#BetterCallPaul-15 years
BetterCallPaul – I’m a Beer Hound Deucey Award Winner
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3 BIG Reasons To Use Video For Your Message
I get this all of the time: ” I know I probably need video for my organization, but why? What is the reason?”
Great question. I have 3.
1. Retention When you use video. The video itself uses more than one of your senses. In this case, the obvious ones are sight and and sound. When that happens, the retention rate of what was just seen and heard goes up exponentially. In fact, upwards of almost 70%. Couple that with various videos of what your organization is doing and you have a fan base.
#2. YouTube YouTube is huge. I cannot stress this enough. YouTube is the second most used search engine and is owned by the most used search engine, Google. Plus, Google loves video. It’s built in search engine tools and measurement abilities, make it an indispensable tool for video marketing. Not only that, but Facebook is catching up and competition is good.
#3. Digital Natives A technologist that I liked to follow, Philip Hodgetts, said a few years ago that video will become the new literacy. That day is quickly approaching. With new tools being developed all of the time that quickly access the rapid advancements in mobile technology, video is quickly booming as a communication and research tool.
The fact of the matter is, video is quickly becoming a necessity for your organization to stand out. The generation that’s becoming a consumer and the generation after them, have had access to video as a regular day to day tool, when the rest of us at their age now were still using Britannica and not Wikipedia. Think about that. The yellow pages has been replaced by Google for search and remember what I said above. Google loves YouTube.
The time to use video for your business started yesterday. It’s time to make that first one and go from there.
#BetterCallPaul September 2016 in Review
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The Mystery of the Viral Video
Every video producer within the last five years has heard the phrase, “ I need you to make me a viral video!”
Every video producer also knows that that’s when you have to sit the client down for an educational moment. Videos due go viral, but it’s either by pure chance or by having a huge strategy behind it. If you don’t plan for it, or have a kid, cat or dog do something spontaneously, the chances of your video going viral is zero. And like the say in showbiz, don’t ever work with kids or animals. Now you see the irony in this? However, with that being said, I also think the viral aspect of a video is also very relative. What do I mean by that? You have to look at the market you are serving. If your audience is a subscriber base of 8,000 and you get 2,500 views and over a hundred shares organically, I think you can claim that your video went viral. The same goes if you have only 2,000 subscribers and your video got 900 views and 15 shares. it was pretty darn successful!
What I am saying is you can’t compare your video success rate to what Coca Cola or even the Kardashians do. Not only do they have a large fan base, but they have a huge marketing machine behind them as well. They also have a strategy put in place as well so that there video views do hit the hundred of thousands of views and shares.
So, what do you have to do to make sure you get the best bang for your buck when it comes to video? 1. Have a strategy in place to use it effectively. 2. Upload it to more than one place 3. Embed it to your website 4. Make sure you add keywords 5. Tag the appropriate people/organizations involved with the video.
There’s many more, but essentially it comes down to knowing your audience and being able to tell the right story. Your video will go viral, but only if you have a plan and stick with it. Remember, just because a video of dogs without coordination got 1 million views doesn’t mean your video won’t be successful. It all boils down to the audience.
Here’s an example of one of our videos that went “viral” locally.
Guest Post: Charity Spotlight: Building Twentyon
Building Twentyone helps teenagers develop positive habits and values by giving them a safe, constructive place to drop in after school. They offer tutoring, a large space for safe party alternatives, workspaces for homework and projects, and the only indoor skate park within 75 miles of Lansing, Michigan.
In this charity spotlight I spoke with the Executive Director of Building Twentyone, Benjamin Schartow.
Origin Story
About five years ago, tragedy rocked the Holt community. A group of seniors from Holt High School, who had been partying at MSU, crashed into a tree. Three of the seniors lost their lives. The driver had been drinking.
Members of the community met to discuss what could be done to change teen perceptions. This is when Benjamin knew he had to help.
“Who is offering an alternative for these teenagers?” was the question Benjamin asked. When no one answered, he decided to take action. After talking with students, he began offering 5th Quarter parties after football games. These parties provided free pizza, a DJ, inflatables, giveaways, and a safe alternative to other house parties.
These 5th Quarter parties paved the way to Building Twentyone.
Today
Building Twentyone’s campus consists of two large buildings between Mason and Holt. Students can be bussed there after school. There are a number of workshops offered, such as photography, DJ, and improv. Building Twentyone also offers tutoring, games, and plenty of space for personal projects. There is also a lake out back where students can boat and fish.
And then there’s the skate park. Benjamin says it wasn’t part of his original vision for Building Twentyone, but a couple of volunteers put their hearts and backs into it and made it happen.
Empowering volunteers is something else Building Twentyone does well. Most of the staff are volunteers who don’t have leadership backgrounds. It’s not just teens who are looking for a purpose.
Big Wins
There have been some big moments for Building Twentyone this year. They have started holding assemblies at Holt Junior High with uplifting messages. The teen center has also been around long enough to see the long-term positive impact it has on teenagers. Working with a teen for a year or more and watching their life completely turn around is a very personal accomplishment for Benjamin.
Building Twentyone also recently celebrated its largest fundraiser. With utility bills exceeding $900 in the winter, those donations help a lot.
Advice For Donors
Benjamin revealed to me that Building Twentyone is primarily volunteer-operated. The larger expenses are rent and utilities. It’s very easy for those expenses to exceed 33% of their expenses.
When donors look at that percentage to gauge the quality of a charity, it’s also important that they look at the value being offered by that number. Facilities like Building Twentyone’s are invaluable to teens, and letting them explore technology, art, and other indoor activities year-round have a high energy cost.
Fortunately, Building Twentyone was recently awarded a grant that will reduce their utility bills by 70%.
Goals
In the near future, Benjamin would like to add digital media, speech writing, and public speaking workshops to their programming. He is also working with Mason schools to help influence more teens.
Looking farther ahead, Benjamin thinks it would be great to see an additional Building Twentyone location in the Lansing area.
Advice to Nonprofits
For anyone running a charity, Benjamin suggests planning fundraisers well in advance. Pick a date and work backward on your calendar to decide when you should start promoting it. If you start too late, there may not be enough time to spread the word and attract enough donors.
Benjamin also recommends looking for volunteers who are capable in areas where you are weak. Keep people doing what they love for as long as they love it. Touch the lives of your volunteers and they will become champions of your cause.
Photography by Ian Kast
Erik Gillespie is a software developer and semi-pro advocate of amazing things. He founded Giving Jar, a blog and upcoming donation platform for Lansing charities, and helps people learn how to create websites and other software at Lansing Code Lab. He’s kind of obsessed with board games, too.