Uploading Natively and Editing Transcriptions

Social Media Video marketing is many things - effective, inexpensive, trackable..it can also be intimidating, confusing, and time-consuming. Especially uploading videos. Apps like HootSuite help by allowing you to upload a video to three platforms at the same time. The problem is that you’re just uploading a link that the viewer can click on to take them to the YouTube video. Unfortunately, this saving of time comes at a price. Uploading your video directly, or natively, to each social media platform causes your video to reach far more viewers. Facebook actually favors videos that are natively uploaded by increasing your viewing audience.

Natively uploaded video also “auto-plays” when the cursor hovers over them. This increases engagement as well. One of the most important advantages to uploading directly to each platform is the ability to transcribe the video. 85% of videos on the web are viewed with the sound off. And, while transcriptions can be auto-generated in several languages, it’s important that you take the time to go back and edit these transcriptions. As good as these speech recognition programs are, they struggle with certain accents, they have a hard time with poorly recorded audio, and - they make mistakes, sometimes embarrassing mistakes. Correcting this text is a pain in the - fingers -but well worth the time. Captioned files are viewed by search engines, allowing access to keywords contained in the video without having to decipher the video.

Transcription services are available and are reasonably priced with a quick turnaround if you just don’t have the time for making these edits. At The Giving Network we transcribe every client video.

Social media allows you to reach the whole world with your message, but if you want to maximize this impact - go native.

Types of Marketing Videos for Nonprofits

Audiences crave video - all types of video. Deciding what types of video work best for your particular audience can be a challenge. For nonprofits, this means you’re not just trying to sell someone something, your goal is to turn viewers into active participants in your organizational mission. Here are a few types of video content that will help you accomplish this mission.

Storytelling

Video production uses all the tools of persuasion: moving pictures, compelling narration, stirring music - it’s the perfect vehicle for storytelling. A picture really is worth a thousand words. Often this means - shut up. Don’t over-rely on the spoken word. Video of undernourished children, abused animals, homes and families ravaged by natural disasters is far more powerful than having an omniscient narrator talking over everything. The substance is more important than style but in today’s video savvy world - style is expected. Ultimately the effect of the story will be dependent on who you’re telling it to.

Testimonials

We all want to hear from someone we like and trust before making a decision. Donors, in particular, want to hear from others who have given to your organization. Shoot testimonials with people who are relatable, engaging, and whose story compels others to act. These are particularly effective for gathering content for short videos to use on social media. A 10-minute testimonial may seem like 10 hours, but gleaning two thirty-second sound bites from that ten minutes gives you social media content for several different outlets.

Thought Leadership: Interviews, webinars, panel discussions are venues to create awareness about your organization. You’re not necessarily going for the “ask” at this point, you’re simply educating potential donors so that they can make an informed decision. After all, an educated donor is a happy donor.

Webinar and panel discussions

Host a webinar or panel discussion and give yourself the opportunity to have your name associated with experts in your field, while helping position you as an expert as well.

Interviews

Interview community leaders, philanthropists, and anyone else who can educate or in any way impact your viewers. Be prepared, thoughtful, and engage with both your guest and your audience.

Instructional videos

We are a nation of information junkies. The internet, for better or worse, has become the Tree of Knowledge. Offer your target audience relevant information that helps them learn and grow.

Staff Intros

Do your supporters really understand the various roles your staff play? Board members, volunteers, and donors have limited access to your staff. Your staff members are your internal ambassadors. Recording your staff members describe their job, accompanied by footage of them performing that job, shows off your organizational diversity, passion, knowledge, and experience.

Commercials

Think of how many commercials are indelibly etched into your mind. It’s enough to fry your brain. And, although you may not always produce commercials, when you do, make it a good one.

Video content marketing for nonprofits is very much the same as any other organization. Educate, engage and encourage. Encourage discussion. Encourage reflection. But most of all, encourage action.

TIPS FOR CREATING A NONPROFIT VIDEO MARKETING STRATEGY

As the amount of video content published on social media channels increases, the demand does too. As of 2019, videos made up 80% of all internet traffic. This percentage has only increased, even as the cost of video has decreased greatly over the last few years. We can now shoot quality videos with a smartphone and distribution via social media is free. Even boosted videos are moderately-priced compared to other distribution venues.

