Most university marketing teams are already producing video. The question is whether the formats being invested in are the ones that actually work for student recruitment. Some formats matter much more than others.
Here are the five video formats that are actually worth the investment, when each one works best, and what separates formats that work from formats that just consume budget.
What it is: Current students talking about their experience. Their choice of programme. Why they chose the university. What the experience has been like. What they'd tell prospective students.
Why it works for universities: Prospective students are making a high-stakes decision. They want to hear from people like them who've already made it. Student testimonials are the most credible source of information about what the experience is actually like.
What separates good from bad: Good student testimonials are unscripted (or lightly scripted) conversations. They don't look polished. They sound genuine. Bad testimonials are heavily produced, clearly scripted, and sound like marketing.
Format tips: Keep them short (2-3 minutes). Feature a mix of different students. Let them talk about the real experience, including the hard parts. Don't over-produce them.
Distribution: Homepage, programme pages, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok. Anywhere prospective students are looking for information about what the experience is like.
What it is: A video that previews what studying a specific subject or course actually looks like. Often features the lecturer teaching part of a class, or talking about what students will study.
Why it works for universities: Prospective students want to know what it's like to study their subject of choice. A text description doesn't give them a sense of it. A course preview video does. It shows the lecturer. It shows the pace. It shows the teaching style.
What separates good from bad: Good course preview videos feature real lecturers and real teaching. Bad ones are heavily produced, scripted versions that don't feel authentic.
Format tips: Feature actual lecturers. Show a real class or a genuine teaching sample. Keep it 3-5 minutes. Focus on what makes the course unique, not generic course benefits.
Distribution: Programme pages. A library of course preview videos indexed by subject. Shared with applicants who've expressed interest in that programme.
What it is: A video that shows campus, facilities, accommodation, or other physical spaces. It might be a full campus tour or a focused look at a specific facility.
Why it works for universities: Prospective students want to get a sense of the physical environment. Some are visiting campus in person. Some aren't. A facility tour answers the question: "What does this place actually look like and feel like?"
What separates good from bad: Good facility tours are filmed on regular days, with regular student activity. They show what the space actually looks and feels like. Bad ones are over-produced, empty, or shot when there's no one there.
Format tips: Film during regular campus activity. Show the space as it's actually used. Don't over-light or over-produce. Keep the pace slow enough to actually see the space. 3-5 minutes for a focused tour. 8-10 minutes for a full campus tour.
Distribution: Homepage, virtual tours section, YouTube. Especially useful for international prospective students who can't visit in person.
What it is: A video that follows a student through a typical day or week. Shows classes, social activities, accommodation, the pace of life.
Why it works for universities: Prospective students want to know what day-to-day life is actually like. A "day in the life" video answers that question more directly than any other format.
What separates good from bad: Good day-in-the-life videos feel authentic and unscripted. They show the real pace and texture of student life. Bad ones are heavily staged or scripted and feel artificial.
Format tips: Follow a real student through a regular day. Show both academic and social activities. Let the pace be a bit uneven — that's more authentic. Keep it 5-7 minutes.
Distribution: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, programme pages. Good for giving prospective students a sense of the overall student experience.
What it is: Videos that answer common questions from prospective students. How to apply. What to expect. How accommodation works. What to bring. Etc.
Why it works for universities: Prospective students have a lot of logistical questions. Many of these questions would normally be answered by a tour guide or an admissions officer. Video can answer them at scale.
What separates good from bad: Good informational videos are clear, direct, and answer the actual question. Bad ones are vague, long-winded, or don't actually address what prospective students want to know.
Format tips: Keep them short (2-3 minutes max). Be very specific about what the video is answering. Use clear language and avoid jargon. Break longer topics into multiple shorter videos.
Distribution: Specific landing pages or FAQ sections. Email to applicants. YouTube playlist. Anywhere prospective students are asking questions about logistics.
Here's what universities sometimes get wrong:
Format that doesn't work well: Heavily produced brand films about the university's history, mission, or values. These often feel more like corporate video than relevant content for student recruitment.
Format that works better: Unscripted student testimonials and course previews. These feel relevant and authentic.
Format that doesn't work well: Polished 4K footage of empty buildings and facilities.
Format that works better: Campus tours and facility videos filmed during regular student activity, showing what the space actually looks and feels like.
Format that doesn't work well: Formal lectures or class recordings without any curation or editing.
Format that works better: Intentional course preview videos featuring specific teaching samples or lecturers explaining what students will study.
Universities that are winning with video have figured out something important: they're not making random video content. They're making specific formats that answer specific questions prospective students are asking.
A strategic approach usually looks like:
Not all at once. But a system where each format serves a specific purpose and prospective students can find the format that answers their specific question.
Here's an important point: not all of these formats require huge production budgets. Student testimonials and day-in-the-life videos can be shot on phones. Informational videos can be simple and direct. Course previews and campus tours can be shot efficiently without expensive production crews.
Universities that are getting the best ROI from video aren't necessarily the ones spending the most on production. They're the ones being strategic about which formats to invest in and how much production quality matters for each format.
For student testimonials and authentic content, less production is often better. For course previews and facility tours, a bit more production quality is worth it. For informational videos, clarity and directness matter more than production value.
Most university marketing teams are making some video. The question is whether they're making the formats that actually work for student recruitment. The five formats above are the ones that consistently move the needle. Invest in these. Be strategic about which formats matter most for your recruitment strategy. And remember: authenticity usually beats production value.
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