How to create a video marketing strategy
It is nearly the end of the year, but not too late to get started on your video strategy for the new year! Video marketing can go hand in hand with paid advertising, or if you are wanting to showcase a specific event, like an important open day that might be coming up. Although there are many types of video all with different styles and methods of production, we have narrowed it down to five steps so that you can get started on your Video Marketing Strategy for your school.
When can my school use video?
School updates
Open days
School trip montages
Social media videos
Holidays (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.)
Interviews with staff
Live streaming specific events
5 Steps to video production
Step 1: Why are you making this video?
Having a clear objective and vision of what you want to get out of your new video marketing campaign is vital, but don’t go into it all guns blazing. If you start posting it everywhere, then it will start to look a bit like spam. On the flip side, too little coverage and it wont get the attention it deserves.
Let’s take a look at some key points when thinking about your marketing strategy:
Audience/goals: Are you aiming your videos at prospective families or current families? Bear in mind all key stakeholders when crafting any strategy.
Content: Think about what you want to get across to them in your video, and the key bits that they should be taking away. Think about where you can lead them after they have watched the video.
Milestones: Set some goals and key checkpoints in your marketing campaign, as this is going to help structure and prioritise the areas that will need more attention and time than others.
Budget: How much do you want to put into this campaign? Facebook and Google Ads are great marketing platforms for social media, and they are both very flexible with costs over short or long periods.
Test: No matter how much time you put into planning, shooting and editing, you will need time to test out the video(s) on different platforms. File sizes, formats and frame sizes vary, so give yourself enough time to test the video before you upload.
Step 2: Style of your campaign
Now you have gauged the timeline of your campaign, the next step is to find the right style of video for your marketing strategy.
Authenticity: You really don’t have to start from scratch. There are so many fantastic, intriguing styles out there so why not follow something that works, either something you like that another school has done or maybe tailor companies more corporate video to your school’s needs.
Duration: As the attention span has dropped across the world due to advancements in technology, videos are getting shorter to cater to those who are simply scrolling through their phone. This is why you need to keep your video short and snappy (anywhere between 30 seconds and 4 minutes), with the aim to stop someone from scrolling to watch the video.
Type: the actual style of video will vary depending on the nature of the campaign. The main styles you should be settling on for school marketing are:
Explainer videos
Testimonial videos
Alumni testimonials
Fundraising videos
Open day videos
Step 3: Filming and Editing
We aren’t going to bore you with the ins and outs of video production, but it is good to have a brief understanding of what is included, what you should be looking out for and what to expect from the outcome. Below we have detailed some points to think about when approaching the filming and editing of the video. Check out our previous blog if you would like to dive deeper into video production.
On a tight budget? Get some overhead drone shots of the school grounds: great filler shots if you need to build up time.
Vloggers usually have a pretty good setup already and they will be able to promote your video through their channel?
Bonus Tip: Live Streaming
You might not have the time or ability to produce these videos frequently, so get on social media and start live streaming. People love to see things as they happen, especially if they are engaging and topical to something that is happening right now!
That is the main bulk of what goes into a successful video marketing strategy, but wait! There are two more steps left!
To find out the last crucial two steps towards making your school’s next mind-blowing video, simply fill in the form below to gain access to our exclusive @intSchools know-how!