Tips for Nonprofit Impact Video: Video Marketing describes the use of video content to promote or inform audiences about your brand and products. Brands can use video across a variety of digital channels and formats, including their own website, social media marketing, and more.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand the basics of video marketing and how it can benefit your brand. We’ll also introduce you to the Amazon Ads solutions that you can use to get started with your video marketing strategy.
Table of Contents
Why is video marketing important?
One of the main reasons that video marketing is so important is that video is a popular medium among audiences. Two-thirds of consumers say they would rather watch a video to learn about a product or service than read about it. In the first half of 2021, video was the largest single source of Internet traffic worldwide—53.7%—with social a distant second at 12.7%. Marketers need to share their messages where and how consumers will see them.
How is video marketing taking away?
1. Almost All Brands Use Video Marketing
This stat speaks for itself. In other words, if you’re not using video marketing already, then you’re missing out on some valuable engagement and possible sales.
Don’t be put off by the fact this stat seems to imply video marketing is highly competitive. It is a crowded space, but don’t worry. Good, creative, and authentic content still stands out, so take the time to really understand your audience, get your messaging right, then share your videos as widely as possible.
Also Read: Role of Chatbots in Enhancing NGO Support Service
2. Digital Video Beats TV
Remember when watching videos meant watching DVDs? Not anymore. In the US in 2022, time spent viewing digital video was higher than time spent watching TV viewing for the first time in history. Yes, it’s official, digital video wins.
3. Video is Watched Mostly on Mobile
People are watching a lot of videos and different types too (see point 9 below…). And, they are mostly watching on their mobile devices. Fully 69% of people surveyed in the US said that their smartphones were the most used devices.
Pro tip: Creating content specifically designed for mobile users sounds like a tricky assignment, but it’s not! You should mainly consider that most people watching videos on their phones have sound turned off, especially if they’re scrolling social media content. Make sure you have captions available for your video, so the viewer can enjoy it even when they can’t listen in, such as on the train or bus.
4. Video Drives Engagement and Conversions
Video content has a unique ability to captivate audiences, holding their attention far longer than text or images alone. The immersive experience of video is deeply engaging, and that drives conversions too. In 2023, sites reported that 84% of people say a brand’s video convinced them to buy a product or service, attesting to the persuasive power of video.
People love a bit of storytelling, as it makes them feel something. Aim to make an emotional impact with a moving narrative, pleasant visuals, music, and sound effects. Make sure it can be viewed perfectly on a phone or computer.
Also Read: How AI is helping NGOs?
5. Native Video Provides a Powerful Edge in Exposure
Now let’s step out of the “walled gardens” of social media and look at the open web, where people discover recommended content on their favorite and frequently visited sites. Native video ads give you an edge in terms of user engagement. According to Outbrain’s data, native videos get an average of 50% completion rate, as well as a 60% average viewability!
Video production tips and tricks
The basics of a good video shoot are not as complicated as they might seem. Even if you have a limited budget or lack a multimedia star on staff, there are a number of best practices you can incorporate into your production workflow to ensure that you are producing the highest-quality videos to further your mission.
Set the stage
Natural lighting is free, and it can make all the difference. Film your video content in spaces with strong natural light and as little extraneous sound as possible. Don’t use your camera mic—sound can also make or break a video. Using an external mic will significantly raise the quality of your video sound. Most external mics plug in easily to your camera or phone.
Choose the right tech
When it comes to video production, it doesn’t take much to look professional. If there is a SLR camera available for you to use, great! But if not, filming on your iPhone can work as well—if you do use your phone, try an app like FilMiC to help enhance your phone’s capabilities.
Follow the rules
This should be intuitive, but it’s worth the reminder—make sure to follow copyright laws for any music and images used in your nonprofit videos. There is nothing more frustrating (or more unprofessional) than having your video muted or removed from a video platform due to copyright infringements after you have already invested your team’s time and effort into its creation.
YouTube for Nonprofits
If you don’t already know, Google offers a number of special programs within its suite of platforms and services that are specifically designed for nonprofit use. YouTube is included—if you’re investing time into video production, you should also be considering where to display and share your videos beyond your website.
Also Read: How Social Media in Amplifying Social Causes
If you qualify for YouTube for NonProfits, you will have access to features such as donation cards within your videos, the ability to link directly from your site to videos using call-to-action overlays, and access to production resources at YouTube-owned spaces.
How is video marketing effective for nonprofits?
Nonprofits are increasingly turning to video as a means of appealing to their audiences because video has become the preferred communication medium for most people. Research shows that if video and text are both available on the same website, 72% of people will choose to watch the video.
That’s because video has the unique ability to combine visuals and audio in a way that engages the hearts and minds of viewers, making for a more complete, emotional experience than text could accomplish alone. This reaction also helps get them invested in your organization.
Nonprofit video marketing has also been proven to:
Boost SEO rankings
Since video is an engaging medium, it tends to increase the amount of time that viewers spend on your website. This time-on-page metric then factors into how Google ranks your site in their search results with the help of SEO, in turn making your organization visible to larger audiences.
Increase conversion rates
Videos help viewers better understand your mission, organization, and services. This helps to foster trust and motivates viewers to become committed supporters. That’s why including a video on your landing page can increase conversion by 80%.
Also Read: Canva for Nonprofits
Generate higher email clickthrough and open rates
Email is the basis of a successful digital marketing strategy for NGOs. With the addition of a compelling marketing video, you can improve the chances that your email will actually be opened and read. In fact, just having the word “video” in an email subject line can help click-through rates by 65%.
Improve social outreach
Social media reigns supreme in the world of digital marketing. If you want to make an impact on this platform, it’s vital to create quick and compelling videos.
While it may seem daunting to venture into video marketing for the first time, consider that 89% of video marketers say video gives them a good return on their investment.
