A little bit of video on the web can go a long way in telling a company’s unique story. Presenting a moving narrative on your website, even a minimal one, allows for an emotional connection between your brand and your audience. Instead of telling them, why not show them? I’m not just talking about the viral YouTube videos we all know and love. While those are great, they aren’t the right fit for every company. There are other artful ways in which a small amount of video can be incorporated into an online experience to create quite a big impact.

Most people appreciate the benefit of beautiful stock photography. What they may not realize is that conceptual stock video is just as easily accessible and maybe even more powerful. It works well on its own or in tandem with static photography. We designed the Camden Consulting Homepage knowing that we wanted to use a bit of video. Video footage is juxtaposed against moving stills in the main image area to help create movement and interest while animated typography weaves a narrative. It's a concise cinematic experience that shows how a touch of video can bring life to a corporate website.

Video is also a great way to spread knowledge. Instead of using a large body of text to educate your audience, use a mini-video instead. This allows users to choose what they want to learn about at their own pace. The Joslin Diabetes Interactive Tour is a learning experience centered around eleven videos that can be sorted by category. The user has the choice to watch the clips in sequential order or jump around and watch only the stories that interest them. A similar concept is present in the 2010 Interactive New Year’s Greeting recently completed for our client Haley & Aldrich. This dashboard of interactive elements features four fun and to-the-point videos that highlight the company’s main service industries.

In 2010, we will continue to see how quickly the use of video can elevate a brand’s presence on the web. Personally, I'm excited to work on the concept and completion of several brand new video projects that are about to hit the studio. Whether it’s working on actual video production or designing the perfect interface to house a collection of clips, the process always involves big collaboration and even bigger thinking.

What to look out for: In less than a month we'll be filming at our 6th annual Lucky Bastard's St. Patrick's day party, and this year we've got a few tricks up our sleeve.

Want to learn more about video on the web? Check out Max's blog Using Video to Connect With Your Audience