Many new practices are borne out of necessity. And for non-profit organizations, that necessity is not surprisingly often survival on a bare bones budget. But in order to really flourish and grow, these organizations need marketing vehicles to both reach new audiences and engage interactively with existing ones. Enter social media. These online communities are digital iterations of the in-person networks and social affiliations that non-profits have traditionally courted — but with the advantage of being free, accessible 24/7, and offering the opportunity for lightning-fast word-of-mouth responsiveness. In short, viral.
So, no brainer, right? Well, here’s something to consider seriously for anyone dabbling blindly: As the social media audience for communities like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, LinkedIn, etc. continue to grow rapidly, so will the number of special interest groups and messages we are bombarded with. Just as email evolved in the 1990s to filter out spam, our mindset in online communities has become geared towards that permission-based philosophy: I decide which groups I let talk to me on a regular basis. And as we grow wary of the brimming marketing waters on the other side of that opt-in firewall, we are becoming more selective and less forgiving.
This means that now more than ever, a non-profit has to make a persuasive mark online the first time and then continue to delight their followers with clear branding and engaging, relevant content. One of the most accessible means of achieving this is viral video.
How many times in the past year have you been sent a link to a video or spotted one on someone’s newsfeed? If you liked it, did you forward it on to others with similar interests? And perhaps you were already brought to a host website or clicked a website link from inside a social media site because you were interested to know more about the organization behind the video. If you haven’t done any of these things, you are in a fast shrinking minority these days. Online interaction with video media will only get bigger as more content moves to the web from traditional sources like radio, television, and print. Consumers interact with this kind of content and, when done well, enjoy it more than plain mail.
Additionally, utilizing these tools sooner than later lets you engage with the future makeup of your base: Millennials. These are those idealistic, social youngsters aged 15 – 29 who are quite used to filtering out poor marketing messages and live on the web more than anyone else. According to the non-profit marketing blog Getting Attention: “Your org has to learn how to work with Millennials most effectively if you want to move forward, and they’re incredibly savvy marketing wise. As [researcher Alison Fine] said at the close of a recent speech on her research, ‘If we don’t figure out how to incorporate Millennials into our nonprofit organizations, they’re just going to start their own causes, overnight, using free tools.’”
Another powerful effect of video is what VisibleMeasures.com calls “viral activation,” where “interest in a new clip drives a corresponding increase in viewership to related, but older clips.” This means that your investment of time and budget into a viral video could produce a marketing piece that helps your organization engage with online audiences long after its original release.
All of this additional, targeted web traffic improves your brand visibility and provides a self-sustaining vehicle to improve membership, event attendance, fundraising, etc. So, if it can be effective, then how do you do it? PBS.org’ online guide Mediashift has a great article with some case studies titled How Charities Harness Social Media to Raise Awareness, Money. Here are some more thoughts:
Content is King
Some of you out there may be inclined to go for the hard sell approach: Bam! This is my organization and this is why we’re awesome! So, sign up for these three events and donate to our cause! This is most likely not a useful approach. The content of your video needs to feel less like an advertisement and lean more honestly towards entertaining and/or educational. Find a story or angle that will create genuine interest on the part of your viewer that will make them want to know more about what you do. And know your audience. Maybe plan on three smaller videos that each target a different constituency, rather than one fancy masterpiece that may be too broad in scope. Or not. Your commodities online are time and attention-span: use them wisely.
Getting the Viral Ball Rolling
Just like that proverbial tree falling in the forest, if no one sees the video, then what’s the point? If you’ve started with investing in compelling content, then the next step is getting it out there. You’ll need a smart plan that includes [of course] posting to social media sites, email marketing from your existing database, and interacting with your audience to encourage them to participate — whether that’s posting online comments, “retweeting” the video on Twitter, blogging, joining your Facebook Fan Page, or creating a response video.
Finding a Bigger Marketing Budget
Creating a video campaign does not have to break the bank, but the return on investment can be huge. There is the opportunity to leverage existing corporate sponsorships and/or forge new ones within the social media arena using viral video in a way that brings value to both brands, increases your reach, enlightens your audience, and safeguards your existing budget. Win, win, win, and win.
To learn more about how xiik Interactive Marketing can help accomplish such an effective campaign, give us a call at 888-900-XIIK.
Sources:
http://www.gettingattention.org/my_weblog/2008/05/tow-of-my-fav-o.html
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