When it comes to video marketing, there are so many different types of videos out there that it can be a little challenging to understand the difference between something that looks pretty and something that is actually working. Also, is this something you actually want to work? Do you want the videos you create to work for you?
I was helping my parents set up their shore house to get ready for the summer of 2026. Something that always scratched my head is that we have a bathroom on the main floor with a shower. They just remodeled it, and it looks great, but they never want anyone to use that shower. I’m always curious why you wouldn’t want anyone to use it if we’re going to have a lot of people at the house. Selfishly, the room I normally sleep in is right next to that shower, so it would be convenient for me, or anyone using that room, compared to walking downstairs and using the shower there.
Something I keep circling back to is function versus fashion. I’m even debating whether to use the word “versus” because it’s not to say that you can’t have something functional and fashionable, or that you can only have one or the other. The real question is how you weave the two together to create something that elevates your brand and helps you achieve your goals.
When it comes to video marketing, you might have the prettiest video on planet Earth for your school. If your footage only contains drone shots, pretty drone shots, but drone shots nonetheless, and doesn’t really show the inside of the school, the relationships between teachers and students, or how much fun students are having during art classes and athletic programs, then you’re missing a huge piece of the story. I’m picking on drone shots right now because almost any drone shot can look beautiful simply because of the perspective it gives.
The other side of functionality is distribution. I see this happen a lot with school marketers, nonprofit leaders, and even business owners. They spend a lot of time, money, and effort putting their videos together, and then they forget to upload and actually use them, even after I give suggestions for how the videos should be used. You’re not really utilizing the function of the video if it’s not out there. If it’s just sitting on your hard drive, it’s not going to be very effective.
When it comes to the fashion side of things, it’s important to make sure you have video content that visually stimulates your audience and compels them to take some sort of action. Maybe it’s brand awareness. Maybe it helps your organization become known for who you are. Maybe it’s getting someone to fill out an admissions inquiry form. Maybe it’s an enrollment piece. As families move through the funnel, does that video during yield season help encourage them to enroll their children?
In order for those things to happen, you need video content that is compelling and resonates with the audience on a deeper level. If you have a poorly crafted video, even if you are distributing it properly, it’s still not going to be very effective because it doesn’t connect with the audience in a meaningful way.
As a whole, it’s really important to find a balance between function and fashion with your video content because both matter.
Want to chat more about video for your school, nonprofit or brand? Feel free to shoot me an email joe@monzomediapro.com.
