What role does video play in your business?
Do you use video to market your childcare services on social media? Do you embed videos on your site to help visitors learn about your brand? Maybe you see other childcare centers using videos, but you aren’t sure how they’d help your marketing.
Allow us to fill in the gaps for you. Video is a uniquely effective marketing medium that humanizes your brand and highlights your differentiators. This is especially true for childcare centers, where strong marketing turns curious families into enrolled ones.
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Why Are Videos So Effective?
So, why are videos so effective? Let’s review the biggest reasons:
- A strong video campaign puts faces to names. Interested parents get to “meet” the people they’ll entrust their children to even before they schedule a tour. If families see experienced, smiling faces in a video, it gives them peace of mind that their children will be cared for, increasing the likelihood of them visiting your childcare center.
- Videos highlight what differentiates you from your competitors. A well-made video showcases your facilities, programs, philosophy, and uniqueness. Do you offer only healthy, organic meals? A video can explain why.
- Videos help families understand complex or sensitive topics. Families are more likely to digest information a human being explains in a video than information presented as an imposing wall of text. Videos communicate nuance, emphasis, and sincerity — none of which translate as well through text.
Thoughts on the “Video Age”
Today’s internet prioritizes videos. Most platforms offer some sort of video media, whether short-form clips (e.g., TikTok) or long-form content (e.g., YouTube).
Video reflects positively on your business not only because it brings visibility but also because a great video takes time. When a family sees the content you’ve created, they see the time and effort you put into their experience. A good video says, “I offer a superior product, and I care about how my customers perceive me.”
A lack of video on your site can hurt you in the same way. Today’s web surfers expect to see video content, which will only become truer as younger generations cycle into your clientele.
How Video Can Help Your Childcare Center
The most important benefit of video is that it saves you time. Yes, a great video requires a significant initial time investment, but that investment pays off in so many ways:
- A video is the closest families come to visiting your childcare center without actually being there. Because of COVID, virtual tours are now acceptable alternatives to in-person tours.Even if you don’t want to offer a complete virtual tour on your site, use short videos to streamline your in-person tours. For example, make videos that answer frequently asked questions or explore hot-button issues. That way, your visitors answer their own questions via video before they arrive. Use the extra time on your tours to show off your facility.
- Through video, your site visitors see children playing, learning, and enjoying themselves in real time. It brings a warmth to your advertising that static pictures often lack. Families get to see your staff interacting with children, which builds trust.
- Finally, well-made videos help families decide where to enroll before they ever walk through the door. The tour then becomes a confirmation of their enrollment rather than a sales dialogue.
Why Is Video Better Than Other Media?
A well-made video humanizes your childcare center. For example, a video showing your childcare center’s day-to-day activities can feel true to life, giving families a peek at what their child will experience in your care.
Plus, videos are one of the most difficult forms of media to fake. It’s easy to Photoshop a picture, but a video is exponentially more difficult. (While that may not be true forever as technology advances, it is for now.)
Videos also have a high ROI. You can reuse not only the videos themselves but also the supplies, B-roll clips, and skills you gain from creating them.
Video Do’s and Don’ts
What should you do (and not do) in your childcare videos?
First, avoid blocks of text. Instead of telling families about your childcare center through text, show them by walking them through your facility. A wall of text defeats the purpose of a video.
Embrace video’s storytelling potential. Incorporate parent and teacher testimonials. A heartfelt story between a student and a teacher or a parent and a staff member is worth its weight in gold.
Next, capture plenty of B-roll content. Don’t be afraid to film more than you think you’ll need or parts you might not use. You can use those clips in later projects.
Create timeless content. For example, use the phrase “I’ve been here since 2022” instead of “I’ve been here for two years.” Instead of “this year,” use “in 2024.” This way, you can reuse footage for years to come.
Be rigorous with your licensing and photo release requirements. If you don’t get permission before making your content, you may have to edit things out later. You might run into legal trouble without a proper license to use an image, music track, or other asset.
Finally, partner with a childcare marketing agency before you start. Don’t rely on amateurs to show the best side of your business. Customers can tell the difference between an amateur video and one made by a professional.
Specifically, look for someone who knows the ins and outs of the childcare industry. They should align with your goals, deliver on your timeline, speak the language of childcare, and integrate with all your marketing materials. A pro with that kind of resume makes for an efficient and successful video experience.
Our Team of Media Pros Can Help!
If you’re ready to partner with a childcare marketer who works with video, we’d love to connect. Our team of media pros is ready to help you create compelling content that fills classrooms. Take a look at our recent work with The Learning Tree to learn what we can do!