Here, it’s about what you need to communicate, and what you need people to take away — and how to unite both. PSA videos, being so short, don’t give you a lot of time to get granular, so keep it simple and stick to one key message and one action for viewers post-video.
Define your CTA (and KPI)
These two elements are important as they’re how you’ll measure success. For your call to action (CTA), what do you need people to do once they’ve watched your video? Your key performance indicator (KPI) will then be a measure of this behaviour e.g. clicking a link that directs viewers to a website for more information.
Do your research
If you’re in government, you’ll know this, but verifiable facts and statistics to support your message can be a powerful way to build trust and prompt action; just ensure they’re recent, accurate and relevant to your target audience.
Script and storyboard your video
For PSA videos, starting by writing your script can help as content is often speech-heavy. That said, the shorter your video, the more concise you need to be, so aim for 3-5 points and know which is primary and which are supplementary to delivery. You can also use your script to plan your visuals, pairing your points with cutaway shots, stock footage or custom animations to help viewers understand and retain information.
Conversely, if your PSA video is highly stylised, starting with storyboarding can help you visualise your shots to tell your story. Don’t forget to note any text overlays, and music or on-screen actions.
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