There is competitiveness everywhere you look, including in the school world. Institutions vie to get new students, and one of the best ways to impress parents and children alike is with sleek promotional videos showing off the best of your school. But what should be included in school promotional videos? As an educational video production company, Small Films has got the answers to make your school stand out from the crowd.
Should you outsource your school promotional video?
Before you even brainstorm concepts, you’ll need to decide whether it’s worth outsourcing your school promotional videos to a video production company or doing it in-house. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to making a school promotional video. However, you want to land on what sets you up for success. A well-executed video can elevate your school in the mind of parents and students, with the final video added to your website, social media channels and other platforms.
Think about the budget in place, as well as team capabilities. It’s one thing to get out a smartphone and record a video, but it’s another entirely to ensure you have a high-quality piece of content ready to wow audiences. Many schools are new to video content, and the best option might be the one that involves outsourcing to a professional team. They will have a strong background in video production and can edit and film a video designed to impress viewers.
>> Read our Ultimate Guide to Marketing your Independent School (2022)
Budget is important, of course, and you should factor in the cost. Outsourcing is more expensive, but you should only really go down the in-house route if you have a professional who can film and edit to an exceptionally high quality.
A school promotional video the Small Films team delivered for Eton College.
Know your audience
Who are you creating a school video for? That might seem obvious at first glance, but dig a little deeper, and the answer might not be crystal clear. For example, is it for new school admissions? Do you want to connect to the existing community or promote possible partnerships with other businesses? Or is the aim to recruit high-quality teachers?
Focusing on one audience segment will help you make smarter decisions and increase the chances of making a polished video that speaks directly to its target audience. Once you’ve settled on the intended viewers, you can begin brainstorming with the team, whether an outsourced video production company or someone in-house.
Consider the school story you want to tell
You stand little chance of achieving the ambitions of your video without a story that resonates with its target audience. That’s not to say it needs to have a gripping plot or end on a cliffhanger, but a well-executed story goes some way to striking an emotional connection and getting the audience to take action.
Think about the story you’re trying to tell and ask yourself how you want the audience to feel after watching it. Then explore how you can make viewers feel that way to generate a response. Doing so will help you craft a story that impresses those watching and demonstrates your key objectives, whether it’s showing the school values, why it’s such a good place to work or why students want to attend.
Assess which channel you want to promote your school video
When deciding what to include in a school promotional video, you shouldn’t include the formatting. It plays a significant role in how it looks and the end product. Therefore, you need to think about which platforms will host the school promotional videos you make.
Videos shot and edited for your website might not work so well on social media because of formatting issues. The best way to combat this is by making it clear from the offset which platforms you’d like the content to feature on. That way, you ensure the video offers the best possible user experience.
If you’re outsourcing, the video company will be able to inform you of the best formats and film it accordingly. As a rule of thumb, standard video for YouTube, Facebook and even TV is 1920 by 1080.
Blundell’s School Video used on their website
Make the call to action count
Regardless of who the video is for or what’s included in the content, you’ll want a strong call to action. If the intended viewer watches it to the end, you don’t want to disappoint them with a weak or confusing CTA. The last thing you want is for people to ask ‘what now?’ after watching.
But what should your CTA say? It could be a simple website link or contact details. Other options for a CTA include sending them to a specific landing page, booking a meeting or even an online enrolment. Whatever you decide, make sure it fits within the target audience and is clear and concise.
Making a great school promotional video
With these tips, you can include the right features in your school promotional video. From deciding on who will film it to ensuring the story arc is on point and that there’s a strong call to action, you can ensure your video has the best chance of success.
Small Films is an educational video production company. We have created promotional videos for some of the top schools including Eton College, Blundell’s and St Margaret’s Preparatory. If you’d like to discuss a video for your school, then do get in touch.
