Quality over quantity when it comes to video production
If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed a change in how video’s been used in the nonprofit space over the last several years. Simply put, there’s a lot more of it; some organizations even seem to turn out new videos every day, or near enough.
But the videos they produce aren’t all glossy, lovingly-crafted works. On the contrary, many of them are pretty casual in terms of production values (the footage might even just come from a cell phone) or the tone of the content (chatty, informal, often unedited).
When I got wind of this trend, I started wondering what it was all about. Were these new videos effective? Should I start recommending this lower-cost option to my clients?
And after taking some time to sit with the question, my answer is: Yes, these videos can be effective, and yes, there are reasons to use them. For those interested in a professional opinion on when and why they’re a good fit, I’ve laid out my thoughts below.
What’s this trend all about?
If you’re looking for the root cause of this trend, it’s simple: the rise of social media.This new form of communication is less formal and more frequent. The result? Lots of homemade videos sitting alongside the professionally-produced ones.
Online spaces have given nonprofit organizations an easy way to share everyday updates and small-scale news in a more vivid way. This change has allowed nonprofits to bring some life and personality to what used to be just text or pictures in a newsletter, and even to give viewers a glimpse into things they didn’t used to share at all.
As for the new, informal tone, that actually offers a huge benefit when it comes to fundraising. Why? Because it feels authentic. Homemade content lets viewers feel like they’re being let into the real world of an organization, not a staged or contrived version of it. This may explain why audiences not only accept this new kind of video; they genuinely like it.
So, are professional videos a thing of the past, expensive and counterproductive? Not so fast. Let’s take another look.
Lessons learned
Here are my takeaways from the rise of more casually produced videos:
There’s a good reason video is becoming more popular: It works. Whether you’re developing a relationship with new prospects or keeping in touch with long-time donors, no other mode of communication holds a candle to the amount of information that's communicated by video.
In my experience, people like casual videos when they come from familiar faces. In the context of social media or email updates from an organization someone is already following, these videos convey an extra personal touch.
But people still expect you to establish a respectful rapport before they’re ready for that kind of informality. If they don’t know who you are or what you’re all about, a too-relaxed video may actually backfire and make a cheap or lazy first impression. That’s why when you’re generating new leads, it makes sense to stick with the polish you get with a professional eye.
This is also true when you’re running an event. People expect the standard of a video to match the occasion, so use your best judgment to decide when to go more formal and high-end. Not to mention, if you’re hoping to see a substantial response to a gala or crowdfunding campaign, you might need to make more of a splash than you can with an unedited cellphone video.
People like authenticity. While the informality of newer videos is one way to capture a genuine feeling, this is also something you can achieve in more polished videos. For example, you can feature members of your team in a professional video where they’ve been made to look and sound their best. Their passion and idealism will still get through to the viewer (which would not be the case with paid actors and voice-over artists), but they’ll be presented in a more intentional, sophisticated way.
You might notice that none of these points constitute a huge change in how video marketing works. Really, in spite of the differences in both quantity and quality, nothing major has changed.
The same core videos I’ve always talked about are still the foundation of a solid marketing strategy.
The difference is that the tools for staying in touch with your audience are becoming more accessible. Go ahead and take advantage of that, though I’d also suggest getting some basic training for your team to show them how to get good results without a lot of equipment. You can outsource editing to a production company, too, if you want to shoot for something a little nicer without breaking the bank.
It’s even possible that you can get away with incorporating some cell phone footage into high-end videos, since audiences have gotten used to this style.
But while taste changes, and tech changes, the basic structure of your marketing plan is still the same: Choose a target audience. Craft a strong message. Use the funnel to show your audience your vision of the future and invite them to share it.
Scaling back the quality of some new videos doesn’t alter a thing about that plan.
What do you think? Has the role of video in your marketing strategy changed? Let me know in the comments section below.