Four Types Of Videos You Should Create To Boost Engagement On Your Club Or Association’s Website

Videos have captured people’s attention and imagination since they were first invented. The first proper film ever made was a three-second silent clip filmed By Louis Le Prince named “Roundhay Garden Scene”, seen below. 

 

This may seem pretty basic compared to the films we know now, but this was revolutionary for the time. 

Fun fact, Le Prince never got a patent for his film camera as he disappeared on his way to his first-ever public demonstration. The first-ever patent for a film camera was awarded to Thomas Edison just a year later. Now, I’m not saying Edison murdered Le Prince so he could be Johnny on the spot of cinematography innovation, but Le Prince’s widow and son sure believed he did. 

 

 

My point is that videos have always inspired and captured attention since they were first invented, and they continue to do so to this day, with movies regularly making billions of dollars at the box office and the average person spending more than seven years watching TV and movies over their lifetime. 

Adding videos to your website can be a great way to capture and keep the attention of members and potential members alike.  With that in mind, let’s talk about four sorts of videos you should be making for your club or association to boost engagement and increase your membership. Also, don’t worry; all the types of videos I will be talking about today will be short, easy and simple to make with basic equipment and experience.

1. A Trailer For Your Club Or Association

The first video you should create for your club is a short introductory one for your website's homepage. Aim for a length of about one minute (though 30 seconds to two minutes is fine). This video serves as a first impression for visitors, introducing them to your organisation. Once done and added to your website homepage, this video’s job will be to answer the majority of early questions potential members have when they first land on your website. 

Specifically, it should cover:

• Your club or association's name
• Your organisation's focus or mission
• The types of events you host (e.g., weekly webinars, monthly classic car cruises)
• How viewers can learn more about you
• A clear call to action (e.g., "Visit our website," "Join us today")

As an example, I put together a little script for an introductory video for the fictional Accusing Historical Figures of Murder Club. 

(Scene: Open with a close-up of a funny or intriguing historical photo – maybe someone looking shifty. Comical detective music plays.)

(0:00-0:10) Narrator (friendly, conversational tone): Ever think something fishy went down in history?

Scene: Show some quick shots of people laughing, looking at photos, maybe pointing at a map or timeline.)

(0:10-0:20) Narrator: Well, we do. We're the Accusing Historical Figures of Murder Club.

(Scene: Someone holds up or points to a funny prop related to a historical figure – like a cork board linking Winston Churchill to Amelia Earhart's disappearance.)

(0:20-0:30) Narrator: We investigate history's biggest whodunnits and make wildly unfounded speculations.

(Scene: Members talking animatedly.)

(0:30-40) Narrator: We meet once a week to make dubious claims about people who may have been a murderer.

(Scene: Someone places a picture of Queen Victoria next to a newspaper clipping about the Lindbergh baby.)

(0:40-0:50) Narrator: Why not join us and learn more about what we do?

(Scene: Club logo (can be a simple graphic). Website address or social media handle displayed clearly.)

(0:50-1:00) Narrator: Visit [website/social media] to learn more.

(Music fades out.)

So, I had a bit of fun with this, but the point remains. This is a short, simple video that can be written and filmed in an afternoon. Also, if there really is an Accusing Historical Figures of Murder Club, hit your girl up. You’re going to love what I have to say about Michael Faraday. 

 

 

Obviously, all “accusations” in the above section are only jokes, and are not meant to be taken seriously. 

2. Event Videos For Your Club Or Association

The second type of video you should create is an event video. This involves filming some of the action during an event and then compiling a video highlighting your events' excitement.

Events are a crucial aspect of any club or association, and showcasing what potential members can expect is a great way to generate enthusiasm and encourage them to join. 

These videos can range from 30 seconds to five minutes, depending on the amount of footage you have and how long you're willing to spend on editing. You may not need a voice-over; simply using copyright-free music and a collection of videos and images from the event can be very effective.

As an example of this, here is a video I made last year recapping how the Newcastle Chapter of the Harley Owners Group used Member Jungle to help run their 2024 NSW ACT H.O.G. Rally. This video is more focused on Member Jungle than you’d want an event video to be, but it should give you a good idea of the sort of video I am talking about. 

 

Again, all you really need to make this video is a phone or camera and an hour or two at one of your events. 

3. Committee Member Bio Videos

The next type of video we're diving into is bio videos. These are short clips that introduce the key people in your organisation, like committee members, the club president, event coordinators, and anyone else that current or potential members might want to know about. The purpose of these videos is to help build trust and get potential members to feel more comfortable with your organisation. 

Joining a club for the first time can be nerve-wracking. Watching a video featuring some of the people you will meet can help ease those nerves. Who would you want to see in a video if you were joining a club for the first time? The club president, some committee members, the event coordinator, or the coach of the team you are considering joining?

Honestly, for a reason still unknown to me, I enjoy multiday kayak camping (I assume it's due to self-loathing). There are a few clubs that set up these trips, and I'd definitely want to check out a video bio of the group leader before I sign up. As there are definitely some people I wouldn't want to paddle off into the wild with, like sexists, serial killers, or, god forbid, someone who is going to bring an acoustic guitar. 

 

 

Being able to watch a video of who was going to be leading the group would really help me feel more comfortable agreeing to sign up. So, it's a good idea to think about who your members would want to meet in these bio videos.

When making your bio videos, keep things simple and engaging. Have each person introduce themselves, talk about what they love in their hobby or field, and share why they enjoy being part of your club or association. Try to keep each video around one to two minutes long. 

4. Answer Your Members’ Questions

The final video we are going to look at is one that is all about answering your potential members’ questions. Again, this is pretty simple; all you need to do is write down the most common questions that potential members have when they are first looking to join your organisation. Now, I’m not in your club, so I don’t know what the most common questions you get are, but I imagine they are things like:

• How much does membership cost? 
• How do I renew my membership?
• What sort of events do you run? 
• How often do you run events? 

Obviously, there’ll be more questions than this, but those are just a few ideas to get you started. 

Once you have all of your questions, all you need to do is get a committee member to sit down and film a little video where they answer all of these questions. There’s no need for fancy sets or props, just a person sitting at their computer speaking into their webcam and answering those important common questions. 

Equipment You’ll Need To Film These Videos

All of these videos are really simple and easy to film and require minimal equipment. So let’s quickly cover what sort of equipment you'll need. 

• A phone or camera 
• A tripod
• A light - you can get a pretty decent ring light and a tripod for about $30 at Kmart.
• A microphone - preferred but not essential. The sound quality will be better than just using the built-in mic on your phone or camera, but those will still do the trick. 
• Extra footage (B-roll) - having extra footage of members enjoying events, talking with one another, and even just a screen capture of your website will make editing easier and your videos a higher quality. 

That’s about it, no need for fancy sets or thousands of dollars of equipment; just grab a cheap ring light, stick your phone in it, and you’re off to the races. 

 

 

More Tips For Making Club Videos

So, those are four simple videos you should make for your club or association. If you want more information on making and editing those videos, check out the two articles below.  

• 3 Basic Editing Tips To Make Your Club’s Videos Amazing
• How AI Can Help Your Club or Association - AI-Assisted Videos