News Article

It's not just higher education that benefits from Web video

2011 // October

While many Realview TV clients hail from the higher education industry, there’s been a noticeable interest in its services among private k-12 schools in recent years, too. That’s understandable. All educators who approach Realview TV share the same goal – enhancing recruitment via a stronger Web presence.

There are, though, some notable differences in how a secondary school channels that goal. One is targeting. “Obviously, parents are the ones making the decisions, not the students,” said Courtney Cable. “So much of the content is tailored to them.”
That means more emphasis on a school’s overall academics, its teaching philosophy and, in the case of boarding schools, its culture beyond the classroom.

However, online video can play a much more important role than reaching a Web savvy audience. Cases in point: Riverside Academy and Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (SCHP) -- one a military academy in Georgia, the other a Catholic school in San Francisco, and both clients of Realview TV.
 
And both unhappy with labels.
 
“Terms like ‘military school’ and ‘Catholic school’ have become stereotyped over time,” said Cable. “And while both schools weren’t having problems with enrollment, they wanted to distance themselves from disciplinarian, austere stigmas.”

More emphasis was, through video content, focused on the students themselves, who discussed what they appreciated about their environment and why their school was a good fit. Riverside, for example, used footage of students enjoying outdoor water sports – reflecting the school’s wider philosophy that teenage boys developmentally thrive on physical activity.

Both schools also discussed why their founding traditions, immersed with a modern approach, facilitated both academic and personal growth among students – exactly what parents want to hear.
 
“It makes an important distinction for many viewers: I see the benefits of a private education, not the preconceived setbacks,” said Cable Sowerby. “That kind of fresh, new perspective can be an extremely valuable asset for a long-term admissions campaign.” 

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