Web Team blogWhen is video the answer?
Who doesn’t love a video? Whether it’s a movie trailer, a documentary, or a cat making a fool of a silly human (again), videos are great - but they need to have a purpose.
'Can we have a video for...?'
A lot, if not all, video requests begin with ‘Can we have a video for…?’
But let’s take a step or two (or five or six!) back.
Do the following scenarios sound familiar?
- how do we get more people to apply for…
- applicants don’t understand how to…
- we have some great facilities and would like to…
- our lecturer won an award for…
Content almost always answers a question or provides a solution to something. A video may well be the answer, but there are some important questions to consider before jumping ahead.
What do you want to say?
What is your message? Or, more importantly, what does your user need to know?
This shouldn’t be too broad. If somebody is engaging with your content, they’re there for a reason, and you don’t want to lose them! You need to give them what they need as quickly as possible, otherwise they’ll be off elsewhere. In university terms, this may mean losing a potential applicant.
Your message should be clear, engaging and useful. A bit of fun doesn’t go amiss, too!
Why Strathclyde?
The following video has many answers and opinions, but it has one clear message throughout: come to Strathclyde!
Who is it for?
Who will benefit from your message? Again, this shouldn’t be too broad. Trying to include too much info for too many people leads to confusion.
When planning content ideas, have a persona in mind that you are ‘speaking’ to. Don’t get tangled up thinking about internal university structures. Your message should be for the recipient and be as clear and easy to follow as possible.
Emotional content: telling the story
Gemma tells us how a Strathclyde donor made her dream come true:
What do you want them to do?
What is the objective of your content? Everything should have a purpose. If somebody is watching your video or reading your page, you want them to do something. What is the end goal? You should always be able to answer this question when planning content.
Unpicking the HaSS BA
The Humanities & Social Sciences BA degree can be a tricky one to explain - so we made a video!
Video is the answer – but will people watch it?
You’ve answered the above questions, and you feel video is the solution. Here’s the most important question of all: will people watch it? You need to think about this as critically as you can. How many videos are switched off within a few seconds? A heck of a lot is the answer. Don’t make yours one of them.
To compete with the cats, videos need to be compelling, engaging and have a clear purpose.
Are you ready for lights camera action?
Get in touch
If you have a content idea or request, please email Martin Dunlop (martin.dunlop@strath.ac.uk), Digital & Web Manager.