Tell your nonprofit’s story with budget-friendly tools

Editor’s note: Lauren Major of Socialbrite just completed a three-part webinar series on video storytelling for the Alliance for Children and Families.

Target audience: Nonprofits, cause organizations, foundations, NGOs, social enterprises, video producers, digital marketers, educators, storytellers, general public.

Everyone agrees about the increasing importance of multimedia storytelling and getting the nonprofit message across.

There are many choices today for nonprofits when deciding how to tackle advocacy videos for online fundraising campaigns.

If a budget allows, the experts always recommend hiring a professional media company with the experience of producing with high quality video equipment and distributing in a way that gets the nonprofit’s message heard.

Using DSLR cameras, the film technology that offers a more cinematic look, we created a video for The Midnight Circus, a Chicago nonprofit that rebuilds parks in underdeveloped neighborhoods.

However, for smaller nonprofit projects such as thanking volunteers, creating quick updates of activities on social media and creating a portfolio of  video clips for a digital library, nonprofits may decide to produce multimedia stories on their own.

Many media companies profess that nonprofits can accessorize the iPhone to shoot videos and create nonprofit stories, and while it’s possible, we disagree that it’s the most cost-effective way. Here are the four reasons why the iPhone is not ideal for video shooting:

Reason #1: It is difficult to focus and zoom with an iPhone.

Reason #2: It has limited capacity to store video files.

Reason #3: There is no control of lighting.

Reason #4: Audio is not acceptable if more than a few feet away.

With the help of experts at B & H Photo/Video, we’ve put together a complete package at a similar cost as the accessorized iPhone. We feel these tools will be much more effective at creating compelling multimedia stories:

Canon VIXIA HF R400 HD Flash Camcorder

1While a DSLR may be too costly and often too complicated for most nonprofits to use, the advanced but simple-to-operate Canon VIXIA HF R400 is a good substitution at a very reasonable cost. Features include a 3.28 megapixel sensor, image stabilization lens, genuine Canon Face Detection and easy Web sharing. This camera allows for professional, crystal clear audio interviews with a few inexpensive accessories.

Rode VideoMic – Directional Condenser Mic

2The VideoMic from Rode is a cost-effective shotgun microphone that can easily be mounted on any video camera. Its super cardioid polar pattern attenuates sounds from the sides. Even when filming in noisy environments, it effectively signals the sound from the interview subject. Moreover, its rubber O-rings protect against movement and handling during shooting.

Bescor VB-50 Universal Shoe Mount Adapter Kit

3The Bescor VB-50 Universal Shoe Mount Adapter can mount between camera and a tripod or mount to the camera alone. With the top shoe mount, it also attaches to extra video lights and microphones. And its rubber side grips make it comfortable to use for the camera holder.

Pearstone OMNI Lav Mic with Mini Plug

4This small and inexpensive Pearstone OMNI Lavalier Mic provides quality sound pick-up with its omnidirectional pattern. The 20-foot-long cable provides flexibility for in-the-field shooting.

Tiffen/34mm UV Protector Filter

5The Tiffen 34mm UV protector filter eliminates UV light that obscures distant details on film and videotape and ensures greater accuracy of color with its ColorCore glass. It also functions as a lens protector, guards against fingerprints, dust, scratches or any other accidental damages. Some people refer to it as “cheap insurance.”

Hoodman HD-300 Video Hood for Camcorders with 2.5-3′ LCD

6The Hoodman HD-300 Video Hood fits all camcorders with a 2.5-3.0-inch 16×9 LCD monitor screens.The hood is made of water-resistant nylon and folded quickly and easily for storage. It minimizes the distractions and provides more accurate viewing.

Sandisk Extreme SDHC Class 10 (30MB/s) 16GB

7The Sandisk Extreme SDHC card delivers class 10 performance with up to 30 MB /sec read/write speeds and stores up to 4 hours of H. 264 high definition video for camcorders and video-enabled DSLRs.