To help you join the video marketing game, below are some video tips that nonprofit marketers use to get the camera rolling.

Know Your Audience

Think about who you want to see the video and what you expect for your video marketing outcome. Yes, Video is a tool to create awareness, but it can do more than just that for nonprofits. Think about using video to increase your fundraising. Google has found that online video is the best online method for driving donations – with more than half of donors making a gift after watching an online video about a favorite cause. Videos created for social media allow you to pinpoint the demographic you’re trying to reach. With Facebook and Instagram, you can specifically designate your audience according to age, sex, location, even interests, and hobbies. This gives you the option of modifying each video to custom fit the audience your trying to reach.

Keep it Short and Sweet

There are literally millions of different types of content trying to grab the attention of your target audience. videos of up to 2 minutes get the highest amount of engagement. Try to attract the attention of your audience in the first frame then keep them engaged with your storyline and messaging.

Use storytelling

Video is the best way, hands down, to bring your organization’s impact to life, increase awareness and communicate with supporters on an intimate level, in a very short period of time.

Video is the next best thing to being there for telling stories and educating people about your mission. The ability to combine interesting visuals, sound, and action makes video the most engaging medium and most folks’ medium of choice.

Storytelling helps you create a bond with your audience, and video is a perfect storytelling medium. Before figuring out what story to tell, think about what the interests of your audience are and what triggers them to take action. It’s important to share a unique story that is emotional and compelling to your audience. Videos showcasing staff, volunteers and those who your organization helps will be original and authentic. But these videos need images as moving as the words. After composing questions that elicit strong responses, interview the people who will be telling the story. Ask open-ended questions, shoot in nice locations with minimal background noise, then let your subject talk. What they say provides the narrative for the story. It gives you ideas for accompanying shots to make the video more interesting. A picture is worth a thousand words and a video is 30 pictures a second. The video would engage, educate, and hopefully, inspire action.

Educate your audience

Video marketing provides a one-of-a-kind venue to educate your audience on the importance of your cause, the need for support, and your work’s impact. So try to engage both the intellect and emotions of your audience by providing them information about your organization’s mission. The internet has caused people to become hungrier for information. Today’s donors are well-informed and they consider their gifts of time and money and investment. They expect to see a return on this investment. Videos let them see your mission in action and hear from those impacted most.

Have a clear call to action

What do you want your viewers to do once they’ve watched your video? It’s important to drive the viewer to take action at the end of the video. If your aim is to collect donations, then make sure your call to donate is clear. And remember not to confuse donors by forcing too many “asks.” Consider using links to lead the viewer to specific pages on your website that relate to your campaign. Other calls-to-action might include: “Learn More” or “Join our Mailing List.” Even an invitation to like, comment, subscribe are all calls to action. They already all meant to strengthen engagement by increasing the viewer’s investment in your organization.

Use all kinds of videos

For marketing and fundraising, the only thing worse than no video is a poorly-produced video. These videos are often someone’s first look at your organization and you only get one chance to make a first impression. It’s not a good idea for the video that auto-plays on the homepage of your website to look like it was shot as a 4th-grade class project. This is the instance where a professional look is needed to add more credibility and a clear representation of your organization. Other times, slicker isn’t necessarily better. an unscripted, spontaneous video of the reactions of clients, behind-the-scenes looks at programs and short vlogs can be shot on your phone and even broadcast live to social media. This type of video is intimate, immediate and engages the viewer on a personal level.

The biggie: Distribute on social media

To get the maximum value out of your video, you will need to distribute it well to your target audience. One of the best ways to distribute your video is through social media channels. consider running ad campaigns to get more views. And be sure to create videos specifically for each social media platform. Videos made for Facebook are best-received when they’re about 2-3 minutes long. Instagram videos are under 60 seconds. Instagram TV and Instagram stories are shot vertically rather than horizontally. All of these videos should be uploaded natively to that platform for the best results.

Through video, you humanize your organization and give your supporters insight into who they’re actually engaging with.

I hope you’ll consider calling us and discussing your content marketing needs. At The Giving Network, we produce high-quality engaging videos - and we do it consistently. The cost of our video content package is affordable and we will help you find a business partner to underwrite the cost in exchange for co-branding the videos. Each shares in the other’s success.

It’s a network of Giving.

