You’re sitting on the sidelines cheering on your child’s soccer team when another parent strikes up a conversation with you. Before long, they ask where you work. When you tell them the name of your school, their response won’t be dictated by any of the metrics the district and state use to evaluate the education provided there. Instead, it will be determined by the stories they’ve heard about your school and the resulting image they have. Q&A videos can help tell that story.
Why Should We Tell Our School Story?
Like it or not, every teacher, every staff member, every parent, and every student who steps foot on your campus leaves with a story to tell. Their story has two significant impacts. It will affect their interactions with your school in the future, and they’re likely to share that story with someone down the line: maybe at that soccer game. What story do you want people to communicate with current families and prospective families?
How Can We Tell Our Story Effectively?
There are many ways to tell your story, especially since each person has their own unique experiences to share. Family ambassadors can help to link prospective families to your school through their stories (i.e., real-life experiences). When current families network with each other, they naturally share their stories and learn from one another.
How Will Q&A Videos Help to Share Our Story?
While personal connections are ideal, the reality is that they don’t happen every day. When prospective parents visit your school website to learn more about the school, you can either present them with a lot of dry text or videos that bring your school to life before parents even step foot on campus.
Don’t underestimate the “wow” factor and how it can influence families and increase enrollment. Q&A Videos are an interactive, technical display of your school’s culture available on demand. As parents, students, staff, and alums share their stories, prospective families catch a glimpse of the school environment, learn about what makes your school special, and are drawn to learn more.
Why Videos?
Videos bring stories to life. It’s the foundation for media engagement across every generation. And for parents, Q&A videos show the character, emotion, and passion for your school, something that’s difficult to convey purely through the written word. As parents watch the videos, they imagine their child attending your school along with all the benefits.
How Can We Create Q&A Videos That Work?
The best Q&A videos are professionally produced and include real people sharing their stories in a simple Q&A format. Just think about some of the most asked questions you’ve answered dozens of times. Then think about who can answer those with a compelling story. Organize videos in a scrollable format so parents can quickly review questions and click on those they need. Then let stories flow!
What If We Don’t Have a Professional to Create Videos?
Unfortunately, most schools don’t currently use Q&A videos on their websites, and most don’t have the staff or equipment to create them. Some may think making authentic videos using a smartphone would be easy, but the truth is that the story is often diminished in those cases. Part of effective storytelling through Q&A videos is the quality of the video. Remember, this is about sharing your school’s image, so you want it to be the best it can be. Contact us at ThinK-12 to learn how we can help you create professional Q&A videos to help tell your school’s story!