I did a video. What should I do with it?
That’s a question I hear often, and I think organizations make it harder to use a video than it should be.
A video is a powerful marketing and fundraising tool, and I don’t want you overcomplicating it.
Here are a few tips and strategies on what do to with your video after it’s published.
Events + Videos = $$$
Definitely share your videos at galas, fundraisers and conferences. You can show a video as part of a presentation about your organization, or you can play it before your big ask. In fact, 57 percent of people donate to a nonprofit after watching a video!
If you aren’t able to put your video on a big monitor, no problem. Bring a laptop, place it in the line of sight of folks, and play the video on loop throughout your event. You can bring a pair of headphones for convenience.
This might work better for shorter videos, when people can get a quick glimpse of your organization and its impact.
Ideally, your video should successfully grab the attention of attendees and create an emotional connection with your organization. When you’ve built an emotional connection, you’ve got a key to a person’s heart.
When you have that key, you could change a life.
Get Social On Social
Social media is huge.
Use it to its max potential to expand your brand’s awareness, encourage more people to get involved in your ecosystem, and express interest in your offerings.
Posts with photos or videos rank better on social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and they usually get more attention.
We encourage our clients to embed their videos on their platforms, not just share a YouTube link. AND share your video multiple times, as opposed to just once.
Sharing videos across our various social media channels has allowed us to reach more people, engage with our target audiences, and start important conversations.
Add Videos To Your Newsletters
I hope you have a newsletter, or at least some variation of one.
Don’t be afraid to embed, reference or link to your videos in your newsletters. If you are running a fundraising campaign, say so in videos in your communications. The same applies for upcoming events, announcements and just about anything of interest and value to those you serve.
You can then track not only who opened your newsletter, but who watched your video.
You can tailor your videos to specific donor segments or highlight individual success stories.
This is what we do. We’ll create a video, and integrate bits into our newsletters. That way, our audience can actually see what we’re up to.
It’s one thing to say you offer cool programs; it’s another to show them.
Plus, some people are more visual learners. Any information about your offerings might not stick unless it’s shown in a visual way.
Get Creative
At the end of the day, you need to have strong visuals cut together well to create a story that resonates.
Without solid visuals, interview soundbites or a good story, hardly any aspect of your video will be worth reusing. Sadly.
But please do reuse and reuse and reuse your good stuff over and over again. Throw some B-roll in presentations and incorporate quotes from interviews into proposals, case studies, web copy, etc. It will look more interesting and visually appealing.
Further, one video can be edited into another video. For example, an event recap can be repurposed into a testimonial-heavy piece. The B-roll can be sliced into a teaser to promote next year’s event.
I just want you to get the most of your money and resources. It’s not hard, I promise.
Many people get so focused on that one way of doing a task, and, as a result, they miss so many opportunities.
Please think creatively. Reach out if you’d like to discuss.