideas with Case Studies That Can Supercharge Your Personal Brand’s Return On Investment (ROI).

A CEO video could feature the CEO answering questions about the company, industry trends, or their personal journey.

Benefits of CEO Interviews:

• Brand Building: Seeing the CEO allows viewers to connect with the face behind the brand. This fosters trust, transparency, and a sense of authenticity.
• Thought Leadership: CEOs can showcase their expertise and industry insights, positioning themselves and their companies as thought leaders within the field.
• Employee Engagement: Employees can feel a sense of pride and connection to the company when they see their leader openly discussing the company’s mission and vision.
• Customer Engagement: CEOs can address customer concerns, highlight company values, thus building stronger customer relationships.
• Attracting Talent: Compelling interviews can showcase the company culture and attract top talent who identify with the CEO’s vision and leadership style.

A recent example is Google & Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai’s exclusive interview with Bloomberg Originals Host Emily Chang. This interview highlights the potential of video interviews for building personal brands:

• Focus on the Future: Pichai discusses the future of search and Google’s AI model Gemini, showcasing his vision and leadership in a rapidly evolving space.
• Transparency & Openness: Addressing the rebuilding of Gemini signifies Google’s commitment to innovation and adaptation.
• Industry Competition: Discussing competition from Microsoft and OpenAI demonstrates Pichai’s awareness of the competitive landscape and his strategic thinking.
• Addressing Challenges: Acknowledging Google’s cultural challenges allows Pichai to initiate open dialogue and demonstrate a commitment to improvement.

These videos offer a glimpse into the daily routine of an executive, showcasing their work style, leadership approach, and even glimpses of their personality.

A good example is a “Day in the Life” video featuring Ryan Serhant, founder of SERHANT. The benefits of this video for Ryan Serhant’s personal brand are:

• Humanization: Seeing Serhant’s daily routine makes him more relatable and down-to-earth despite his success.
• Work Ethic & Drive: The video showcases Serhant’s dedication and hard work, which is inspirational.
• Leadership Style: Viewers get a sense of Serhant’s leadership approach and how he interacts with his team.
• Expertise & Success: The video highlights Serhant’s success in the real estate industry, further solidifying his reputation as a leader in the field.

Senior executives can host live Q&A sessions on social media, allowing followers to ask questions and engage directly with them. They can also post videos answering questions from employees or customers. These videos can be live or pre-recorded.

An example of such a video is this one where Google CEO Sundar Pichai interacts with students at Delhi University to answer their questions about his personal journey, career, and Google.

• Increased Transparency and Trust: C-suite executives can directly address employee or customer concerns, fostering a sense of openness and trust.
• Effective Communication: Complex information can be broken down into easily digestible answers to pointed questions.
• Enhanced Brand Image: Executives can showcase their thought leadership and expertise on industry trends.
• Efficient Use of Time: A well-crafted Q&A video can address a multitude of questions in a concise format, saving executives time compared to individual meetings or interviews. The video can be easily shared and accessed on-demand by a wider audience.

Showcase your company culture by sharing videos of team events, office tours, or employee spotlights.

An example is this 28-second LinkedIn video that features a solar eclipse watch party hosted by Margie West, a senior executive.

Let’s analyze how this could showcase the company culture:

• Employee Benefits & Appreciation: Providing an opportunity for employees to witness a rare astronomical event suggests that the company prioritizes employee well-being and offers unique benefits beyond basic compensation.
• Team Building & Shared Experiences: Organizing a group activity like this fosters a sense of community and shared experience among employees, potentially strengthening relationships and teamwork.
• Work-Life Balance & Flexibility: The event could indicate that the company values a healthy work-life balance and allows employees to take breaks to enjoy interesting experiences.
• Innovation & Curiosity: The choice of a solar eclipse-watching session suggests that the company encourages learning, exploration, and an interest in the world beyond immediate work tasks.

When launching a new product, you can share your excitement and provide insights into the product’s development process.

A perfect example is this short video featuring Apple CEO Tim Cook and Senior Vice President Craig Federighi welcoming developers to the 2022 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and generating excitement for their offerings.

