Punching up Promos

Sometimes an upcoming event needs to be promoted with more than a few words from the pulpit.  The congregation and website visitors need to see what an upcoming event will be like.  A video promo an October Carnival, for example, can show hordes of kids having fun.  This is a great way to generate the excitement needed to encourage sign-ups.  Here are some tips:

Keep it short.  You may not be restricted to thirty seconds like a television commercial.  But your audience has been conditioned by those brief ads, so that is what they respond to.  See if you can say all you need to say in a minute.

Keep it simple.  Few if any viewers will jot down the phone number as it briefly flashes across the screen.  Specifics should be in the bulletin or the website, and not overloading your promo.  Include key facts, like the date, but, the spot should just show what the event or ministry opportunity looks like.  Then point them toward the details.

Keep it snappy.  If you’re cutting together clips from last year’s picnic to promote this year’s event, see how fast those shots can fly across the screen.  No shot should be more than three seconds.  Some action can be perceived in even a half-second shot.  Make an impression, not a documentary.

Be creative.  How about inserting some testimonials?  Granted, many people who are asked to relate an experience can talk for hours, but a well-edited promo can effectively zip through a series of selected sound bites.  No need to exaggerate.  The truth will work just fine.  Spoofing a real television commercial will get people’s attention, but make sure the jokes don’t eclipse the real message.

Be flexible.  Perhaps your pastor doesn’t like to take up extra service time with video promos.  See if he or she will let a video run silently on screen while the event is being announced by the speaker.  Or running the video silently before the service gets it in front of the congregation while being respectful of those preparing themselves for the service.

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