Here’s a fun fact: there are over 1.5 million registered non-profits in the United States alone, each targeting specific challenges and populations.
With so many organizations driving worthy causes forward, figuring out how best to reach and retain donors can be bewildering.
One of the best ways to connect with and attract donors is through storytelling. However, non-profits are sometimes hesitant to use consumers’ increasingly preferred type of online media, video, to share their work and ask for help.
Video myths like the idea that you need a huge budget or expertise to craft impactful videos shouldn’t stop you from tapping into a powerful resource for donor acquisition. With just a smartphone and a few simple tools, anyone can devise a compelling video marketing campaign.
Why Your Non-Profit Should Invest in a Video Marketing Strategy in 2021
Video has stormed social media in recent years, with both consumers and social media algorithms prioritizing video content. This isn’t a surprise – video shared on social media platforms garners 1200% more shares that image and texts posts put together. Moreover, 84% of customers bought a product after watching a brand’s video.
Non-profits rely heavily on email to keep their donors updated and to push specific campaigns. According to Campaign Monitor, including video in your email blasts can improve CTRs by 65% and decrease the dreaded unsubscribes by and impressive 25%.
Finally, a video can help emphasize your unique mission and strategy by creating an emotional connection with donors. Video’s unique sensory experience helps tell a riveting and informative story.
3 Tips & Ideas on How to Create a Winning Non-Profit Marketing Video
- Invest in the right equipment: Although you can use your phone for shooting, you should invest in a few accessories to give your videos a professional feel. Having something as simple as a tripod can help give your videos a more finished and high-end look. Similarly, you can find affordable microphones to improve your sound quality.
- Create a brand look: Most non-profits realize that branding is critical to building a community of invested donors. The same is true for video marketing: use the same font, consider matching the template to your logo, and use the same intro music. In this case, repetition is your friend.
- Decide what you want your video to do. Are you telling people about yourself, asking for a donation, or raising awareness about a problem? If you try to do all of these at once your video will lack focus and viewers won’t understand what your CTA is.
Tools for Building Your Non-Profit Marketing Video
After you’re done shooting, a few simple apps can really transform your video into cinematic gold. Use Flimora Go or Adobe Premier Clip to optimize dimensions for Facebook and Instagram, even slow down certain scenes – all from your smartphone!
With your edited video clips, try out Boosted, an intuitive video creation app that helps you make fun videos in under three minutes. With Boosted, you can easily take videos you’ve already edited and add text overlays, visual effects, different music, and even add stock footage to get your message across in a fun way.
Examples of Successful Non-Profit Marketing Videos
Charity Water, whose mission it is to provide clean drinking water to everyone around the world, makes the donor the hero this touching and silly video of staff members dressing up and saying thank you to donors. The video is fun while detailing what the organization has accomplished thanks to its donors.
Doctors Without Borders are a non-profit whos mission is to provide high quality life saving care to those in dire medical conditions. This is no easy task, and they are actively seeking donors. The Thank You video above makes an effort to show the brave human faces behind the team, those are who are traveling into far away countries to provide medical care in sometimes-high stakes situations. A promo video saying Thank You can go a long way toward both being appreciate to existing donors as well as attract new interest.
How Video Marketing Benefits Non-Profits:
Video marketing is a valuable form of storytelling that non-profits can use to raise awareness, build communities, and ultimately secure the funds they need to keep doing their vital work.
With the help of just a smartphone, some equipment, and a video maker, you can show donors where their money is going and what a difference it’s making.
