Ambassadors are a great "ready made" group of (usually) high energy, go-getter students who are willing to go the extra mile in service to promoting their school or program.
Most CampusReel clients go to their Ambassadors as a first port of call when sourcing content creators. Below is our best advice for making it work:
1. Get the buy-in from the staff member who manages the group.
If you're not the person who supervises/hires/knows the students, you NEED buy-in from whoever is in that role. Talk to your colleague. Explain to them what you're trying to achieve with CampusReel, and get them on your team. The person with the student relationships will be your best asset in driving results!
2. Make recording videos part of the Ambassador role.
If you have the opportunity to write "recording video" or "sharing on video" into the contract or job description for the ambassadors role, do it! Some students may be reluctant to be the on-camera talent, but that doesn't mean they can't attend a campus event, record b-roll, or interview a classmate or favorite professor.
3. Set clear expectations from the get-go.
Students should know going in that they'll be spending some time recording video footage, but that it will not be a burdensome task, nor will they have to edit videos. They'll be expected at a minimum to do the following:
Create a CampusReel Account.
Download the CampusReel Creator app.
Record at least [you choose the number] of simple testimonials where they'll talk about their experience as a student.
The whole thing should take at most an hour.
4. Consider this project structure:
At the beginning of the term: 4 Testimonial videos. Short (1-2 minute) responses to simple prompts such as:
Why I chose my school/program
Three reasons I love my school/program
My academic experience
My clubs and extracurricular involvement
3-4 weeks later: One follow-up assignment. For example:
My housing situation
Attending a campus event
Talking about a special location on campus
End of term (but before finals): One follow up assignment.
Reflections on the semester.
My favorite class from the semester.
Interview a friend.
5. If Ambassadors are compensated for their time, pay per video - not per hour.
Everyone works at their own pace. Some students will knock this project out in just 20 minutes and do a great job. Others might find they need longer to get it done. Don't get caught in a payroll nightmare trying to sort out exactly how long it took for a student to complete the task. Just pay them for getting it done!
We suggest paying out 1-2 hours of clock time for completing 4 testimonials (straightforward "talking head" responses to prompts) OR per follow up video (e.g. A day in my life, or attending a basketball game).