Association: how to create an effective video?

Video captures attention — use it to recruit new members for your association. Conversely, a poor-quality video can seriously damage your image and your reputation.
Do not panic: there is a set of best practices to follow when it comes to distributing the right video to the right people.
You will probably want to produce this video without spending too much of your budget. Rest assured — that is entirely possible.
In this article, we are going to explain how to create an effective video. And as always in marketing, everything starts with a proper definition of your persona.

Understand how to create or redesign the ideal responsive website for your association

Creating an effective video: for which audience?

The persona concept is absolutely indispensable in marketing — you will have understood this by now. It is therefore vital that you have identified the right persona, and therefore the right way to communicate with them.

If your persona is the husband of a woman who has just been told she will give birth to a baby with Down syndrome, you will need to speak to that husband. Not to his wife. Not to that future baby. To that husband, and to him alone.

To hit the mark, you will need to compile a great deal of general data:

• the average age of both parents at the birth of their first child;
• the number of years they had been together before having the first child;
• consumption habits;
• professional habits;
• what about their social habits?;
• and so on.

But you will also need to compile data specific to the reason for your association's existence. In this case:

• is this their first child? If not, how many children do they have?;
• the average age of both parents at the birth of a child with Down syndrome;
• the average life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome;
• what changes in a family following such news;
• a brief definition of Down syndrome;
• the role of each parent as observed by your association;
• and so on.
  This data must be incorporated into the definition of your persona.
  If you outsource your video production needs, your main role ends here. You will be supported through the next step. If you want to create an effective video without external help, your work is just beginning.

Creating an effective video based on a creative brief

The second — and by no means minor — step is to put down in writing every intention behind your video.
To do this, you will need to answer a series of questions. This list is not exhaustive.

• What is the reason driving you to create an effective video?
• What is the main message of your video? Summarise it in a single sentence.
• Where should a viewer who wants to find out more about your association go to join? Website, association event, social media, etc.
• What should the viewer feel? What emotions are you targeting?
• What image does the viewer have of you today? What image will they have of you afterwards?
• Why join your association rather than a rival one?
• What tone will your video take? Humorous, dramatic, awareness-raising, etc.
• What vehicle will carry your message? (Interview, dramatisation, testimonial, explanation. Studio or outdoor, etc.)
• What distribution channels will your video use?
• What will the call-to-action be? Where will it be positioned?

This brief will help you pinpoint your needs precisely. It will also serve as a roadmap. Do not hesitate to add elements along the way, but avoid removing any. Rather than deleting something, it is better to update it.

What style will your association's video take?

Defining the style of your association's video essentially means setting a budget. The higher the quality of the effective video you want to produce, the more resources you will need.

• Hire a professional camera or use the video function on a low-end camera;
• Film indoors without supplementary lighting, or with it?
• Film outdoors to make use of natural light?
• Shoot outdoors without a microphone, or with one?
• Record audio with a lavalier microphone or a standard microphone?
• Bluetooth or wired?
• Use royalty-free music or commercial music requiring licence fees?
• How will the editing be handled, and with what software?
• Etc.

What is the minimum equipment needed to produce an effective video?

At our Lyon web agency HTTP5000, we are fully aware that calling on professionals is often a barrier for many associations. Nevertheless, let us not forget that quality video content must be provided to the audience.
With that in mind, to achieve a minimum acceptable quality, we recommend the following basic equipment:

• A recent smartphone with very high video resolution. We recommend watching videos shot with this phone on a computer screen in full-screen mode. You will quickly see the limits of your footage's quality.

• A tripod, to ensure stable footage free of micro-movements; a set of reflectors to redirect light towards your subject;

• A Bluetooth lavalier microphone to achieve good-quality sound even outdoors;

• If you work on a Mac, you are in luck: Apple includes a capable video editing application (iMovie). If you work on a PC, free options exist (OpenShot Video Editor, for example).

Dividing up the tasks to create your association's effective video

Be honest with yourself: you cannot simultaneously be in front of the camera, behind the camera, on sound, on lighting, making decisions, and doing the editing.
You will need to call on your association's members — or other colleagues — to make your effective video!
First of all, decide where you yourself fit in. Where do you want to contribute? At which stage do you feel most comfortable? Make sure you have all the technical skills needed to take that role through to completion, then go for it! You can take on one, or at most two roles.

However, do not forget that a full team will give you a better final result.

• The producer is the person who oversees the progress of the work, step by step. The brief is their bible, and they spend their time planning;
• The director is the person who puts their own stamp on the brief. The final video will be a version of the vision the director brought to the brief. They approve everything: from the colour of the T-shirts to the lighting position, the camera angle, and the intensity of the actors' performances;
  Lighting technician. They ensure everything is working and optimise quality at every stage;
• The audio technician is a central figure. Why? Because sound quality is essential. Your audio must be as clear and clean as possible, with no interference whatsoever. The audio technician must ensure that sound is being recorded correctly. You can also entrust them with pre-selecting the music and various sound effects;
• The video editor works in close collaboration with the director. The editor provides rhythm, cuts, reframes, and adjusts the image so that it matches the director's vision — in line with the brief and therefore with the producer.

Essential rules if you are making the video yourself

We will very likely return to this final section in a dedicated article. In the meantime, please keep these few rules in mind if you are producing your association's promotional video yourself:

• do not forget to write a script. In addition to the brief (for the producer), the script is the roadmap for the director and their team (right down to the actors and the marketing teams);
• the filming location must be carefully chosen. It may be necessary to obtain filming permits. Do your research and take care of the formalities. Also, do not forget to manage noise, lighting, etc.;
• make checklists and plan for everything that could go wrong, so as to avoid wasting a day when everyone has made themselves available for your shoot;
• never overlook the Law. For example: remember to have consent forms signed by the actors (image rights and copyright);
• take time over the editing. Do not hesitate to revisit details that bother you.
  This article does not claim to be the definitive guide to producing great effective videos for your website. Video distribution sits within a broader inbound marketing strategy. In Lyon, our agency HTTP 5000 supports you in creating and deploying an inbound strategy!