Begin by asking two questions: Who is the audience, and what is the purpose of the video?
Be specific. Most of the time, just asking those two questions will help you determine whether creating a video makes sense, and if so, what kind of video to create.
For example, an organization is not an audience. Who, specifically, at the organization do you seek to influence? And what, specifically, do you want them to do? How will you ensure that they see the video?
If you need to influence only one or two people, it’s probably more productive to meet with them one-on-one rather than create a video.
Remember that audiences with slow internet connections or limited access to the internet may not be able to view a video.
What is the most important thing that you want your audience to hear from the video?
It is much easier and more efficient to decide on a main message at the beginning of the process—before you’ve gone to the trouble of shooting and editing the footage.
When drafting the main message, ask yourself, “How do we know that our target audience will be interested in this message?”
Talk to a few people in your target audience to test the message. This will often yield valuable insights about an audience's interests, beliefs, and needs, so you can increase the chances that the video will resonate with them.
These conversations can be short and informal. Introduce the message and ask, "What did you think when you heard the message? What went through your mind?"
Strong positive and negative reactions are a sign that people are interested. If the reactions are lukewarm or negative, try to figure out why. This is an opportunity to test other potential messages or ask what the person finds interesting about the topic.
After finding a message that works, write it down and get it approved by your supervisor. If you'd like to share the video on IREX's main social media accounts or on irex.org, check with Strategic Communications ([email protected]g) at this stage.