Looking to make use of video content while working remotely? Now is a great time to repurpose & release some archived video content from your school to offer an insight into your school environment while not on the school site. Looking to run a virtual open day? Video will be an essential part, either pre-recorded or live.

So, where do we start?

Have you ever had writers block and struggled to finish (or even start) planning an idea or script for your school marketing video? Not sure on the right language you should be using? Feel like the message you are trying to share is not clear enough for your audience?

We are all guilty of posting a video on YouTube because we feel we haven’t posted on there for a while, sound familiar? 🤔 However, a video marketing strategy is essential for school marketers, so thorough planning is vital. Some videos are going to be lengthier than quick livestreams or school updates, and will therefore need a lengthier copy to help keep your audience engaged.

Planning 📹

This might take some time to figure out the style of video you want to produce, but familiarising yourself with the types of video available is going to be the best way forward. Research and find some styles of videos that you want to incorporate in your video, and jot down those ideas. From there you will be able to figure out what kind of message you want to send. It is good to have a think about what equipment is available to you. This isn't just making sure you have a camera at the ready. If you are writing a script, then who is going to be speaking? Do they need prompts?

Brief 👨‍💻

This is the best way to get ideas on paper and formulate the structure of the video. There are some key points that you need to remember when you are writing your brief.

What is the video for? You can refer to our blog for styles of video to employ.
Who is going to be watching the video? Think about the language of the demographic you are targeting.
What are you going to include in the video?
What are the main points you want your audience to take away from this video?
Where do we go next? Ie. a call to action, further reading/watching?
Which are the best on channels to promote this video?
How do you plan to promote & re-use this video?

Outline 🤔

Now you should have some sections to be talking about. This is where you can chop and change the direction of the video, for example - what do you want to talk about first/last, what needs to be cut down and do you need to go into more detail. This ties in with a quick storyboard, or any other assets you might be using, like audio clips, music beds or visual cues.

Introduction 🗣

The introduction needs to be the most captivating to ensure that your viewers are going to keep watching. If you have someone talking to the camera, don’t have them waffling on. Keep it nice and snappy, full of energy and make sure the speaker is empathising with the audience in the right way.

First Draft 📝

At this point, you want to start writing the first draft of the video. It doesn't have to be perfect first time round, because the idea of the first draft is to get the feel of the language and flow of the video. Like we said in section 4, short and snappy is key. If someone is speaking for too long, it might feel a bit like a lecture and people will divert their attention elsewhere.

Now, this blog is all about writing the best script for your video. But don't be afraid to throw caution to the wind and wing it. People don't want to watch a video that is completely scripted - it is not the News at 10 after all! A good speaker will know how to expand on bullet point as well as read something verbatim and give it meaning!

With regards to the language aspect, there is a fine line between detailed scripting and over saturated amounts of information. The best way to keep the video engaging is writing the script copy in a conversational manner.

Rehearsing with the speaker/actor beforehand is always good to gauge their composition and manner. This is a great time to make any changes or to give them advice on how you might want them to speak differently. Remember to stay positive - offer them alternatives instead of instructions. Be clear about what you want them to do, and let them know in advance if there are going to be numerous takes.

For the message, really think about what you want to accomplish with this video. Is it for upping numbers of admissions? Is it to attract prospective parents to the next open day? Do you want to redirect them to increase newsletter signups?

Perfection 🙌

It is always a good idea to have a final read over the script before you start filming. Make sure everything is legible to the speaker, but also use this time to cut out any unnecessary script that isn't crucial to the video message.

Promotion 🚀

Great job on making it this far! Do not skip this step as it is by far the most important of all. So we have our content, now how do we use this content to reach our objectives.

Build up the excitement for your video release with snippets of content and countdowns.
Release a premiere date to increase engagement on release.
After the premiere, share out your content on your social media channels and website to increase views.
Re-use snippets of content in future publications along with your rich archive of great #SchoolStories.

Released a video recently as part of your video marketing strategy? Need some extra help with video production? Get in touch with our team of #DigitalJedi to share ideas or for any questions.

Create Engaging Videos for Your School Marketing