Social Philanthropy: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

More and more consumers are basing their buying decisions on corporate social responsibility. In other words, communities support businesses who support their community. Consumers are expecting more from businesses, including real, meaningful social impact through support of nonprofits and causes that affect them and their friends, families, and neighbors.

Does this mean that businesses need to designate a significant chunk of their profits for charitable giving instead of spending it on the always needed marketing?

On the contrary, social philanthropy and marketing go hand in hand. This is called “Cause Marketing”. Businesses align themselves with a social cause that they feel strongly about or one that directly impacts their customers and community. By doing this they shape their brand. Businesses want to be known as good Corporate Citizens. By serving the communities they work in, companies with corporate giving programs build their brand reputation more effectively than those focused only on profit. When you compete solely on price, you’re attracting customers who aren’t loyal because they don’t really understand who you are or the value you provide.

I like salad and I go through a lot of salad dressing. And I always pay a little more to buy Newman’s Own. It doesn’t taste any better to me, it’s not less fattening as far as I know. But the fact that 100% of the profits go to charity moves me to buy it. When all other factors are about the same, most consumers will go with the brand that serves a good cause.

It’s getting tougher every day to maintain the lowest price in just about any industry. Being a good neighbor and investing in the causes that your fellow citizens invest in will foster a sense of loyalty that’s far stronger than that brought on by a fire sale or a seasonal discount.
Should your giving be kept quiet? Isn’t philanthropy something that you should do privately, without attracting attention?

Ummmm - NO.

Once you’ve started a strategic giving strategy, be sure to promote your activities on your company website, blog, newsletter, and other internal and external marketing vehicles. The notion that philanthropy and marketing are mutually exclusive doesn’t make sense. Businesses should EXPECT a return on their social investments. We all have to hold each other accountable when it comes to supporting our community. If a business doesn’t see a return, they’re less likely to continue giving. If it’s a nonprofit that is receiving, then they need to be as invested in making the relationship successful as the business is. This means sharing in the marketing duties on social media, co-branded events, and more. These partnerships work best when they’re viewed as just that - a partnership. This means joint press releases, co-branded video and other marketing materials, and most importantly, a shared commitment to success.

5 Steps To Creating Successful Videos

Good video production is a powerful tool to have in your marketing tool kit, but only if you know what your building, why your building it, and how it will be used. These 5 steps will help you with the process.

PLANNING

Even the best-laid plans go awry - and awry is never good. Well-organized Pre-production will help you leave this quote in the 15th century where it belongs. Instead, heed this more modern quote from another revered author, Hunter Thompson, “If it isn’t written down, it’s a hallucination.” If you’re into lists, you’re gonna love preproduction: locations, talent, props, equipment - there are a lot of moving parts in video production, and planning is the oil for the machine.

PURPOSE

Why are you making a video? What is your message? For whom is the video being made? You have to know who your target audience is in order to target them. How are they motivated? This will dictate the content, style, and delivery of their video.

You are catering to your audience’s PREFERENCES

The language, the imagery, the music - all of these are tools of persuasion. It’s also important to remember that you’re in this for that reason. Your video should create a sense of urgency and contain a call for action. That call might be a donation or something as simple as an incentive for the viewer to learn more. An educated donor is a happy donor. People expect a return on their philanthropic investment and want to know how their dollars will be used. Video is part of your long game. Use this resource to educate, entertain, most importantly - engage the viewer.

POST IT - Everywhere. YouTube is second only to Google as a search engine. Drive viewers to your YouTube channel. If you don’t have a YouTube channel - make one. Or have your child or grandchild make one. Embed the video on your website, pin it to the top of your Facebook page, tweet about it, include the link in your email blasts. Get the message out! Unless your video contains cute kittens or Lady Gaga, you’re going to have to put in some work to get them viewed. Encourage comments and create conversations. If you’re not talking about your video, chances are no one else is.

Finally, monitor PERFORMANCE. Google, YouTube, Facebook - all of these have free built-in analytics that allow you to evaluate how your video is being viewed. This gives you the opportunity to refine the process each time. If videos aren’t being viewed to the end they may be too long. They may be too boring. Read the comments, seek critiques from people whose opinions you value, and keep on posting

These five steps will help you down the long and winding road of fundraising success with good video content.

OK, that’s a wrap.