This video helps build both their personal brands and the Apple company brand in several ways:

Building Personal Brands:

• Tim Hook: The video showcases Cook as an approachable and enthusiastic leader. This reinforces his image as someone who values developers and their contributions to Apple’s success.
• Hrig Federighi: Federighi’s friendly demeanor and playful comment about needing coffee add a touch of personality and make him more relatable to viewers.

Building Company Brand:

• Developer-Centric: The video highlights Apple’s commitment to developers and their importance to the company’s ecosystem. This strengthens Apple’s brand image as a company that values and supports its developers.
• Innovation & Excitement: The overall tone suggests exciting announcements are coming, which builds anticipation for the WWDC keynote and reinforces Apple’s reputation as a company focused on innovation.
• Human Connection: Seeing Cook and Federighi in person creates a more human connection with Apple as a brand.

A thought leadership video showcases experts in their field or industry. You can offer fresh perspectives or industry trends, and share knowledge and research.

Benefits for Executives

They are primarily shot using a drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This allows for capturing stunning aerial shots that wouldn’t be possible with traditional videography. These videos offer viewers a rare glimpse of the company, which can be good for showcasing company events or facilities.

Examples of Use:

• CEO showing team.
• CPO highlighting the scale and efficiency of their facilities.
• Sustainability leader demonstrating a company’s environmental efforts.

Screencast videos are video recordings of your computer screen, often accompanied by audio narration to explain what’s happening on the screen. They’re like video tutorials or demonstrations but for your computer.

Common Uses for Executive Branding:

• In-Depth Tutorials: Executives can leverage screencasts to create in-depth tutorials on complex industry topics. For example, an investment banker using a screencast to explain a new financial product, or a tech CEO using one to walk viewers through their company’s latest software features.
• Data-Driven Presentations: Instead of static presentations filled with charts and graphs, executives can use screencasts to present data in a more engaging way. They can narrate over the screen, highlighting key insights and trends, making the information more digestible for the audience.

You can still be funny and do serious business. A well-crafted meme that taps into relatable workplace situations, industry trends, company milestones, and events can make an executive seem more approachable and human. Funny content is also more likely to be shared and viewed, increasing brand awareness for your company and personal brand.

Executives can leverage videos to capitalize on notable PR mentions like podcast appearances or news features. Here’s how:

• Repurposing Content for Video Snippets: Extract key soundbites or interesting moments from the podcast or news interview.
• Creating Video Testimonials: If you were featured in a positive news article, create a short video response acknowledging the mention and elaborating on the key points.
• Humanize the Experience: Offer a short behind-the-scenes look at your experience with the podcast or news interview.

The power of video for personal branding is undeniable. From showcasing expertise with thought leadership pieces to creating relatable content with workplace video memes, executives have a multitude of options at their disposal.

Common Mistakes and Pro Video Tips

Here are some pitfalls to steer clear of when crafting your personal branding video marketing strategy:

• Not Thinking Enough About Brand Music: Music has the power to evoke strong emotions in people, so it’s important to carefully consider the music that accompanies your video.
• Being Too Salesy: While it’s important to promote your product or service, avoid being too salesy. Focus on the benefits to the audience, and how it can help solve their problems.
• Using Poor Quality Visuals and Audio: Low-quality visuals and audio can make your video look unprofessional and cheap. They can also discourage the audience from watching if it gets too hard to make out what is being said or shown.
• Not Focusing On The Hook: Hooks can intrigue the audience and keep them watching to figure out what happens next. You can use a small selection of video clips to show the viewer what’s coming.
• Not Using Quick Tips: This way, it’s a no-fluff and straight-to-the-point video.
• Passing On Trending Topics: You can go viral when you create content that hits right as a trend is on the rise.

Want to take your personal brand to the next level but feel stuck on video content ideas? Video is a powerful tool to engage your audience and showcase your expertise. From behind-the-scenes glimpses into your work process to thought-provoking discussions on industry trends, the video ideas above will allow you to connect with viewers on a deeper level and leave a lasting impression. Schedule a free strategy session with us today and unlock the potential of video to elevate your personal brand!