The use of video on websites has become increasingly popular for promoting businesses of all types. It’s unsurprising, as what better way could there be to showcase products or services than panning around them to give visitors a real feel for them?  

Is videography important for schools?

Videography in school marketing has seen a dramatic increase in recent years. So, what are the benefits and why are so many schools turning to this marketing tool?

The benefits of videography for schools include:

Attracts parents
Parents care about their child’s education. Long before it’s time for their little one to go to primary school, they’ll be thinking about which school they will choose – which one will be right for their child. And the same goes for secondary or middle schools. To compete, a school needs to stand out by showing what sets it apart. By showcasing what you do, in action, you can present a powerful insight into your school’s culture, curriculum and methods of teaching, and facilities.

Student engagement
Videography can play an important part in student engagement. It’s a great way to attract potential students. Videos encourage website visitors to stay on a page longer. And if they pick up on a happy, inclusive vibe, they will instantly warm to it. It will be more likely to make them feel an emotional connection – to your school and its community.    

Using video in class or presentations helps teachers convey more complex subject matter or concepts to current students. Using different teaching methods and techniques is known to engage learners more; video is one of the most effective ways you can do this.

Enhanced Communication
Videos can be an effective way to communicate with students, parents and other stakeholders. They can offer a much more personal touch.

Showcasing school successes
Special achievements and events, such as concerts, sports days and seasonal fairs can capture the ambience and character of your school in a way that no other marketing method can. It helps to build your brand while attracting the attention of students and their families.

Strengthens social media presence
Connecting through social media has become the norm for most of us – for individuals, communities, businesses and other organisations. Videos make ideal shareable content, so they are a terrific way to present your offerings to a wider audience, gaining you more followers and making yours the school everyone’s talking about – for all the right reasons.

SEO advantages
Videos tend to boost search engine rankings. They are more prone to appear higher up in Google search results and they encourage website visitors to stay on a page longer.

Videography for colleges

For colleges, utilising video as an online marketing tool works in much the same way as it does for schools. They provide the opportunity to spotlight state-of-the-art facilities, courses and successes.  

Is university videography important?

Videography for universities can also be utilised for similar results: to increase admissions and highlight the reasons a learner is likely to want to study at your facility.

Different forms of video content

So, what kinds of content could you benefit from?

Virtual tours
Giving prospective students and families a virtual ‘walk through’ of your school, college or university is super helpful for those that haven’t yet had the chance to pay a visit, in person, or who are looking to finalise their short-list. Keep your education website in the running with a high-quality tour.

Drone footage
For impact, consider a video taken by drone to give an idea of the setup and grounds. This works well on the home page of a website and can make an incredible first impression, particularly if your school or education centre is located in a picturesque setting.

Welcome message from the Head or Principal
Who better to introduce potential students to your school, college or university than the person who oversees its day-to-day operations? It’s a chance to offer inspirational insights and highlight benefits.

Aspirational messages from key staff and students
Whether it’s a brief, factual look at the school, college or university day, or it’s a series of staged interviews – or a mix of both – seeing what life looks like at your centre can make compelling viewing.

Advertisement
A well-crafted ad can bring your brand to life.

Congratulatory messages 
Acknowledging successful exam results, sporting wins and other major achievements can accomplish a lot. Current students will feel valued, and their parents and families are sure to be proud. It also shows potential students that they will be valued. And in addition to all this, it looks favourable that the school, college or university’s learners are triumphing.

Social media video edits
Clips from videos you already have can be reworked to promote different facilities or events you wish to highlight. It’s cost-effective as its video material that you already have, it’s simply being reused.  

Tips

• Get creative to gain the competitive edge. Why not have an opening ceremony for sports day, for example, to capture the fun and festivities?
• Prepare your premises, adding any decorations needed in advance.
• Allocate staff members to oversee and organise the project.
• Remember it takes a lot of preparation to get everyone involved ready for videoing, particularly younger children. If necessary, give parents plenty of notice of filming dates and any special requirements, such as timings, appearance, and so on.  
• Practise a lot.
• Use professionals who specialise in education videography.