Not sure if video marketing is right for your trade school? Video remains one of the top-performing marketing methods of 2022. In fact, 86% of those polled regarding video marketing say video has been effective for generating leads.

Not only that, but in the same study, 94% of people stated that video helps increase user understanding of a product or service. As a trade school looking to attract students, this is exactly what you need out of marketing!

If you’re finding that traditional methods aren’t working as well as they used to then it’s time to try out some video marketing ideas! Videos can be a great way to attract attention and show potential students what your school has to offer. 

Here’s what you need to know about trade school video marketing along with a few ideas to get you started. 

Why Video Marketing Is Great for Attracting Students

These days, trade school students have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to education. With so many schools and programs available, trade school students can be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed. That’s where video marketing comes in. 

A well-made trade school video can help students to learn more about a particular program and make an informed decision about whether it’s the right fit for them. 

In addition, trade school videos can be a great way to attract potential students and show them what your school has to offer. By featuring student testimonials and showcasing your facilities and equipment, you can give viewers a taste of what it’s like to attend your trade school.

Is this ultimately what students these days want? You bet. Gen Z values video over any other form of marketing. In fact, they prefer it two-to-one when it comes to other media formats such as social media or music.

How to Prepare for Video Marketing 

Before getting started, it helps to know what you’re getting into. So, let’s take a step back for a second. What is video marketing?

It’s a form of content marketing that involves creating and sharing videos online. The goal of video marketing is to build brand awareness, generate leads, or boost sales. The videos can be educational, entertaining, or both.

Ultimately, trade school video marketing is an effective way to reach a large audience with your message. And it’s a great way to connect with potential customers on a personal level. When done right, video marketing can be an extremely powerful tool for your school. 

However, before getting in touch regarding video marketing trends or video marketing services, it’s helpful to prepare for this type of marketing campaign.

Understand Your Student’s Journey

It’s important to understand how your students have arrived at your trade school. Many of your students may have come from a variety of backgrounds, and each one will have their own unique journey. 

Some students may have just graduated from high school, while others may be returning to school after being out of the workforce for several years. Others may be attending trade school part-time while also working full-time.

Get to know this journey so that you can create content that attracts potential students at every stage of it. 

For example, if you create a target audience profile of a high school student looking for courses, you can then effectively create video marketing content that caters to them as they’re finishing up 12th grade and are looking for post-high school options.

Create an Admissions Funnel

Next, it pays to map out an admissions funnel. The admissions funnel is the process that potential students go through from the time they first learn about your school until they enroll. 

There are several steps in creating an effective admissions funnel, but the most important thing is to make sure that each step is clearly defined and that there is a smooth transition between steps. Ultimately, videos can help breach the gap between those steps in most cases!

By taking the time to create a well-designed admissions funnel, you can ensure that you will be able to create video content that targets potential students at every stage of that funnel. 

Videos for students in the awareness stage will be different than those targeted towards students who have already toured your campus, for example.

Conduct Surveys

Can’t seem to find the right video marketing ideas that attract the types of prospects who actually convert into students? If it feels like you’re constantly missing the mark then consider polling existing students.

Create surveys about what kinds of content they wish they’d had from your trade school when they were going through the admissions process. Ask them what kinds of video content they’d be most likely to engage with as a current student.

As current students who have gone through the entire process with your school, they’re the most valuable resources you have when it comes to designing great video marketing strategies for students similar to them.

6 Video Marketing Ideas for Attracting Trade School Students

Alright, ready to take the plunge and invest in video marketing for your trade school? Here are a few great video marketing ideas that can help you attract the types of students you want.

Student Testimonials

Students who have attended your trade school and gone on to successful careers can be powerful advocates for your institution. Make short videos of these students talking about their experiences and what they learned at your school. 

Likewise, hearing directly from current students about their experience at your school is a great way to attract new students. Ask them about what they like best about attending your institution and why they would recommend it to others.

The goal with these types of trade school marketing videos is ultimately to demonstrate to prospective students that your school offers them a high-quality education that will help put them on a path toward success.

