Working on any kind of content can be a challenge for school marketers. Content is already subjective, but it becomes even more so when it’s visual such as photos, video, web design. On top of that, schools usually require multiple layers of approval before anything gets published, especially content meant to reflect their brand. When it comes to video production for your school, disconnects between the marketing team and leadership are common. Let’s look at a few typical scenarios and how to avoid miscommunication that leads to a disappointing final product.
When the video production partner is an external vendor, communication becomes even trickier.
The most common disconnects include:
- Lack of clarity about the format or approach of the video(s) from the vendor
- No single, central point person
- Unclear expectations about how the videos will be used
Starting with the format and approach: typically, a production company will meet with leadership or the marketing director to walk through the proposal, the scope of work, and the goals of the video(s). What often happens, though, is that the marketing director acts as a go-between, carrying leadership’s vision to the vendor. But those instructions sometimes get filtered, misinterpreted, or adjusted through assumptions and past experiences. The ideal setup is for leadership, marketing, and the video team to meet together during the discovery phase and again at the official pre-production meeting. This ensures that all voices are heard, expectations are aligned, and there are no surprises when the first draft hits inboxes. The worst-case scenario is a leader watching the first cut and saying, “This isn’t what I had in mind.” That moment is avoidable.
Then there’s the issue of a central contact person—or lack of one. Depending on the size of the project, there might be a handful of people from the school interacting with the video production team. But someone needs to own the communication. Without that, details fall through the cracks. I’ve been in situations where the point person kept changing throughout the project. Each new contact had a different understanding of the vision, priorities, and deliverables. That led to miscommunication, missing assets, scheduling problems, and a lot of confusion about what was sent and what wasn’t. This also becomes a major problem during the revision process. When feedback comes in from four different people, it turns into a patchwork of subjective edits instead of a cohesive strategy. Having a single contact who gathers and filters feedback helps maintain consistency and clarity throughout production.
And finally, there’s the issue of unclear use. I recently worked on a series of micro-content videos for a school. We were working directly with the social media manager, but it turned out they weren’t fully informed about how or where the videos would be used. The project had been approved with the idea that the content would live on social platforms, yet halfway through the process someone suggested the videos were going to be added to the website. That was never the intent, nor was the content structured for that purpose. Because of the disconnect, the project lost momentum and was eventually shelved. It was a waste of budget, time, and effort—all because not everyone was aligned on the goal.Miscommunication in creative projects is common—but avoidable. Align early, involve the right people, and make sure everyone agrees on the strategy and execution before hitting record.
If you want help on how to use video marketing effectively and smoothly for your school feel free to reach out at joe@monzomediapro.com
