This is the fourth post of a short series on elements that create a good video campaign.
It is recommended to present a contest theme around which participants can build their video story. This theme can be a word, concept, or phrase that directsparticipants content development. Before determining a theme two important questions to consider are:
1. What aspects of your institution do you want to feature?
2. What kind of videos do you want to showcase in your video library? (As in the tone, content, and feel that is portrayed within the video content).
Answers to the first question could include: academic merit, campus community, activities, faculty, facilities, work opportunities, internships, career resources, local surrounding community, off-campus resources, and location.
For the second question you may want to consider content and tone that portrays an academically-driven environment, or one of a vibrant, diverse campus community, or one that shows the inspirational influence the institutions’ student population has in their field after graduation.
Consider that different themes will result in vastly different video content and tone. If your theme centers around your institutions’ academic reputation your contest video submissions could likely result in a more serious tone than if your theme centers around campus activities & events. Determining answers to these questions will help drive the development of successful video contest theme ideas.
Some specific ideas for features and themes are:
- If you want to feature specific academic degree programs your theme could be related to students featuring their favorite aspect about their major/department of study (professors, courses, study resources, extra-curricular clubs related to degree program, etc).
- If you would like to showcase your study abroad students integration into the local culture in popular study destinations your theme could be focused on how they served as an ambassador for your institution during their time abroad.
- If you want to feature the breadth of your on/off campus job opportunities for international students your theme could be related to how work experience enhances students’ academic goals.
Next post: Time Limit
