Choosing a college can be one of the most important decisions of one’s life. One of the most important factors that students consider is the school’s reputation. In our modern age, most students use the internet to find a good college. Over 87% of internet users consist of youth between ages 12 and 17. 57% of teenage internet users go online to look for a college. To get students to choose your school, you need a good college marketing strategy. 

In this article, we give you nine great tips in making marketing videos for college. Read on to learn what video marketing is and how to do it right. Use these tips to make great college promotional videos today! 

What Is Video Marketing?

Video marketing is a popular form of digital marketing. It allows you to inform users of your product and service. It creates an engaging platform for you to interact with your customers. 

Visual content is the most effective type of marketing content. Reports show that visual content retains 94% times more views than non-visual content. It can help you raise brand awareness to improve conversion rates. 

If you’re looking for a college marketing strategy, consider making college promotional videos. Check out our guide to forming a video marketing strategy here! 

1. Tell a Story

An effective college promotional video consists of a compelling message. Storytelling is an essential skill in the business landscape. Stories add emotional links, and emotions play a huge factor in retaining memories. 

There are several ways to represent a story in your videos. One storytelling method is the narrative method. This method consists of a message that aligns with the message of your brand. 

You may also consider making a promotional guide video. This serves as a helpful tool for potential students. You may provide solutions for common problems like time management, budgeting, or study tips. 

Consider your audience members and choose a framework that works best with students. Define your intended message or moral. You may use real-life experiences to create a story. 

2. Cater to Mobile Users

The majority of the 5 billion mobile phone users in the world are teenagers. Most potential students will find your promotion video through social media platforms. Make your video easy to view on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. 

Many users consume online content through their mobile phones. The number of mobile users is beginning to outgrow the number of desktop users. Mobile-friendly content allows you to reach more of your target audience. 

Produce a video fitted for smaller screens. Tiny details and fonts may get lost in small-scale platforms. Format your videos to fit on different publishing platforms. 

Produce a video fitted for smaller screens. Tiny details and fonts may get lost in small-scale platforms. Format your videos to fit on different publishing platforms. 

Consider editing your video into different lengths. A short 15-second video is suitable for platforms like Instagram and Facebook. It allows you to attract users despite the distractions on social media. 

3. Optimize Your Title, Tags, and Captions

SEO is a popular digital marketing strategy. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It allows business owners to push their websites to the first page through the use of keywords. 

Your search engine uses an algorithm to rank the most relevant results. This algorithm makes use of automated robots to collect data from your website. These include title tags, backlinks, internal links, social signals, and more. 

If you want more people to find your content, a good SEO marketing strategy can help. SEO trends change at a frequent rate. Stay up to date with the latest SEO trends and news to maintain the effectiveness of your SEO. 

Your business needs SEO to push its way to organic results. First, compile a list of possible keywords that you want your video to cover. Cut down your list to the most important keywords and phrases according to your audience. 

Using SEO allows you to push your website to the first page. Using SEO in your college marketing video strategy can help you attract more users. Add SEO to your title, caption, and tags. 

Add social sharing links to your videos. This can be a Tweet/Share button or a link to your website. 

4. Showcase Individual Achievements

Academic performance is one of the main factors that students consider when choosing a college. When making a college promotional video, consider showcasing previous students’ achievements. Telling inspirational stories can be more effective than a simple advertising video. 

Find students to participate in your promotional video. Find former students to share their experiences and success with an excellent education. You may also feature school events like performances and tournaments. 

Find an alumnus that can share a relatable and compelling story. You may interview students and ask for their success or progress stories. Micro-targeting your students can help you create personal messages. 

Focus on the students instead of the school itself. One great example of mission-focused stories comes from Dove. Dove is popular for its emotional and life-changing stories. 

Create an emotion-centric video to help your students feel recognized. You may include students’ hopes and fears. Talking about one’s hopes and fears humanizes a person on screen. 

It makes the character more believable and easy to relate to. This type of content is human, inspirational, and altogether, authentic. This type of video allows you to reach a target audience. 

Another benefit of this type of video is more customer engagement. Former students may find your promotional video through social media. They may share their success stories in the comments. 

5. Micro-Target Potential Students

One of the first steps to forming a marketing strategy is identifying your audience. This allows you to narrow down your ideas to cater to a group of people. Consider micro-targeting your audience. 

This method works at a personal level. It helps you create messages intended for a specific group of people. It categorizes people based on past behavior. 

You may find this information with the help of analytic software. These collect user data on a user’s behavior and response. Facebook Business gives a feature for business owners to study user data. 

