What’s the next best thing to personally showing a new family around your school campus? The answer lies in virtual tours—a fantastic way to showcase your school’s facilities, highlight its strengths, and reach a larger audience of people. While in-person tours still matter to students and their families, virtual school tours have become one of the simplest and most effective ways for schools to present themselves. These tours serve as a professional, accessible, and lasting resource to not only strengthen a school’s reputation but also expand its reach.
Watch Hamilton Heights High School’s Virtual Tour
Types of Virtual Tour Videos
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Virtual Video Tours |
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360 Virtual Tours |
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Expand Your Reach with Accessible Tours
There are definitely benefits to hosting in-person tours, as they allow students and parents to become familiar with the campus. However, conflicting schedules and limited transportation can make it challenging to allocate time to host tours. The beauty of virtual tours lies in the simplicity and versatility of the format. Once captured, schools can send out a link to the virtual tour for families to view at their own convenience, from the comfort of their own homes.
Put Your Best Spaces Forward
When a prospective family or student is considering your school, first impressions matter. Instead of trying to capture every hallway, focus on highlighting the spaces that represent your culture and values. Areas like the lobby, auditorium, gym, and athletic facilities are often the most memorable and impactful.
With a 360 virtual tour, viewers can essentially “walk” through your building at their own pace. This interactive experience provides a sense of scale and familiarity that static images or videos cannot match.
For example, Lawrence North’s 360 virtual tour allows viewers to move through the gymnasium as if they are standing on the court, giving student-athletes a sense of what it feels like to compete in that space. Similarly, Plainfield’s 360 virtual tour gives viewers the ability to navigate through their campus and experience it as if they were there in person.
Recruit More Students to Attend
Athletics are often central to a school’s students and could be an important factor for families. Facilities can deeply impact each student’s experience at school. Whether it’s athletics, the arts, or scholastic teams, virtual tours can highlight the best offerings available. For example, Lawrence Central’s virtual tour of their pool allows viewers to “step inside” this natatorium. This gives prospective student-athletes a chance to see themselves thriving in Lawrence Central’s athletic programs. This not only supports recruitment but also highlights your school’s commitment to providing well-rounded student experiences.
Showcase More Than the Building
Virtual tours are not limited to general campus overviews or athletic facilities. They can also highlight specific initiatives or milestones that strengthen your brand. Consider how a virtual tour could be used for:
- Opening a Brand New Facility: When you invest in a new building or addition, a virtual tour can showcase your commitment to growth and innovation to the entire community.
- Showing a Completed Renovation: Renovations take significant time and resources. A virtual tour documents those improvements, celebrates the work completed, and communicates progress to current families, alumni, and community partners.
- Detailing Specific Features of Your Space: Some areas deserve their own spotlight. A newly renovated auditorium, a STEM lab, or an athletic training center can be captured in detail, allowing you to market those assets directly to students who value them most.
Showcasing Your Brand: Schools and districts occasionally undergo branding updates within their building. A virtual tour can enhance this effort by presenting facilities in a way that reflects the school’s look and feel. Check out our blog for an overview on how to showcase your facilities.
Take a look at Beech Grove’s tour of Central Elementary School.
Tips for Capturing an Impressive Virtual Tour
Creating a virtual tour is more than simply pointing a camera at your hallways. A few thoughtful decisions during planning and filming make a big difference in the final product:
- Choose the Right Spaces: Focus on areas that best represent your school’s culture and pride. These spaces can help tell your school’s unique story.
- Leverage Each Season to Film: Each season brings its own set of benefits and challenges for capturing content. While spring and early fall often provide the best natural light and vibrant outdoor settings, winter is a great time to film indoor content, such as 360 virtual tours. If you’re trying to capture the entire school (inside and outside), summer break allows you to leverage the empty building and nice weather.
- Prioritize Clean and Organized Spaces: Families will notice the details. Ensure that spaces are tidy, freshly updated, and staged with purpose before filming.
- Work With Professionals: A high-quality virtual tour reflects directly on your school’s reputation. Partnering with a team experienced in educational media ensures your tour is not only technically polished but also strategically designed to highlight what matters most.
Virtual tours are not about replacing in-person visits. They are about providing an additional, powerful tool that supports your school’s brand and reputation. By focusing on key spaces, highlighting milestones, and capturing your campus strategically, you create a flexible resource that elevates your story for years to come.
Watch Lawrence North Central High School’s Virtual Tour
Ready to showcase your facilities in a new way? Use the form below to reach out about virtual tour opportunities for your school.
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