Or at least – relatively easy, once you’re familiar with how to read the metrics. If you include a video in your invitation to your annual dinner, you can keep track of how often that video was opened; how many minutes people kept watching; even how often viewers vs. non-viewers clicked the “sign up” or “donate” buttons. You can add up hits and dollars and get a good sense of where you stand.
Because we can make clear, easily supported arguments about their impact, videos with these kinds of immediate results tend to be an easier sell – both for yourself, and for your board or your boss. If you want to be able to justify your budget or prove your worth, it’s tempting to lean on the numbers that are readily available and easily understood.
For example:
Another way to think about this is short game versus long game.
Let’s take that same annual event we mentioned at the start of this post, but this time, let’s think about what might happen after a year spent engaging consistently with your supporters. By the time the dinner comes around, they feel very closely connected to your organization, and your results improve accordingly.
If you sent these reengagement videos out expecting to see a strong surge in donations following each one, they may have seemed like individual failures over the course of the year. Obviously, in the aftermath of the dinner, it becomes clear that this is not the case.
That’s why it’s important not only to understand the goals of every video you make, but also how to interpret the results on their own terms.
Once you’ve defined success the right way, you’ll be able to not only deliver these numbers at the next board meeting – but also personally enjoy your achievements at every stage.
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