Canon BP-110 Battery Pack (1050MAH)

8The Cannon BP-110 Battery Pack is compatible with Vixia HF R20, R21, and R200 high-definition camcorders. It’s also compatible with Canon Legria models HFe26, R28, and R206. The small Lithium-Ion battery powers the camcorder for up to 85 minutes and communicates its charge level to the camera to be displayed on the LCD screen.

Pearstone ONYX 1040 Shoulder Case

9Designed to carry a compact DV camcorder and a digital still camera, the Pearstone ONYX 1040 Shoulder Case is made from heavy-duty, weather-resistant 600 denier ballistic nylon and protective interior padding. Its removal, adjustable shoulder strap and soft, padded carry handle make it easy to carry. Other features also includes a exterior mesh pocket, a front zippered pocket, full-width inside mesh pocket, and two memory card pockets.

Canon NS-10 Neck Strap

10Canon NS-10 Neck strap is compatible with all Canon Camcorders. It provides comfort when carrying the camcorder and prevents misplacing the camcorder.

NEW 2-YR Protection Plan

11The NEW 2-Year SAGEMAX Protection Plan covers any mechanical and electrical breakdowns of the camcorder with 24/7 toll-free phone support and zero expense.

Do you have your own favorite video or storytelling gadgets? Let us know in the comments!

The post Advocacy videos: Digital storytelling on a budget appeared first on Socialbrite.

Getting your supporters to take the next step when your video ends

This is part two of a three-part series on how nonprofits can create engaging multimedia stories that motivate supporters to take a desired action. Part two describes the use of call-to-action video overlays to boost ROI. Also see part one:

• Creating compelling advocacy videos for nonprofits

Target audience: Nonprofits, NGOs, foundations, cause organizations, social enterprises, brands, businesses and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) divisions, video producers, Web publishers.

While the audience for online video continues to grow, the advances in Web video technology are changing at a dizzying pace, making it hard for nonprofits to keep up. There are several good online video platforms and third-party apps available to convert views into actions. YouTube’s call-to-action video overlay, third-party video apps and customized video domains or microsites offer great options for boosting the return on investment of your nonprofit’s video program.

YouTube’s call-to-action video overlay

Most nonprofit Web videos make mention of their organization’s URL either verbally or with graphics edited into the video. But the effectiveness of your message is cut short if you don’t include a clickable call to action that takes visitors to your website, Facebook Page or Twitter page to make a donation or to take another desired action.

YouTube’s nonprofit program offers two such call-to-action video apps that can be easily implemented: overlays and annotations.

If your nonprofit is not already part of the Google for nonprofits program, consider applying. The free program offers many benefits and can become a center for creating effective calls to action and engagement:

• Free or discounted version of Google Apps for your organization
• Premium branding capabilities and increased uploads on YouTube
• The option to drive fundraising through a Google Checkout “Donate” button
• The ability to add a call-to-action overlay on your videos to drive campaigns
• The ability to post volunteering opportunities on the YouTube Video Volunteers platform
• Free Adwords advertising

Examples of video calls to action — in action

Here are a few examples of how nonprofits have incorporated overlays and annotations to drive a specific course of action.

This Angry Kid Greenpeace video is heartfelt and does a great job delivering its message. Unfortunately, the creators stop short by simply offering engaged viewers the opportunity to visit their website at the end with no actionable link:

The Darius Goes West video takes it a step further and adds a call-to-action overlay to visit Darius’ Twitter page as part of the YouTube player:

The use of  annotations to engage the viewer and encourage interactivity can be seen in The Hug The World video (after the initial 15 second ad):

This Greenpeace video celebrating a victory over rainforest destruction also uses annotations in their call to action by encouraging the viewer to “like” the video:

Third-party video player overlays

There are several companies that have emerged recently that market call-to-action video player skins that are designed to be layered on top of players such as YouTube or Vimeo. Viewbix, for example, offers “to put the entire Web experience in the video player.”  Their software allows video creators to add elements of their websites, social networks and more into the video player so that when they share the video on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube they take all their calls-to-action and content with them.

