There is no denying that all social media platforms favour video, and over the past 18-plus months in particular, it has been perfect for enabling settings to share a glimpse inside their nursery.
If the thought of standing in front of a camera and talking into the abyss terrifies you, fear not. We have some hints and tips on the ways you can use video for your setting which aren’t going to cause you to panic.
This month your nursery children may be busy with Christmas crafts, whether that’s a Christmas card or pretty decorations for the tree. Videos of these while they’re taking place are a great way to showcase some hands-on activities the children are getting stuck into. You can do this in the way of a normal video, or you can take lots of pictures of the work in progress, set them to music and make a video that way. You can even have the camera facing what you are filming with you talking people through it from behind.
If the children are practising their carol singing, sharing snippets of this is a great option. It enables parents who can’t make the actual performance to watch it, and lets prospective families see what kinds of things you get up to when you celebrate calendar events. Even the hardest of hearts is softened by a toddler singing Little Donkey!
If your staff team are reluctant to be in front of the camera, you might find they’re more willing if they’re dressed up as part of the festivities. A team video with them all saying ‘Merry Christmas’ in unison, posted on Christmas Eve, is bound to get those likes and comments tumbling in.
The key thing to remember about video is that it doesn’t have to be professionally done or with a person staring down the camera lens talking. Have some fun with it and look at what other small businesses are doing, and if you can, take inspiration from them too.
Nicola Read is owner of social media management company Babbl, www.babbl.co.uk