Sydney Strader notes, “The CS landscape has changed significantly over the years, and as a result, the technology leveraged to support the ever-maturing function has evolved as well.”
Communicating with your customer support team in a remote work environment can be daunting, especially if you’ve recently switched from in-person to working from home.
Getting used to long days of Zoom meetings when you’re accustomed to being able to pop into your colleague’s office is often exhausting and feels disconnected.
This is where asynchronous video comes in handy.
Asynchronous video is any video that doesn’t happen in real-time. These videos allow you and your team to set your own schedules and respond to messages at your own time, with no need to wait for others to be online.
Remote work comes with new challenges, but asynchronous video can help you, your team, and your customers remain connected and ensure everything works smoothly, no matter the time zone, location, or at-home distractions. Here are five tips to help you get maximum benefits from asynchronous video.
How to Avoid Common Pitfalls When Using Asynchronous Video
Before recording your asynchronous videos, you need to get in the right frame of mind. For example, what are the goals of your asynchronous video? Where will you use the video? These are all vital things you need to consider before you press play. Also, here are five mistakes to avoid in the planning and pre-production process.
Bad Lighting
Is your lighting dull? Great lighting for asynchronous videos doesn’t require professional-grade or expensive equipment. Instead, the best lighting to use for a video shot is typically the most convenient. Great lighting for your asynchronous video is thankfully a matter of looking critically at your shot to determine areas that require supplemental lighting.
Here are a few things that can help get great lighting for your videos:
- First, don’t shoot your videos under overhead lighting. Doing that may create “raccoon eye” shadowing, which is unflattering. Moving a foot closer to the camera can significantly change the blurry shadows cast by overhead lights.
- Overhead lights and natural light from windows and doors might be a blessing and a curse. So, when using a seamless paper background, for example, block all the natural light using blackout shades. This will give you total control over where the light falls.
- For asynchronous business videos, it’s best to use flat lighting to get rid of the shadows on the face. This type of lighting also makes you appear less zombie-like.
- Use larger light sources to produce softer light, making the result more flattering.
Poor Audio Quality
Audio also plays a crucial role in how viewers experience your asynchronous videos. If customers can’t understand your message, that can cause poor engagement rates and a negative customer experience.
Thus, there are three primary factors to consider when recording sound for your asynchronous videos: how far your microphone is from the source of the sound, the location you’re recording in, and the type of microphone you’re using.
Often, when recording yourself speaking on camera, internal microphones might not give the best results. That’s because usually, the camera is far away, which could result in “echoey” or “roomy” audio in your videos. To get the clearest sound, you need to use an external microphone.
You should also avoid recording your asynchronous videos in an empty room to improve your audio quality because these may result in “echoey” audio. In addition, you must “soften” or “deaden” the environment to prevent echoey audios. That means you need to add things in the room to absorb the sound and reduce echoes.
Assuming Your Customers Will Care
Another mistake you may make while creating asynchronous videos is assuming that your customers will be equally captivated by watching your videos as your family members, friends, and colleagues. Although the support of the people closest to you is crucial, you shouldn’t assume your target customers will instantly love your asynchronous videos and share them with their friends. Let’s face it; your target audience will only care about your videos only if they’re entertaining and valuable to them.
To provide value, you need to create asynchronous videos around how your product may help customers solve their problems. So when creating an asynchronous video about your product, focus on the benefits your product provides instead of the product features and specifications. This way, your video will be helpful to customers, ultimately improving your engagement rates and the overall customer experience.
To create engaging asynchronous videos, you need to know there are many ways you can delight your target customers while adding a bit of humor to your videos. For example, think about how to capture your audience’s attention within the first few seconds or how to get them excited about your products or services.
To record asynchronous videos that will connect and resonate with your customers, you also need to put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself: Would this video be fascinating to someone who isn’t familiar with my brand or invested in the subject? These few considerations can help you decide which route to take to make a solid first impression with your asynchronous videos.
It Doesn’t Completely Replace Meetings
Often, convenience is the winning factor in virtual vs. in-person meetings debate. However, asynchronous video and virtual communication options shouldn’t completely replace face-to-face meetings. Here are a few reasons why:
- Body language and facial expressions set the tone. When you have a physical presence, you’ll express yourself with more than just words. Body language, tone of voice, and context are vital for your audience’s understanding.
- It’s easier to convince people face-to-face. You’re more likely to convert potential customers to paying customers with a face-to-face meeting. With in-person meetings, the likelihood of getting a “yes” is much higher because it’s easier to say “no” in asynchronous communication, such as video messaging, email, or phone calls. For face-to-face meetings, the goal isn’t to make a sale but to convey information and ultimately convince the customer of something. This is easier done face-to-face. Finally, remember that the more difficult the conversation is, it’s vital you have it in person rather than using asynchronous video. That’s because it’s easier for your point to get lost in the technology.
Not Using Examples to Get Your Point Across
One of the great things about asynchronous videos is that it gives you the chance to tell your target customers stories about your ideas or products without losing the information you want to get across. Also, it offers your customers and colleagues the opportunity to digest information at their own time and provide thoughtful responses and feedback.
However, consider adding storytelling or examples in your content to get your point across more effectively using asynchronous video. Not only do stories and examples make your asynchronous videos engaging, but also they make it easier for your audience to follow and understand your content.
Customer testimonials and case studies offer brilliant ways to narrate stories authentically. For example, you easily showcase how your product or service has helped past customers by answering the right questions. This way, your target customers can hear how your product or service can solve their pain points, too. Using customer testimonials in your asynchronous videos can also help you build credibility. Because if a customer sees how other customers benefit from your product, they’re more likely to choose you over your competitors.
Steer Clear of These Five Common Asynchronous Video Pitfalls
Now that you know some common pitfalls beginners make, we hope you feel more comfortable about using asynchronous video to deliver better customer experiences and ultimately improve your conversion rates. Asynchronous video provides incredible opportunities to share internal updates, make product walkthroughs for your customers, and share visual explanations.
Making great asynchronous videos can ensure your customers’ first impression of your brand, product, or service is a positive and memorable experience. But if your asynchronous videos fall flat in some aspects, they can cause a poor customer experience. So, avoid these common pitfalls and get creative with your asynchronous videos to keep your audience engaged and deliver an exceptional customer experience.
Visit Zight (formerly CloudApp)’s customer support page now to learn how Zight (formerly CloudApp) can help your customer support team handle customer requests three times faster!