We’ve all heard the old phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, if you think that’s true, how much do you think a video is worth? According to Jeannie Piekos and Jeff Sylevestre of Blue Moon, the value of video for those in the nonprofit sector is potentially priceless.
I recently attended a session about online video presented by Jeannie and Jeff at the MCN/MCF Joint Annual Conference. The following entry is a combo of some of the choice teachings I brought back from their session, as well as some of my own research on the unique advantages of using online video to communicate to your audiences.
The Bad News: You’ve Got 5 Seconds to Make Your Case
Did you know that it takes just five seconds for a new visitor to decide whether or not they will stay on your website? Forget about giving someone your elevator speech, five seconds is barely enough time for a “Hello.”
Now Here’s the Good News
If you can get them to click “play,” five seconds is all you need. Data show that video can help you improve the likelihood that people who land on your organization’s homepage will take the time to acquaint themselves with who you are and what you do.
Fifty to eighty percent of new visitors who land on a homepage will click on a video first before doing anything else. Research from eMarketer shows that individuals who click on a video tend to stay around longer to watch the video and are more likely to engage in activities such as purchasing a product (or making a donation).
It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Stick
My favorite mantra of tech expert Guy Kawasaki is, “Don’t worry, be crappy.” A tad crass, but it’s a message worth bearing in mind when you’re considering online video for your nonprofit or foundation. Online viewers do not expect HD-quality video from you; what they’re looking for is an emotional connection with your organization’s mission (I’ll explore this more in a second).
With the accessibility of digital cameras and camcorders, and simple editing programs like Windows MovieMaker and iMovie, you (or an intrepid intern) can produce your own video inexpensively. It doesn’t have to be long either; industry opinion pegs the best length for online video to be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. YouTube also makes engaging users who are hard-of-hearing, deaf, or ESL speakers easy with their closed caption feature.
Make Those Heart Strings Sing
Getting people to stay on your website long enough to learn about your organization is just the tip of the iceberg. Another key benefit that should not be downplayed is the power of video to create an emotional connection with your mission.
I recently attended a webinar where Dr. Paul Slovic, a Ph.D. psychologist and expert in decision making, discussed research findings that show that the best way to persuade a donor to give is to create a sense of one-on-one emotional engagement between the donor and your constituent.
Next to meeting face-to-face, video is one of the best ways to create that sense of sympathy. As Jeannie said at the conference, “Video has the power to humanize and globalize your constituents’ lives.”
And Then There’s SEO
Finally, if you’re looking to improve the search engine optimization (SEO) of your organization’s website (who isn’t?), research from Forrester has shown that using keywords to properly tag your video (something that YouTube and other services allow you to do easily) can help you bump your page ranking on search engines like Google.
So What Are You Waiting For?
A few good examples for inspiration, perhaps? Jeannie was nice enough to send me some examples of nonprofits and grantmakers who are using video to engage with their stakeholders. Here’s a selection of links she sent me, as well as links suggested by folks who commented on this post:
Grantmakers
Nonprofits
Join the conversation: Have you used video as a tool to market your organization’s mission or to communicate about a particular cause or campaign? We’d love to hear about it. Please share your experiences in the comments below.
- Cary Lenore Walski, MCF web communications associate
Posted by Chris Noonan 
We here at MCF would like to take a moment to salute all those who participated in GiveMN’s Give to the Max Day — the donors, nonprofits, foundations, and the staff who made it possible.