To illustrate, Socialbrite partner Major Multimedia, a nonprofit video training and production company, created a Viewbix overlay for a video created for a client, Chicago Cares, to recognize outstanding volunteers at their awards banquet. This video is housed on Viewbix’s website but can be embedded, copied and shared.

Videos for a customized video domain or microsite

While hosting on YouTube has its advantages for nonprofits, a professional multimedia firm can help you custom-design media-driven websites and microsites that integrate with your nonprofit’s existing organizational website with platforms such as Vmix, Convio, Kaltura or Drupal (compare).

Just a little over two years ago, Pathfinder International had no videos online and little in-house video production. With the help of See3 Communications, Pathfinder launched a microsite that is built entirely around video sharing: Girl2Woman.

Pathfinder shared how they opted not to use YouTube because “we couldn’t control the look and feel as much as we would have liked, we wanted to count the shares of the videos (not the views), and we wanted to focus on integrating features like the call to action share.”  They’ve still posted the videos on YouTube, however, so that others can embed them.

They documented specific objectives for wanting viewers to share their microsite:

1. to raise the visibility of reproductive health needs throughout a woman’s life
2. to raise $1 million (and for each video share, a generous donor is giving $1 to Pathfinder)
3. to leverage the share functionality to increase the number of registrations by constituents

To meet those goals, they needed to be able to count the number of shares and capture the information of people who shared, which they couldn’t do with a YouTube hosted site.

In fact, embedding video on a nonprofit’s own website can be better for your SEO — when a video is published on a third-party site, links to those videos just increase the page rank of the third-party site, not the nonprofit’s own site. If the video is published on the nonprofit’s site they have full control over the links on that site and the corresponding SEO.

Regardless of which of these call-to-action options your nonprofit chooses, remember to:

• first build your social network & encourage conversation before inserting a call to action
• use a clear and distinct call to action that tells the viewer exactly what you want them to do
• connect viewers to URLs that elaborate on your story.

Consider placing the “call” on the skin or at the end of the video to encourage the viewer to watch until the end and follow through on the call to action. Also, because each video hosted is different, the call to action might be different depending upon the content and desired outcome.

The most important part of your call to action is ensuring that it fits with what your audience needs. When it matches the exact needs of your audience, taking the recommended next step will be a natural course of action for viewers.

Please share your own experience with call-to-action video apps and online video platforms.

Related

• Creating compelling advocacy videos for nonprofits (Socialbrite)
• Techniques to add dazzle to your advocacy video (Socialbrite)
• How to find amazing, powerful stories for your nonprofit video (Socialbrite)
• How to use microsites to better tell your nonprofit’s story (Socialbrite)
• 6 ways YouTube is helping out nonprofits, including call-to-action-overlays (Socialbrite)
• Five Nonprofits Maximizing YouTube’s Nonprofit Program (Nonprofitorgs)

The post How to effectively use calls to action in nonprofit videos appeared first on Socialbrite.

10 tips you need to know before picking up that camera

Target audience: Nonprofits, NGOs, cause organizations, social enterprises, brands, educators, video producers, Web publishers, storytellers, individuals.

Guest post by Steve Stockman
Writer/director/producer, Custom Productions, Inc.

Videos are made out of passion you have for your cause — the people you are helping, the changes that need to be made, the story that has to be told. They’re a powerful cause marketing tool. But no matter how good your cause is, one truth stands between you and successful communication: Nobody watches bad video. A poorly done video — one that bores people to the point of clicking away — gives you no chance to inspire, to inform, ask for donations, or share your passion. And if nobody watches, you might as well not bother.

The good news: stories about people, struggle, challenges and passion are entertaining — as long as you know how not to push your audience away with a lame video. Turns out that with a little bit of awareness, planning and practice, you too can make video that doesn’t suck.

