If a Picture Paints a Thousand Words...

How many of you remember those words as the first line of the song "If" by David Gates and Bread?  (No, he's no relation to Bill Gates).  Remember that if you can't put your vision for your school into a picture, then it's an excellent idea to have a vision narrative (of a thousand words or more) rather than just a vision statement.  The more vibrant the description of your vision, the more people will become excited about it, and emotional engagement leads to action.

But, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then how many words is a video worth?  Do you have a video of your school - a virtual tour, so to speak, on your school's Web site?

No?  That needs to change - and REAL soon.

With YouTube and other free video channels out there, there's no reason not to have a virtual tour available to parents that want to get an idea of what you're school is like before they visit to evaluate as to whether it's the right place for their child.  You know it is...but you have to convince the parents of that.  Remember that getting them into your school will get them emotionally connected to your school, but if they like what they see on the Internet, then there's even more of a chance they'll call you.

Think it's expensive?  It's not.

There's a little video device called "The Flip" that lets you record video and sound, and when you're done, plug it in via USB to your computer to let you transfer the file.  The Flip is less than $150, and sometimes, so can find it on sale or with a rebate at electronics stores or local office supply stores or, of course, online.

That's only 300 words, but I'm sure you get the idea.

© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010 (Original Publication Date: 20100517)

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