6 Ways to Maximize Online Video Marketing for Nonprofit Fundraising Appeals and Supporter Engagement

Video marketing is one of the most underutilized tools for many nonprofits when planning nonprofit fundraising and engagement campaigns and that is probably partly due to the misconception that they are difficult and costly to produce. Earlier this year I wrote about 8 Types of Online Videos to Help Increase Supporter Engagement and Nonprofit Fundraising and 6 Steps to Producing Successful On-Screen Nonprofit Videos to help dispel that idea. Creating strong compelling videos can drive donors and supporters to take action and that is why it’s important to integrate videos into overall marketing strategies. Advancements in technology has made the video production experience much easier and economical than ever before and as indicated in previous posts there are different types of videos that can be made to engage your supporters. There are also several considerations that nonprofits should keep in mind to ensure that your videos are effective and generate the desired results.

1. Plan Your Content. Create an outline of the content that you want to share with your viewers. It needs to be attention grabbing within the first 15-30 seconds, giving the viewer reasons and benefits to watch the entire video. It’s important that content be authentic and that your organization’s voice and overall mission resonates with the viewer. This is your chance to personalize your cause to appeal to viewers on an emotional level. Emotion incites action.
2. Introduction & Closing. Composing a standard introduction and closing helps build your organization’s brand awareness and gives the video a complete polished professional look. Including your organization’s logo, website address and contact information at the end with a clear and direct call to action is critical so viewers know what action to take.
3. Description. The description section of the video can (and should) be used to describe your video, give a brief description of your organization, include a link to your website and a call to action or appeal. Don’t forget to include your keywords as they will contribute to your SEO efforts. Be careful not to be overly self promotional, as the most successful videos tell a compelling story that advances the cause and maintains viewer engagement through a personal connection.
4. Titling. The title of your video could determine if the viewer clicks on your link and watch. Titles should be descriptive, emotive and attention grabbing but not misleading. Although there are 100 characters in the title field, the first 50 to 60 are what will be visible to the viewer when searching videos. The main keywords should be at the beginning of the title for added SEO value but to the compromise of the title.
5. Follow Up. Once published, it’s important to follow up and track the success of your video based on views and shares. Monitor and respond to comments and questions that are made, review the videos statistics to measure results, impact and performance and get feedback on your video(s) from others in your organization. Comments are also invaluable to improve on future video productions.
6. Consistency. As with all other social media marketing initiatives, consistency is imperative. Producing and publishing one video and leaving it alone will not produce long-term positive results. It’s important to publish regularly and this can be done by creating a series of videos that highlight different areas or elements of your cause. Some videos will be shorter in length than others but that is a good thing. The amount of time people will lend to a video varies so you’ll be appealing to a broader audience by varying the lengths.

Video marketing can be a very powerful tool and when done right it is a great way to convey your message, engage supporters and build trust and loyalty between the viewer and your organization.

Browse my Social Media Summer Series for nonprofits which includes features on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.