Here are 10 things you need to know:

1The audience comes first. What kind of experience is your video providing for the audience? If it isn’t going to take them on a fun or emotional ride, maybe your project should be a memo instead. Give the audience a good time and they’ll love you. And vice versa.

2Video shines at communicating motion and emotion. Facts and figures? Not so much. It’s a human thing — as animals, we’re wired to pay attention to things that move (Food! Danger!) and the communications of the tribe (Is he going to hit me? Does she want sex?). If what you have to say is best said with charts and lists, it may just not be good video material.

3A good video can be summed up in a single sentence. That sentence should consist of a noun, a verb and a result. “Our executive director” is not a video. “Our executive director confronts congresspeople on the street to ask about Global Warming” is.

4Think in shots. You won’t see a lot of long, rambling shots on TV. That’s because a video needs detail and action to hold our attention. Don’t run your camera non-stop. Instead, find something interesting. Aim. Shoot. And, when it stops being interesting, stop shooting and point somewhere else. Your short shots will add up to a shorter, more professional video.

5Cut bad sound, bad lighting and bad photography. It’s disrespectful to ask your audience to suffer through dark scenes, hollow, echoing audio or brain-hurting camera bounces. Worse: They’re instant tune-outs. If it looks bad on the camera’s little screen, it won’t get better when you look at it later. Cut it from the finished video.

6Humor and music, done well, always work. People will sit through tons of drudgery for a good laugh (see the 35-year track record of “Saturday Night Live” for example). Nobody ever said about a video, “It’s too funny. I hate it.” Yet cause marketers especially shy away from humor. Don’t. The right music can be just as visceral, which is why you almost never see an unscored movie. Always try music when you edit. It’s easy enough to take out if it doesn’t work. More often than not, it will be the magic ingredient that pulls your video together.

7Keep your video short. That movie trailer you hated because it showed you the whole movie? Two minutes and thirty seconds long. Your favorite Super Bowl TV spot: 30 seconds. Average time spent looking at a Web page? 15 seconds. How long should your video be? First, this question: Does it star the Victoria’s Secret models and is Martin Scorsese directing? No? Then take the length you intuitively think it should be, and cut by two-thirds. That makes your 10 minute video more like three minutes. Which will still be too long if it isn’t great.

8You know in your heart when the shooting is bad. Your brain will try to convince you it’s OK. This is normal. Nobody wants to throw away a shot that took time to shoot or money to pay for. Trust your gut. If it feels wrong, it’s wrong. Stop. Think. Fix it. Re-light, rewrite or reshoot — whatever it takes.

9Don’t strive to go “viral.” A viral video is a response by an audience that’s so excited by your video that they urgently and quickly share it with everyone they know; or, in other words, it’s a hit. Hits take skill, vision, artistry, marketing savvy and a huge amount of luck. You can hire all but the luck — but it’s expensive and still may not work. Best not to base your strategy on going “viral.” You can still be good, though.

10If you don’t love video, don’t shoot it. You wouldn’t have people who suck at sales run your sales department. You don’t want the guy who’s bored with brain surgery cutting into your head. Add your own metaphor here … and then apply it to video.

But don’t worry! You may already have other video enthusiasts in house that you didn’t know about. For every 50 people in your organization, I’m guessing there are two with a knack for video. Since you didn’t hire them for that, you’re going to have to figure out who they are. Easiest way: Just ask! If your organization is too small to have a video hobbyist, or they’re too busy with their real jobs, hire pros. For big important projects, call the big expensive pros. (Note: Socialbrite’s new in-house expert, Lauren Major, specializes in video and multimedia production for nonprofits — and isn’t expensive.)

For day-to-day stuff, you may be able to make do with a talented recent graduate or intern from the film department of a local college. If you have a very video-centric organization and a strong website, you can train your entire staff to do videos for fun and to build community.

The post How to make cause marketing video that doesn’t suck appeared first on Socialbrite.