Have you heard of adoption profile videos?
In my experience, videos are the secret ingredient for reaching out and connecting with an expectant mother. Videos are easier than ever to create, edit, share, and especially watch – on the internet from your phone, tablet, or computer.
This means women who are considering adoption for their baby can learn more about you faster when they watch your profile video.
Most hopeful adoptive families have not created a profile video – but you should. Here’s why.
For all three of our infant adoptions, my wife and I made profile videos and our kids’ birthparents LOVED them. They said our video is what separated us from the other families because they could see more of who we are and felt a quick connection with us.
When you make a profile video, viewers get to see you in a way completely different than just from photos and text.
With the click of the play button, a prospective birth mother will instantly see what makes your family unique and she’ll want to find out if your family matches her plans for adoption.
While a printed profile (with just text and photos) can describe a family pretty well, the profile video provides sooooo much more detail on important things, such as…
Personality
Sense of Humor
Sincerity
Excitement of becoming parents
Love for one another
The benefits of the adoption profile videos can’t fully be described – you have to see them for yourself. Check out these videos from families who are looking to adopt.
OK – so hopefully I’ve got your interest up about profile videos – and now you are thinking “great, now how do I make one?”
Here are my 5 simple steps for making a great adoption profile video:
1. Get the equipment you need.
You’ll need a camera (I’m Captain Obvious, I know), and a computer with some editing software (hint – most come with software already loaded on it).
2. Plan your video.
Write out a prepared script or simply sit down with your camera and talk from the heart about why you want to adopt and what you will provide for a child. Here’s what to plan for:
A. Where to shoot your video.
B. What you will say.
C. What you will wear (because your appearance does matter with a 1st impression).
D. What (if any) photos and short video clips to include.
3. Record your video.
Here are the important things to remember when recording:
– LIGHT. You need good lighting (natural light is the best). Have you seen videos without much light? They are hard to watch.
– NOISE. Record in a quiet room (no external noise) so the video only records your voices.
– STEADY. Keep the camera still so the video doesn’t look shaky and hard to watch.
– SMILE and LOOK into the camera.
– DISTANCE. Get close so a prospective birthmom can see your face.
– TIME. Keep your video at 3 minutes or less.
4. Edit your video.
You likely have video editing software on your home computer. MovieMaker for Windows or iMovie for Apple are free software programs that are easy to use. Add in photos or short video clips and even some soft background music if you’d like.
5. Share your video.
This is why you are making a video in the first place – to share it and be found by a prospective birthmother. Here are tips on how and where to share your video:
– Your own adoption website.
– YouTube.
– Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.).
– Profile sharing sites, such as Adoptimist.com or AmericaAdopts.com.
Some other thoughts and ideas from our experience:
– When shooting our video, we sat on our living room couch, which was pushed away from the wall a bit so there was a better background with more “depth”.
– It took us maybe an hour to come up with a nice sounding script which we could read (and not sound like we were reading) during the video.
– It took several “takes” to get a good beginning (welcome) and ending (‘thanks for watching’) to the video – mostly because we wanted to memorize what we wanted to say and not read it.
– Have fun with it. Try to use video clips and pictures that are not in your printed profile so you can show more of yourselves.
– Try to really capture what our life, personalities, and interests are. If you struggle with this, ask family or friends to help come up with ideas.
Want to see what my profile videos look like?
Here are the last few profile videos my wife and I made so you can see how they look:
I hope this gives you the confidence to make a profile video. I really believe it is a HUGE way for you to connect with expectant moms.
There is so much more I can share with you about how to make a really great profile video.
Want to learn MORE about profile videos?
There are 3 free videos that will help you learn how to create a profile video. Click here to get started AdoptionProfileVideo.com
