KLA clients lead the way with innovative, scalable, replicable climate solutions at the local level.
Each month in 2022 we will shine a spotlight on their bright ideas.
Did you know that 95% of people are likely to remember a call to action after watching a video compared to just 10% who read information in text format?
It’s safe to say that these days you can’t effectively communicate with or engage people in your community without video. That includes climate action planning and implementation.
You can have ambitious emissions slashing opportunities, blockbuster partnership models, and interactive engagement plans, but those bells and whistles aren't enough. If you aren’t reaching people – if they are glossing over your text-heavy emails, scrolling past your standard social media posts, and never setting a virtual foot on your website – you won’t get very far.
That’s where video can be the bright idea that allows the rest of your bright ideas to see the light of day.
Why Video?
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Bottom line: People watch a ton of video, want more video, and choose it over any other mode of receiving information. Give them what they want, and you’ll get more awareness and engagement as a result.
When Video?
In an earlier blog post, we shared some tips and examples of when to use video in your climate action planning. That includes:
- Pre-event promo
- Post-event recap
- Launch a new program or planning process
- Share more in-depth how-to or educational information
- Boast an achievement
- Call to action
- Give your community a voice
- Show action and success
- Do a live “broadcast”
Read the full post for more on each use case.
Pro-tip: If you’re smart about how you script the video, it can be repurposed in many ways and have a longer shelf life. For example, a video that is released along with a final climate action plan can:
- be included in a press release and social media when the plan debuts
- appear on multiple website pages
- be embedded in emails
- shown at the start of partner and community meetings
How Video?
Many local governments already have access to a video team on staff or through a local cable access TV station or similar. Sometimes you have the budget to outsource video production, or maybe an intern who would love to master TikTok and Instagram videos for you while on the clock.
We pulled together some resources to help with everything from capturing your own footage to setting up a YouTube Channel:
How To Shoot Cinematic iPhone Footage
10 Local Government YouTube Channels That Know What They Are Doing
Fourteen Evidence-Based Tips to Make Effective Instructional Videos
6 Best Free Video Editing Software Programs for 2022
The best free video editing software in 2022 for your PC and Mac
How to use TikTok (skeptical about TikTok? Check out how this Alabama mayor has used it quite effectively)
Want to watch some videos?
If you’re like the rest of us, the answer is yes!
We’ve worked with our clients in recent years to produce videos as part of their climate action planning processes. They’ve used them to kick off a planning process, coincide with the release of a final plan, and provide education on key components of their plans.
Here are a few examples:
All-In Clark County (used at the start of their planning process and highlighted work they were already doing)
Concord, MA, electric vehicles video (part of a 3-part series including resilience and water conservation produced prior to the climate action plan to highlight important solutions already moving forward)
Devens Forward (released together with the final plan)
Encinitas Environment Climate Dashboard promo (30-second video designed for website, email and social media promotion of the city's online dashboard)
Resilient Together (used at the start of the joint Beverly and Salem planning process)
Resilient Watertown (we love the photo tiles at the end, and this was produced in the spring of 2020 during the pandemic shutdown)
Sustainable Dedham (produced in the spring of 2020 during the pandemic shutdown and required no new footage or in-person interviews and included smartphone video)
Weston Ahead (produced at the start of the planning process and focused on pledges)
Here are some other examples we dug up of local governments that have produced videos as part of their climate action work:
EPA Climate Showcase Communities videos
Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan 3.0
Cupertino Climate Action Plan 2.0
Cuyahoga County 2019 Climate Action Plan
Kansas City, MO, Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan
Sustainability at Boulder County
Sustainability in Grand Rapids
Even those that have room for improvement are still far better in most cases than asking people to read a webpage, email or – the worst! -- a pdf report! Don't forget the people are 10x more likely to interact with your content while browsing when it's a video instead of a block of text!
Do you have a good video we should include here or any useful resources to add? Let us know!
February 2022: San Antonio Employee Climate Training Program
March 2022: Concord, MA, Heat Pump Coaches
April 2022: Encinitas, CA, Building Electrification Ordinance
May 2022: New Bedford, MA, Resilient, Equitable Green Infrastructure
June 2022: Devens, MA, Circular Economy Waste Reuse Hub
July 2022: Clark County, NV, Data Driven Equitable Engagement
September 2022: Columbia, MO, Heat Mapping
October 2022: Equity-centered Resilience Planning
