Nonprofit and YouTube

Video stats for online marketing campaigns are incredible, particularly for YouTube.

When it comes to online marketing for your nonprofit organization, video crushes it every time. Internet connection speeds have increased to the point where most of us watch online videos daily, so it’s only natural that marketing efforts have expanded to include online video.

YouTube and Nonprofits

YouTube and nonprofits go hand in hand, similar to bread and butter or lily pads and ponds. By learning to properly utilize YouTube, you’re looking at the ability to reach supporters and possible donors you didn’t know were out there. Considering you can post or link your YouTube videos on popular social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google+, your outreach could immediately grow in size every time you create an educational and interesting video. Once you create a YouTube account, you can take full advantage of YouTube’s dynamic non-profit program. You’ll be asked to apply but once accepted, YouTube will add a Donate button to your page, branding to your personal channel, and call to action overlays to your videos. Use the live streaming feature to broadcast events, conferences and reporting. Visit YouTube’s Nonprofit Program page to learn more!

Besides using YouTube’s Nonprofit Program, here are a few additional tips to making your organization known on YouTube:

  • Having trouble making a video or don’t have time? Request that your volunteers make a video to promote or educate the public about your cause. You could turn it into a contest if you so choose.
  • Add annotations to your videos. This adds a call-to-action feel to your video by providing options to donate online, Re-Tweet, or Post to Facebook toward the lower part of the screen.
  • YouTube provides you with a section to view your video’s analytics. See the amount of views you have and what areas appear to be more in-tune with your video.

Online Video Marketing

Because of the massive amounts of video we consume, it makes sense that it has become an integral part of online marketing. Online video marks a significant opportunity to speak to your audience, YouTube makes it simple to upload your videos to an audience of millions.

  • 87% of marketers use video content.
  • 65% of viewers visit the marketer’s website after viewing their videos.
  • 49% of marketers increased their video ad spending in 2012.
  • 35% of online advertising is spent on video.

YouTube Statistics

No one can step away from the lure of video, not even cats or your ideal donors.

Bought by Google in 2006 for the hefty price tag of 1.65 billion dollars, YouTube quickly became the go-to source to watch nearly every type of video. Before its creation, online video was found sporadically, and the quality was poor and took a long time to lead. Now YouTube has created an all-in-one location for everyone’s video needs. Here are a few statistics which show YouTube’s influence in the world of online video.

  • 1 trillion views in 2011
  • 500 years of video are watched on its website each day.
  • 800 million unique visitors each month.
  • 700 videos shared on Twitter each minute.
  • 72 hours of video uploaded each minute.

Video Production Tips

YouTube

Well-produced, concise, entertaining, and informative videos are key to spreading awareness for causes your nonprofit supports. Potential volunteers and donors need to understand why they would want to donate their time and resources, and video is a great way to convey your message. We’ve put together a few key tips to create rock-solid videos, every time.

  • Have a plan – Write a short script outlining a few things you’d like to make in your video to keep you on point.
  • Shoot quality video – Calibrate your camera’s colors, have a good microphone, ensure even lighting, etc. to project professionalism and promote trust in your nonprofit.
  • Find your voice –  Show your organization’s unique perspective and what sets you apart from the rest, and remember that a little humor can go a long way in breaking the ice.
  • Keep it short – About 2-3 minutes in length is the perfect length for a video, giving you enough time to spread your message to the viewer without overloading them with details.
  • Ditch the annotations – While a few viewers find YouTube’s video “annotations” helpful, the vast majority find them intrusive distracting. Skip them and put all necessary info
  • Optimize for SEO – Write compelling titles for your videos, and add tags and a description. Be sure to include keywords relevant to your nonprofit to improve the video’s SEO.
  • Cross-Promote – After uploading your video, promote it on your organization’s website, newsletter, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest.
  • Make a schedule – Maximize your viewership by uploading videos regularly. Set a regular schedule for producing videos and stick to it.

Not skilled in the area of video production? That’s ok because we can help you! Check out our Online Video Production page to see what the fuss is all about! Valeo is proud to provide economical video production services.  Schedule a consult and let Valeo produce your next amazing video story!