Power of Video for Nonprofits
by Michael HoffmanMonday, June 23rd, 2008
I’ll be speaking as part of the OneWorld Nonprofit Learning Network for a session called “Power of Video for Nonprofits” on Wednesday. I’ll be joined by folks from The Center for Social Media, ArtsEngine, Brave New Films, and RyanIsHungry.
The event will be in DC, but you can phone in from anywhere. Check here for details. People phoning in can follow along at home using the materials below, and they’ll be up here after the session for future reference.
The topic is: “Power of Video for Nonprofits”
Here is the session description:
Learn about and discuss how you can use video to engage your audience, attract new audiences and get people excited about your issues.
I’ll be showing two videos, one for AJWS and one for Sierra Club, called Lawmakers in the Dark:
And here are more resources:
The power of video to breakthrough all the clutter. Example: Yes. We. Can.
See3 produced videos from Amnesty International showing both the man-on-the-street technique and how you can use video in an online campaign and how you can make videos with very different tone out of the same source material.
Bread for the World video is an example of something easy you can do with your staff.
World Lung Foundation slide show that viewers can customize and email to friends. The idea here is simple slide show, with a Web 2.0 twist — the viewer can change the slide show to put their own organizational or personal message in, and then embed that show elsewhere on the web.
Planned Parenthood also released a simple and effective man-on-the-street video recently.
The PSA type video. An example See3 produced for the Chicago Foundation for Women and a very edgy UK one from Greenpeace International.
A documentary-style video from Columbia College Chicago. One of my personal favorites.
See3’s 10 Things to Remember When Shooting Video for the Web
• Tell a story. If you want your audience to identify with your mission, you need a compelling story that connects your work to real people. If a story moves you, it will likely move others as well - and become the foundation for deeper involvement.
• Keep the audience in mind. Are you trying to reach urban street youth or retired veterans? Tailor your messaging for a targeted audience and consider how you want it to feel before the camera starts rolling.
• Make a clear call to action. You have their attention, now tell your viewers how you want them to engage, whether it’s donating money, visiting a website or volunteering.
• Shoot video with repurposing in mind. Video footage can be reused for different projects and messages. Building a media library is a valuable long-term asset for your organization. Have a camera ready for every important event. Ask volunteers to document their work and make it available for future events, trainings, and online use.
• Think outside of the box. Consider new ways to make your video edgy or gripping. Use music, stills, or archival footage to reel a viewer in and then maintain energy throughout the piece.
• Prepare a script and get some feedback. Yes, even a one- or two-minute video needs the arc of a well-considered story. Scripts help lay the foundation for every piece of good production out there. Use feedback from trustworthy sources to make improvements.
• B-roll (footage where people aren’t talking) is important. Too many talking heads can make it difficult to hold a viewer’s attention. Collect all the footage you can and choose your best content when it’s time to edit.
• Sound is critical. One of the most underappreciated aspects of production is sound quality. Web viewers are more likely to watch a poor-quality video with good sound than a good-quality video with poor sound.
• Give the viewer the right web tools. Can the viewer forward the video to a friend, subscribe to your RSS feed, get involved, and sign up for your newsletter right there on the spot? If not, they should.
• Host a screening. Working with award-winning documentarians makes screenings here at See3 one of the most exciting parts of our work. Professional films rely on screenings, so why shouldn’t nonprofits? Screenings foster discussion and feedback from others who care about your message. It’s also an opportunity to meet up with others in your nonprofit community. For See3, it helps us maintain the award-winning video quality that we strive for with every project.
YouTube’s Basics of Using YouTube
• Reach Out. Post videos that get YouTube viewers talking, and then stay in the conversation with comments and video responses.
• Partner Up. Find other organizations on YouTube who complement your mission, and work together to promote each other.
• Keep It Fresh. Put up new videos regularly and keep them short—ideally under 5 minutes.
• Spread Your Message. Share links and the embed code for your videos with supporters so they can help get the word out.
• Be Genuine. We have a wide demographic, so high view counts come from content that’s compelling, rather than what’s “hip.”
Your Channel:
• Design Your Channel. Go to Channel Design, then choose a color scheme to match your logo or other materials, and decide which modules you’d like to display on your public profile.
• Add Banners and URLs. Go to Branding Options, upload your icons and banners, and enter any of the other options you’d like to use.
• Choose Your Top Video. The top video on your channel automatically plays each time someone visits your page—choose it wisely. Update this video regularly to keep it fresh, or keep your most important video there as an introduction.
• Get Donations Flowing. Sign up for Google checkout, then go to your Google Checkout Options, enter your ID and Merchant Key, and choose donation amounts. Once you’ve filled in the information, the button will appear on your public profile and all of your video pages.
Your Content:
• Direct Dialogue. Make videos that create a dialogue about your work and what you’re trying to achieve. Ask questions and solicit video responses.
• Call to Action. Harness the power of user-generated content by asking supporters to submit videos to your cause. Create a group to collect these videos together; find ways to give recognition to the best ones.
• Tell Serial Stories. Engage viewers with a series of videos that tell a story around a specific theme, and keep them coming back for more. Once you’ve created a few episodes, put them into a playlist. This allows you to develop several video narratives targeted at particular demographics.
• Respond to Current Events. Address relevant news stories by posting videos that explain your position. You can then embed them in emails to your supporters—a video message can be more effective than a text-laden email.
• Use Endorsements. Whether they’re from celebrities or people you’ve impacted, it helps to have supporters chiming in about why your work matters.
Networking and Distribution:
• Tag and Title Well. Tag and title your videos with relevant keywords—that’s how users will find your content as they navigate YouTube.
• Embed, Embed, Embed. Broadcast your videos over the web by embedding them on your website and encouraging supporters to do the same on theirs.
• Click “Subscribe”. Subscribe to the YouTube channels you’re interested in to stay up-to-date on their content; they may return the favor.
• Engage and Interact. Draw attention to your work by interacting with both allies and adversaries through video responses, text comments, or joint projects/debates.
• Make Web Traffic a Two-Lane Road. Use your video description field and branded banner URL to drive users to your website, and link to your YouTube channel from your website to encourage people to interact with your video content here.
Links & Resources for Web 2.0
Michael Stein’s Nonprofit Technology Blog
Blogging:
How to Blog for Fun and Profit
Five Tips to Starting a NonProfit Blog
Blog Marketing – Figuring Out What Your Message Is
Tips for New Bloggers – HTML codes, designs, widgets
Social Networking:
What Can Social Networking Do For Your Organization?
It’s A Social Networking Carnival
How non-profits are using social networking to raise money and awareness
Social Marketing:
Social Marketing and Social Change
Social Marketing vs. “Social Marketing”
Viral Marketing:
Six Simple Practices of Viral Marketing
Beware self-proclaimed social marketing experts
Useful Website:
Commoncraft – Explanations in Plain English
Simple and easy to understand videos that explain blogs, social media, podcasting, social networking, Wikis and RSS
Good Examples of Microsites:
June 24th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
This is a lot of great information. I recently posted about how camps in particular can use video to engage their alumni. These camps have such great personal stories (#1 in See3’s list!) that they can utilize to reconnect with their alumni. This extra detail can be very helpful for the camps -
I’ll add a link to this post from my blog at www.gijptech.blogspot.com.