Thank you cards are out. Thank you videos are in. Whether it’s for employees, grant recipients, ambassadors, or anyone else who deserves a shout-out, thank you videos have a tremendous impact and the feel-good factor is huge. They’re easy to make. They’re low budget. And what’s more, literally anyone can do it. 

What exactly is a thank you video?

In a nutshell, it’s any kind of video that celebrates the lives and/or achievements of people who are important to an organization. That can be the staff, the owners, the customers, financial donors, and so on. And the key to any good thank you is authenticity and genuine emotions, which is often best achieved through User Generated Content. Not only is it a fantastic way to get people (who may not be best in front of a film crew) to share their thoughts, but with modern smartphones, it’s fast, budget-friendly, and the footage can be captured all around the world. 

Crafting a Captivating Thank You Video: A Step-by-Step Guide

It’s not rocket science (unless you’re thanking rocket scientists). All you need are people with smartphones and the step-by-step checklist below. 

Step 1: Identify the Ideal Participants

Not everyone is going to be ideally suited to the project. You want the people who not only have the strongest ties to the video’s recipient but are also excited to be in it. Take this piece created by Macerich, a real estate investment company, for a long-time employee who was retiring. The genuine positivity and good feeling are felt throughout the whole video. If you choose people who don’t really wanna do it, and are not enjoying the process, it’ll show. And you can definitely help with that by giving them a few pointers that we’ll cover next. 

Step 2: Filming Guidelines for Participants

OK, you’ve got your stars. They’re ready to shoot their thank-yous. Here’s what to tell them to ensure the footage you get back is top-notch. 

• Keep it to a tight 20 seconds or less. There are multiple reasons for this. First, when you get longer than 20 seconds you start losing the viewers. No one wants to hear “War & Peace”. This video created by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) for Walgreens, a major donor, shows how effective short clips work so well. And you can have people film these thank you messages over a few days to capture that message. Also, the shorter the clips, the more people you can include, and the overall running length will be more palatable too.
  

• You need good lighting and a quiet location. Two things are critical for this footage - light and sound. It’s no good delivering a killer thank you if the audience is struggling to see and hear the subject. So make sure they have not only a quiet room but a well-lit area that has a light source in front of them. And if they’re recording in selfie mode, tell them to check that they can see themselves clearly before hitting record.
  

• Choose one orientation and stick to it. This is advice for you and the filmers. You need to choose either horizontal or vertical and have everyone film that way. It’s the best way to have a consistent look and feel. And yeah, while you can mix the two it doesn’t look as good.

Step 3: Compilation and Editing

When everyone’s done filming, the editing begins. With Cinebody, accessing that footage is super easy due to the auto-upload feature. In fact, the footage comes in right after it's been filmed, so you can get a head start on the edit while others continue to capture their thank-yous. The end result really can be tremendously impactful, like this tear-jerker done by UCHealth to thank its ICU staff during the pandemic. 

If you go another route, it’s a good idea to send reminder emails to your people (and DO NOT have people text you their submissions, the files get compressed, and the quality tanks.) 

And that’s all there is to it. All that’s left to do is share the finished product with your recipient, or play it at an event, and get ready for some serious feels from a lot of people. 

Conclusion: Sharing Gratitude and Spreading Joy

Congratulations! You've successfully completed the thank you video creation process. Now, all that's left is to share the final product with your recipient or present it at an event, preparing for the overwhelming surge of emotions it will evoke among viewers.

Remember, thank you videos have the power to leave a lasting impact, fostering genuine connections and appreciation. By following the steps outlined in this guide and infusing your videos with authenticity, you can create remarkable content that will surely stand out.

So, grab your smartphones, assemble your stars, and embark on a journey of gratitude through the art of thank you videos!