Group your target audience according to those who share the same characteristics. This allows you to identify questions and how to answer them. Consider using the medium that your target audience uses to interact with others. 

With a micro-targeted audience, create content that answers to their needs. You may create content for each alumnus in your school. Match your audience’s needs, attitudes, and goals. 

Ensure relevant content by keeping up to date. Recall recent events and trends related to the field. Micro-targeting allows you to have a one-on-one conversation with your audience. 

6. Good Camera Work

Good camera work is crucial in making an effective video. Hire someone with the right equipment and skill. To produce a good marketing video, understand the fundamentals of filmmaking.

The rule of thirds is a basic technique in filmmaking. Imagine your shot divided into nine equal parts with two vertical and horizontal lines. Most cameras come with a rule of thirds grid feature. 

Position your subject at one of the four anchor points. This technique makes your shot more dynamic and visually pleasing. This technique works with portrait and landscape shots. 

Be wise when choosing a location for your shoot. Use the best rooms and resources to showcase in your video. On the day of the shoot, make sure your location is clean and tidy. 

Lighting is important in making a high-quality video. Shooting at the right time of day can make dull classrooms appear lively. Good lighting can flatter your subjects like teachers and students. 

Use a good lens to film your promotional videos. A high-quality lens can help you make a good first impression on new viewers. You may find many budget lenses that can help you produce professional-looking videos. 

7. Target Influencers

Social media is an essential tool in video marketing. It is effective for Gen Z and millennial users who are most active on social media. When promoting your brand or business, consider working with an influencer. 

Working with an influencer is an effective strategy in social media marketing. Many social media users view influencers as trustworthy and reliable creators. Influencers share their genuine experiences, thoughts, and support in good brands. 

Influencers can create hashtags or tags related to your brand. They may promote scholarships, programs, and campaigns. They may also publish ads. 

Most, if not all influencers already have an established follow count. Working with an influencer allows you to reach more of your target audience. Social media presence is crucial to a successful business venture. 

With social media, you encourage more engagement with your followers. It allows you to represent your brand in a good light. Find an influencer that can speak for your brand and shares your goals and ideals. 

With social media, you may share daily life on campus. Share photos of events, your students, or staff. A social media presence also allows you to stay up to date with your students. 

8. Have a Strong Opening

A strong opening message is an important part of an effective promotional video. Your opening message will set the tone for the rest of the video. A strong opening message should keep your audience engaged. 

Consider your objectives when shaping your opening message. Reflect on what kind of message you want your viewers to take away from the film. Keep your message consistent throughout the video. 

Aim to deliver your message in under 10 seconds. Research shows that 20% of your viewers will click away in the first 10 seconds of a video. If you don’t have a strong opening message, you may be losing viewers.

Your message must have continuity in representing your university. It must align with your identity, beliefs, and other content presented in the video. Your video must carry the appropriate tone that can also maintain the reputation of your brand. 

You can finish your video with a call to action. Deliver a final message to your viewers to encourage them to take action. You may add a link in your video to a social media page or registration. 

You may also try using a CTA in the middle of your video. Many marketers use a CTA message while viewers engage with the content. Be careful not to interrupt the flow of your message. 

9. Share Alternative Views

An alternative view can provide your users with more engaging content. An emotive response from your viewers may encourage more conversion rates. Many college promotional videos focus on a student’s story and experience. 

Alternative viewpoints allow you to connect with your audience on different levels. Tell a story that embodies your university’s values and goals. Consider telling the story from a teacher’s point of view.

You may also focus on friendships built within your institutions. Human connection is a strong storytelling point in video marketing. A college promotional video that feels like an ad may feel ineffective. 

Shine light on the growing up and coming-of-age stories of former or current students. It allows you to create a more authentic experience for your viewers. It gives your viewers something to relate to, getting the emotive response that makes your brand more memorable. 

You may also use your video to entertain potential students. This increases the shareability of your video and can encourage more conversion rates. Entertain your viewers while getting your message across. 

9 Tips for Creating Successful College Marketing Videos

In the digital world, producing video content is an effective marketing strategy. Using a promotional video can help you advertise your university to more students. Here are some great tips for creating a successful college marketing video. 

There’s more to an effective promotional video than good visuals. A good marketing video must have a message that viewers can connect too. Stories create an emotional link that makes your brand more memorable to viewers. 

Are you looking for a great team to produce a college promotional video? We’ve got you covered! Don’t hesitate to contact us today for all your video production needs!