Part V of the School Video Deep Dive Series
One important reason to set up a school video marketing campaign is to offer information for prospective families who are still exploring all their options. The general admissions video provides an overview of the institution, and school program videos highlight specific aspects of the curriculum. However, you’ll likely find that your marketing campaign doesn’t end simply by convincing prospective families, through an overview video, that the institution is a great choice.
Commonly, families researching schools will find a few excellent options but refrain from enrollment because of some unfortunate barriers or obstacles. Therefore, a video marketing campaign is not complete without barrier videos. You need to convince these prospective families who are otherwise interested in your school to enroll using content that addresses their concerns and pain points.
To avoid leaving these interested families behind, let’s explore how you can include barrier videos in your school video marketing campaign.
Where Do Barrier Videos Fit into School Marketing?
Too often, schools leave money on the table when their marketing materials promote the school but don’t address the barriers that keep interested families from enrolling. Barrier videos are the tool that are towards the end of the top of your marketing funnel, targeting families who already know lots of aspects about the school but have a few issues standing in the way of enrollment.
While previous school videos, such as general admissions videos and testimonial videos, speak to families early on in their research process, barrier videos should be saved for families who require that last push towards conversion. As a result, barrier videos best serve prospective families when used as:
● Embedded videos towards the end of email drip campaigns
● Posted videos on school website pages — for example, those that address tuition assistance
● Resources provided by faculty when families explain their concerns about the school if applicable
Overall, think of barrier videos as one of the final chances in your video marketing campaign to become problem solvers. Ask yourself how you would want to be addressed if you presented concerns about applying to the school.
What Makes An Effective Barrier Video?
In order to create effective barrier videos, the first step is to identify and evaluate exactly which problems are discouraging families from enrolling. Barrier videos must address your target audience’s concerns so that you systematically overcome objections to enrollment.
To properly address your prospective families’ barriers, it is best to have one video dedicated to each of their pain points. Families should feel that you fully understand their needs and have taken the time to thoroughly address each of them.
If prospective families have a difficult time affording tuition, create a video that walks them through the financial assistance process at your institution. If they worry about having the means of transportation for students to attend school every day, use a barrier video to explain opportunities such as signing up for school bus pickup.
These videos are also more factual rather than emotional, presenting statistics and offering solutions. Barrier videos should ultimately highlight the school’s process for solving the pain points and how effective these solutions have been for other families.
A great example of a barrier video is one of our tuition assistance explanation videos, in which we used motion graphics along with statistics and facts to reassure families that the school could help them afford tuition. This barrier video showcases the tuition assistance application process, provides examples of average household incomes and percentage of tuition waived, and explains exactly how the school is able to accomplish this level of financial aid.
Create Barrier Videos for Your School Marketing
At the end of your barrier video, families should be left without any doubt that enrolling in your school is the right choice. With a deep understanding of your target families’ pain points, thorough answers to their concerns, and compelling video marketing assets to communicate your solutions, you’ll be able to significantly increase enrollment.
We are proud of the several successful barrier videos we’ve produced for schools. To get started with fleshing out the end of your school marketing funnel with helpful barrier videos, connect with Monzo Media Productions today.
