If you're recording a video for an upcoming ad, here's a short guide:

Before we begin, consider buying a ~$50 wireless microphone. Not necessary, but you'll notice the difference.

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1) Walk around somewhere recognizable while you record. Our goal is to stop the scroll immediately — and your viewer seeing a place they recognize is a great way to do that.

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2) Start with "Hey [city]!" Again, we're trying to hook people. How often are you scrolling and see something that's hyper local? Not super often. It's inherently interesting.

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3) Continue with a tangible hook, phrased as a question.

🎄"Are you looking for somewhere to go on Christmas Eve?

🧸"Do you wish library story hour were every day?"

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4) Answer your own question.

🎄"We'd love if you'd join Church Name on December 24th for our annual candlelight service."

🧸"Well, here's something to look forward to on Thursday mornings! Join us for Mornings with Mommy at Location."

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5) Share one really tangible thing people will like about it and one reason they don't have to be afraid to attend.

🎄"We have a service of hymns and readings with a special kids message. Don't worry about being new; we welcome plenty of first-time visitors on Christmas Eve."

🧸"Kids will come home with a craft to put on the fridge. Don't worry about meltdowns, we also have a quiet room if kiddos need to take a step away from the action.

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6) Call to action with a concrete deliverable.

🎄"Sign up below to plan your visit. You'll get a text with parking information & a visitor's guide."

🧸"Sign up below to get a text reminder the night before the next Mornings with Mommy."

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7) Don't introduce yourself until the end. That's the last piece. It will feel strange to just dive right into content, but your introduction is actually going to be the personal connection that seals the deal:

🎄"I'm Pastor John and if you plan your visit below, it will be me on the other side of the phone."

🧸"I'm Susie Smith and I'll be out front to greet you on Thursday!"

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8) Don't feel the pressure to make it a one-take. Record a few videos and splice the best pieces together. To hide the splices, use pictures of last year's service or the most recent event.

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9) Caption the video. I use this tool from Adobe.

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10) Speak really quickly. It will feel like an unnatural pace, but when you're in and amongst the chaos that is ✨the scroll✨, you'll need to keep up. Keep it all under 30 seconds.

Now you've got your video! How should you run this ad? My recommendation is Meta Lead Ads to Instant Forms — a magical ad format that works SO well at a local level. Reply if you need help.

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Until next week,