Is your nonprofit using video to build relationships? To help with fundraising and marketing? If not, you’re missing out. Big time.
More people are watching more video every single day. Video is a great method to engaging and connecting with viewers, eliciting an emotional response from the audience and mobilizing people to take action.
To learn how your organization can take advantage of video, here are 9 data points you should know.
Video in general
Video is expected to make up 82% of all internet traffic by 2022.
Takeaway: People are watching a LOT of video! Better join that trend and start posting videos for your audience.
Videos under two minutes long generate the most engagement.
Takeaway: This is sometimes hard to do. You have so much you want to share! Which is why you should be breaking down your videos into bite-size segments.
The goal is to keep it short and to the point. So whether showing impact of a program, introducing a staff member, telling the story of a service recipient or saying thank you to donors, plan to keep it under 120 seconds.
The more engagement a video generates, the more connected viewers will feel to your organization. That will be extremely helpful for you when it comes to fundraising and building relationships with them.
Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
YouTube
YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine.
Takeaway: People are constantly searching words, phrases and terms on YouTube. I guarantee some of them are related to your work and mission. Which is why having an active, updated YouTube channel is critical to your fundraising and marketing efforts!
A chance for new eyeballs to learn about the work you do, the people you service and the impact you have in your community. YouTube videos can help send traffic to your website and convert viewers from bystander to active supporter. All it requires is the right video for the right person.
YouTube has over 2 billion active monthly users. Additionally, YouTube streams over 1 billion hours of video a day.
Takeaway: Need I say more???!!!
Photo by Elliot Teo on Unsplash
Social Media
Facebook gets over 8 billion video views per day. Important to note that 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound.
Takeaway: That’s a CRAZY amount of video views! The easiest takeaway is that video must be part of your Facebook content strategy. Images and/or text posts alone won’t cut it.
But there’s something more important as well: The great majority of videos are not being watched with sound. That means every video posted on Facebook MUST have subtitles. Otherwise, viewers may not understand what’s happening and they’ll move on.
Side note: All videos you post- whether on social media or elsewhere- should contain subtitles. Keep in mind that 20% of the population has some form of disability. It’s important that you add subtitles/closed captioning so everyone can engage with your videos.
Twitter receives over 2 billion video views per day.
Takeaway: Same as above. If you’re going to be active on Twitter, make sure you’re tweeting videos (in addition to images and GIF’s which receive plenty of engagement as well).
70% of Instagram Stories videos are watched with the sound on.
Takeaway: 500,000,000 (yes, HALF A BILLION!) people view Instagram Stories daily. Which means your nonprofit shouldn’t just be posting in the feed. You MUST be posting every day in Stories. It’s a great way for people to connect and engage with you.
This is also the opposite of Facebook: Most users are watching videos with the sound on. This might make it easier for your organization to engage users, as they won’t just see but they’ll also hear about you.
Video And Your Nonprofit
Think of all the different types of videos you could be recording and posting:
- Impact in the community
- Storytelling about beneficiaries
- Thank you to donors
- Introducing staff and volunteers
- Pre-event hype
- Webinars or live Q&A
- Behind the scenes (showing how your organization performs its “magic”)
One other idea is using B-roll footage. Creating a promotional video? Get the stuff that stayed on the cutting room floor! Share the slip ups, unscripted moments and the times someone came into the frame unexpectedly. It’s great for a smile and a laugh and can be used as a teaser in advance of releasing the finished product.
Whether serious or fun, video MUST be part of your fundraising, marketing, content and communications strategy. People are watching. Meet them where they are.
Your videos don’t have to be a Spielberg production but you DO have to record and post videos. Contact me if you’d like to utilize video as part of your fundraising and marketing efforts. Video will help you connect with current supporters and put you in front of newer audiences. Let’s talk and prepare to record!
