5 Reasons Video is Crucial to Growing Your Nonprofit
As technology continues to advance and the ways we communicate continue to evolve, it’s clear now more than ever that video content is important. From a social media standpoint alone, Facebook—which will be used by nearly a third of the world’s population in a few short years—believes that video-formatted content will be the platforms most profiles by 2020. And now that basically everyone is walking around with a high-quality recorder and camera in their back pocket, it’s easy to craft video content for your non-profit. Non-profits (NPOs), especially, can benefit from this influx of wanted video content. From raising their brand awareness to helping increase their donation amounts and more, regularly putting-out videos can greatly help NPOs gain traction, across the board. Here are five reasons why you, as a non-profit owner or organization runner, should consider doubling-down on video content.
1. The Business of Video is Growing
Like we mentioned before: Video-based content is becoming more popular not only on social media but on other consumer platforms as well. Digital video has now become a nearly $140 billion industry, growing just over 17 percent last year alone. Also, over 60 percent of NPOs and other businesses believe that they’ll start putting out more video content in the next few years. And if you’re not also making, creating, and sharing video content, you’ll be left in the proverbial dust by other NPOs. Word to the wise: Start learning the ins-and-outs on how to use video marketing to successfully drive marketing campaigns. If you’re not too keen on doing the legwork yourself, then invest in a videographer.
2. Videos Drive Recognition and Connection
As the saying goes: A picture’s worth a thousand words. And if you consider that videos are nothing more than just thousands of pictures in motion, then imagine what you can convey with them. Videos give NPOs the opportunity to really build on connecting with their followers and donors. Unlike just straight text, videos can play off other “connection cues,” like audio, eye contact, gesturing. Also, by fostering a connection with your audience base, you’re, by default, also helping raise your NPO’s awareness. People who feel connected with a brand, company, non-profit, etc. are far more likely to share and recommend your organization to friends, family, and even strangers. That, and because of its visual nature, about 80 percent of consumers can recall a piece of video, be it an add or otherwise, that they’ve seen in the past month.
3. Videos Encourage People to Stick Around, Including on Non-Profit Websites
If you’re keen on driving more online-traffic to your non-profit websites or social media feeds, publishing video content can greatly help with marketing for non-profit organizations. Surveys show that people not only are more likely to visit websites that both publish and share video content than those who don’t. Also, those same studies and surveys make note that videos encourage viewers to stay longer on affiliate websites. This, especially regarding NPOs, can help visitors learn more about your overall mission, bettering the odds of them becoming active donors.
4. Videos Give Your Crucial Insight, As Long As You Keep Them Short
Because of how interactive and relational videos are, they’re great mediums to garner donor insights. Video marketing has been proven to produce insightful feedback from audiences they’re targeted for, good or bad. Particularly with fundraising ventures that incorporate video pulls, this way of visual marketing produces necessity metrics to use to better craft present and future campaigns. However, it’s important that any video used in a non-profit marketing strategy be kept short. Research shows that after about the first minute, viewer retention quickly diminishes. So, suffice to say that it’s important to make the first 60-seconds of any video clear, engaging, and meaningful to the message you’re wanting to convey. So it’s not just about grabbing a camera and shooting — It’s being able to tell a visual story that’s emotionally provocative.
5. Live Video is Becoming More Popular, Year After Year
Did you know that online live videos are watched three-times than live TV? As our world is increasingly becoming more mobile and social media focused, using live video as a marketing strategy for non-profits is a powerful tool. Live videos, too, boost audience engagement and brand connection, all while giving non-profits the chance to tell their story (or stories). By filming live videos—which can be put on social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and, of course, Snapchat—you can connect with your audience in profound ways. And it’s that connection that literally will translate into increased donation amounts and a growing fan base.
Embrace Video and Your Non-Profit Will Benefit From it!
As you can probably tell by now: Using videos to pedestal and show a spotlight on your non-profit is a fantastic way to expand donations and contributions, which is a side effect of improving your NPO’s brand awareness and connection with its audience. Consider incorporating videos into your non-profit’s marketing strategies in order to progress and thrive in this new digital era. At Bobby Keys Media, we specialize in creating content that connects with your audience and grows your business—mainly through video and websites. Contact us today to see how we can help take your business or non-profit to the next level.
