Establishing emotional connections with your donors and volunteers can further your cause. Video storytelling helps your audience build that connection with your team and those you serve.

Benefits of Using Video in Nonprofit Marketing

Video is especially popular with online consumers. According to Wyzowl, online users watched an average of 17 hours of video per week in 2023. That means you have a wealth of opportunities to educate and encourage people to engage with your nonprofit through visual storytelling.

Using video content allows you to cater to various segments of your target audience while eliciting emotion and inspiring action.

You can use video to showcase:

• Success stories
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Daily operations
• Fundraiser or campaign progress
• Testimonials and first-hand accounts

Showing donors and volunteers how their money and actions are used rather than merely telling them can build trust and enhance retention. Video content is also easy to share, which can encourage your audience to send it to others.

You can use video to:

• Enhance transparency
• Guide users through the donation process
• Highlight staff and board members
• Simplify complex stories
• Share memorable moments and milestones

Tips for Creating and Using Video

Define your goals: Do you want to generate awareness of your nonprofit? Increase donations? Attract volunteers?  Keeping your goal in mind will inform your content development and help you create custom videos that meet your needs and suit your target audience’s preferences and interests.

Keep your audience in mind: Put yourself in your donors’ shoes and consider what they want to know and watch. Use video to show them how they make a difference. It’s important to grab your viewers’ attention within the first five seconds, so put the most important information at the beginning of your videos.

Monitor web analytics: Pay attention to metrics including views and conversion rates to determine how well your video content resonates with your audience. The results can guide future efforts.

Using Video on Various Marketing Channels

Social media: Video lends itself to social media platforms like Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram that support visual content. You can use video to repurpose other types of long-form content for social, such as blog posts, newsletters and annual reports. Breaking down that information into 15- or 30-second videos can make it more digestible.

Email marketing: Emphasize video content in email preview text to help your messaging stand out in a crowded inbox. Create an eye-catching thumbnail for your video to attract a reader’s attention or embed the video link.

Direct mail: Feature a QR code on mailing materials to direct recipients to your video content. You can provide a preview of what to expect and encourage them to scan the code to watch the full video. Include compelling visuals and clear instructions for readers to follow.

Text messages: Send multimedia messages with video thumbnails or links directly to your target audience. Ensure each message has a clear call-to-action so recipients know what to do and where to go if they want to act.

Connected TV: CTV uses streaming services such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. Streaming services have non-skippable ads, making them ideal for video content. You can target your audience based on their viewing habits, interests and geographic location.

Nonprofit Marketing Services in Toledo, Ohio

Marketing requires time and dedication, which can be hard to juggle while running a nonprofit organization. MadAveCollective can take that responsibility off your shoulders. We offer various traditional and digital marketing services to suit your needs and goals. Contact us to learn more.