Project Description
Kent higher education college uses the positive words of their current cohort to recruit students for the future with student testimonial videos
When St Augustine’s College of Theology were looking to boost their student recruitment rates, they took a different approach with their video content than the standard ‘here’s why we’re so great.’
They let their students say why they’re so great instead with student testimonial videos.
I personally love this approach to admissions marketing content. It’s way more relatable for prospective students to be watching, as they’re making the same decision (what college to attend) as your current students did a few years ago.
Only your current students have the benefit of hindsight, so they have a lot of wisdom to pass on for that decision making process.
They can say why it was the right move for them. They can talk about what they’ve got out of it. They can help prospective students to have the confidence to enrol to study with you.
What was the pre-production process like?
I’ve been working with St Augustine’s College of Theology for a number of years now – mostly with editing content that their staff have produced. I also filmed at their London campus at Trinity House in Southwark, in March 2024, to help promote a new MA course.
All of this means I was already pretty well versed on their messaging and USP’s.
The actual reason for us arranging a new filming date in June 2024 was primarily a logistical one! It was the final teaching day of the year, with lots of students milling around, and the Bishop of Kingston making a visit to the campus in West Malling, Kent.
So there’d be loads of people around to gather testimonials from!
The college’s Head of Operations, Becky Young, did a cracking job setting up some students for me to interview, but a lot of the filming would just be seeing who was around and grabbing them.
During the pre-production meetings, rather than discussing who would say what, it was more important to look at what videos we were hoping to produce from the filming.
This included promotional videos for:
- Open days
- Flexible study options
- Taster modules
What was the filming process like?
As I knew we’d be approaching the student testimonial videos thematically (as in, multiple students in each video talking about one topic, rather than one interview going in depth e.g. ‘Sarah’s story’), the video interviews were a bit of an on-the-fly fact finding mission to find out who had something to say about each topic!
‘How did you find out about St Augustine’s? Did you visit us on an open day? Did you make use of any flexible study options? How about the student support services?’
Once I’d worked out they could speak on a topic, I’d then ask some more in depth questions about it.
‘Tell me about why you needed flexible study options. How did completing your studies part time help you to juggle work commitments? Were the staff and tutors understanding of your situation?’
Everything that the students said was in their own words. But by asking direct questions, you can control what they talk about, which is a far more efficient approach to video content than ‘let’s just see what they say and go from there.’
I know that by asking questions in this way, I’d have enough content to produce the videos I’d said I would.
What was the editing process like?
Extensive!
Although I’d committed to producing a certain amount of videos, I got a lot more content than I was anticipating to.
After the filming day, I went through the footage with a fine tooth comb, and contacted Becky to present other options of content which could be produced from the footage, either now or in the future.
So in total, I produced:
- Four full length promotional videos, featuring the student testimonials
- Thirteen social media clips
- A highlights video of the final teaching day of term
- A campus virtual tour
- Two interviews with staff from the Diocese of Southwark
Even I was a little surprised about how much content could be produced from one filming session – definitely a personal best!
This amount of professionally produced content totally transforms the look and feel of the website, and helps to recruit more students for future courses.
Looking to improve your student recruitment marketing with professionally produced video content, including student testimonial videos? Get in touch for a free 30 minute video marketing review.