Course Overviews

Whether you’re providing basic information on a course or showcasing an expert professor who teaches it, course overviews are great video marketing ideas.

After all, your instructors are one of the key reasons why potential students should attend your school. Make videos showcasing their expertise and the unique training they offer. 

Aren’t sure what to include in your course overview marketing videos? When creating your video, be sure to include information on the school’s history, accredited programs, and job placement rates. 

Follow this up with on-camera footage of the professor or teacher of the course. Have them highlight their unique experience and teaching skills as well. The goal here is to make any potential student think, “Wow, I want to take that course!”

You should also highlight the unique features of your school, such as hands-on training or state-of-the-art facilities. Finally, be sure to include testimonials from current students or alumni who are currently taking or have taken that course.

Campus Tour

Trade schools can be vibrant places with lots of personality! Show off what makes your campus special in short videos that capture the spirit of your school. 

To create a successful campus tour video, choose a great route. You’ll want to hit all the major landmarks on campus, as well as any buildings or programs that are of particular interest to students. This might include the student lounge, for example, if you have one. 

Once you have your route planned out, it’s time to start filming. Be sure to pan the camera around often so viewers can get a sense of the surroundings, and don’t forget to stop and focus on specific features from time to time. 

As you’re filming, try to provide commentary that is both informative and engaging. When you’re finished, ensure the video marketing company you’re working with can edit the footage into a cohesive video that gives viewers a comprehensive look at what the trade school has to offer. 

A Day-in-the-Life

Want to show prospective students what it would be like to spend a day studying at your trade school? Similar to a campus tour, a day-in-the-life video can help provide them with a unique look behind the scenes of your school.

Important things to include in this type of marketing video include a main character or two. For example, if you’re trying to target prospective automotive tech students, following around a current automotive tech is a great idea.

Show what a typical day is like for them and follow the student around to their classes. However, make sure that you’re following them around on a bit of an exciting day. This might mean that they have plans to meet up with other students in the lounge or attend a school event.

The goal of this type of trade school marketing video is to give potential students a great idea of what they can expect once they enroll.

How to Enroll

Speaking of enrolling, it’s a great idea to create a series of marketing videos around, well, how to enroll! You don’t want to tell potential students to simply enroll in classes. You want to show them step-by-step how they can enroll.

Not only does this make the entire enrollment process easier as it removes any doubts students might have during the process but it shows that you’re taking an interest in making the admissions process as easy as possible for them.

These videos can be quite simple but they’re also a great chance to get creative with some trade school branding. If your trade school has any sort of mascot, for example, you might consider an explainer video where the mascot is walking them through the steps of enrollment.

Shareable Social Videos

And finally, don’t forget to make room in your schedule and marketing budget to create short, shareable videos for your social media accounts! Sure, you can take clips from the other videos to post on social, but it’s best if you have 30-second or 60-second videos specifically for social.

What might this look like? A few social video marketing ideas for your trade school include:

• A 30-second promo video for an upcoming hiring event
• A 60-second tour of something new on campus
• A 15-second clip of something interesting that happened during the past week

Really, the goal here isn’t to explain things as in-depth as you might with the other types of marketing videos. Instead, with shorter, shareable videos you’re trying to create content that promotes your trade school as a brand.

This means that it’s best if you focus your efforts here on social life, the benefits of your courses, and student welfare.

Where to Trade School Marketing Videos

Now that you have all of these new trade school marketing videos, where do you put them? The answer is pretty simple: put them where your prospective students are.

While it’s great to upload them all to a YouTube channel, for example, you’ll also want to strategically place them at the various admissions funnel touchpoints you identified in the exercise mentioned above.

Do your prospective students often visit a specific admissions page at the beginning of their enrollment journey? If so, think about uploading an introduction video there. Then, on each course page, upload the course overview videos.

Getting Started With Video Marketing

Ready to get started with trade school video marketing? There are numerous different ways you can use video to help attract your ideal students. However, we know that coming up with video marketing ideas alone is tough.

If you’re ready to get started, then get in touch and we’ll schedule a time for a strategy call to see how we can help your trade school.