Postcard Video
A short guide
What is a postcard video, and how do you make one?
By Adam Raabe, who makes Postcard Video.
The short answer: a postcard video is a short video of you talking to someone, the way you'd write a postcard. One thought, a friendly hello, under a minute. To make one, pick the one thing you want to say, jot down three or four lines, film yourself saying them, and send it.
I named my app after them, so here's what I mean and how I make mine.
What a postcard video is
A postcard is short on purpose. A picture on the front, a few lines on the back, done. A postcard video works the same way: you, talking to the camera for 20 seconds to a minute, about one thing. "Here's where I am." "Thanks for your order." "Here's what's new this week."
It doesn't need editing, music or a script read word for word. It just needs to sound like you.
Other things people call a postcard video
The words get used for a few different things, so in case you came looking for one of these:
- A printed card with a QR code. Some mail services print a real postcard that links to a video you recorded. The person scans the code to watch.
- A video brochure card. A printed card with a small screen inside that plays a video when it's opened. Businesses mail these as marketing.
- A video e-card. A greeting sent by email or a link, often made from a template with music.
Postcard Video doesn't print or mail anything. It's for the part that comes first: filming yourself saying something you're happy with. What it saves is an ordinary video in your Photos, so you can send it any way you like, or give it to a card service that asks for a video.
What makes a good postcard video
- One thing. Pick the one thing you want them to know. If there are two, make two videos.
- Short. 20 seconds to a minute. Shorter than you think.
- Say who it's for. "Hi Mom," or "Hi everyone who ordered this week." It makes it feel like mail, not an ad.
- Let the background be the picture. A postcard has a picture on the front. Yours can be your shop, your desk or the view behind you.
- Talk from a few lines, not a speech. Three or four short lines are easier to say naturally than a paragraph.
- Sign off like a postcard. "Talk soon." "See you Saturday." Your name.
How to make a postcard video on your iPhone
Here's how it goes in Postcard Video, the free iPhone app I make. You can do the same with any camera and a sticky note by the lens, but this is what the app is for.
- Tell the chat what it's about. Open the app and write what you want to say, like you'd tell a friend: "A thank-you to everyone who came to the open studio, about 30 seconds." You can add a photo, a screenshot or a PDF with the + button, and the chat can work from it.
- Ask for a few lines. The chat writes three or four lines, or a short script if you'd rather, and puts them on the Telepad, the notes that sit right by the camera. Change any line, cut one, or type your own.
- Tap the big red button and talk. The line you're reading sits right under the camera, so your eyes stay near the lens. As you talk, the Telepad ticks off each line you've said and scrolls along with you. Your picture is a small stamp in the corner, so you're not watching yourself.
- Pause if you lose your place. Tap the red button again to pause, look at your lines, and carry on. Then tap Stop, and it's all one take.
- Watch it back. The take lands in the chat, so you can watch it right there. Not happy with it? Film another. It only takes a minute.
- Send it. Every take saves to your Photos. Send it in Messages, AirDrop it, email it or post it, the same as any video on your phone. The person you send it to doesn't need the app.
An example
Say you run a small bakery and want to thank this week's customers. You might write to the chat:
Write me a few short lines for a thank-you video to everyone who ordered bread this week. Friendly, about 20 seconds.
And end up with lines like these on your Telepad:
Telepad
- Hi everyone, it's Maya from the bakery.
- Thank you for every loaf you ordered this week.
- We sold out of rye on Friday, so I'm baking extra.
- See you Saturday!
Four lines, about 20 seconds out loud. Glance at a line, say it to the lens, and the next one is already there. Trip on the third line? Pause, and say it again. That's a postcard video.
If you're camera-shy
Most people are, the first few times. I am too. I wrote a short guide on how to film yourself when you're camera-shy: notes by the lens, eyes on the lens, one short bit at a time. And if the blank page is the problem, what to say in your video is the way I work it out.
Questions
What is a postcard video?
A short video of you talking to someone, like a postcard: one thought, a friendly hello, usually under a minute. People also use the words for printed cards that link to a video, and for video e-cards.
How long should a postcard video be?
20 seconds to a minute. If it runs longer, it's probably two videos.
What app can I use to make a postcard video?
Any camera app works. Postcard Video is a free iPhone app made for it: a chat helps you work out what to say, your lines sit right under the camera while you film, and you can pause any time.
Does the person I send it to need the app?
No. It saves as a normal video in your Photos, so you send it the way you send any video.
Can Postcard Video print or mail a postcard?
No. It helps you film the video. If you want it on a printed card, use a card service that takes a video and send them your take.
Is Postcard Video free?
Yes. It's a free beta on Apple's TestFlight, for iPhone with iOS 26 or later. No account.
Free on iPhone through Apple's TestFlight. iOS 26 or later. No account.