Last week I attended the Government Video Solutions Forum. There were panel discussions about everything from content creation to the use of video for intelligence analysis.
While it was all informative, one statement really stood out as the simplest, yet most profound one made all day:
If you want your outreach to be successful – whether it’s on a website or a Facebook page – you have to put video on it.
After hearing the facts, I’m convinced. It’s true. YouTube is the third most popular site on the internet, with more than 120 million videos. Video makes up about 50 percent of content of the entire web.
With that in mind, the IRS Recruitment Office is increasingly relying on video for both internal and external outreach.
One of our most successful video projects has been our “day in the life” series. It’s easy to read a standard job description, but most people who visit our site want to know what it’s truly like to be a revenue officer or criminal investigator. We did a series of on-camera interviews with employees discussing various aspects of their jobs. They talk about anything from their daily duties and pay and benefits to the training required for their position. These videos are accessible 24/7 through the IRS careers website, and we also share some on the official IRS YouTube channel, including this one featuring, an appeals officer discussing why he feels lucky to work for the IRS.
Video can be used internally too. Our boss recently asked us to help her highlight the importance of good e-mail etiquette. We wanted to do something creative and quick, so we developed a series of short clips of tips to help explain how our employees can use e-mail effectively and professionally while following agency guidelines.
What are some creative ways your agency or company uses video?
Recruitment 411 is the official blog of the IRS Recruitment Office.
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