Prepping for the Great Community Give? Use Video to Take Your Campaign to the Next Level.
As you start preparing for the Great Community Give, you might be considering using video in your campaign. Here at Appeal Production, we believe that video is one of the most effective ways businesses can communicate with their audiences. However, it can be tough to know where to start. That’s where we come in!
The Great Community Give is an incredible opportunity to learn about the great work nonprofits in our area do throughout the year. As a participant, you can take your organization’s storytelling to the next level with video, attracting donors and supporters passionate about supporting your cause.
In 2024, audiences expect a fully engaging experience. They are reading less and watching more. They are overwhelmed with the amount of video content they interact with daily on the internet.
So, how can you create a video that engages your audience and inspires them to take action? Follow along with our simple three-step framework we designed to use with our clients!: 1) Imagine, 2) Create, and 3) Appeal.
Step 1: Imagine
The first step in the video process is to Imagine a message specific to your audience. Most of your video-production time will actually be spent on this step because it’s crucial to the success of your video to hone in on your business’ story.
As you imagine this message, think of your audience as the hero of the story. Popular movies can help us understand this concept better. You want your audience to be Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz or Luke in Star Wars. Their story should be at the center of the narrative. That means using less “We or me” language and more “You” to explain to your audience how they can make an impact by engaging with your organization. If you appeal to your audience’s interests, they’ll be more likely to take action!
The two primary questions you need to answer for your audience in this video are:
1) What is your impact? and 2) Why should I care?
As you imagine a clear call to action, a best practice is to ensure you’re guiding your audience to the same place on your website in all your communications. For the Great Community Give, your video should focus on two things:
- The goal of your campaign.
- Informing your audience about where to go and what to do to help you reach your goal.
Ready to check out some examples? Below are some videos with varying levels of production. Some of these videos were professionally produced by our team, and some of these videos were shot using an iPhone! What they have in common is they do a great job of communicating the organization’s mission and goals.
Step 2: Create
As we move on to the Create step, we recommend developing a video content calendar to determine when to share your videos and what the next steps are in the production process.
Don’t be afraid to keep your video simple. A clear, simple message will ensure your audience isn’t confused or overwhelmed with too much information.
Similarly, don’t hesitate to ask for help from your team. The video production process will go smoother if you use the resources you have on hand and rely on your team’s skills.
Before you start filming, make sure you consider the optimal orientation of your video. You’ll likely want to film vertically if your video will be primarily shared on TikTok or Instagram—film horizontally if the primary channel is Facebook, LinkedIn, or your website.
Step 3: Appeal
Finally, the Appeal step is the implementation phase of the video production process. This phase builds upon all of your planning and hard work. It’s one of the most satisfying parts of the process because you get to see the final product!
When deciding where to share your video, use what you know. Where has your organization seen success before? Is there a platform you currently use that’s already optimized for this year’s campaign? Is there a channel where you’ve grown an engaged, connected, and informed audience?
Sharing your video on an optimized platform to an engaged audience makes it significantly easier for your video to gain momentum. Plus, if you regularly share content on that platform, it will lend credibility to your video when new page visitors land on your page, hoping to learn more about you.
Once your video is live, be sure to engage with your audience. Check-in on the video regularly and respond to each comment. If someone shares your video, go to their post and thank them publicly!
Lastly, it’s time to celebrate with your team! Working through the video production process isn’t easy, but you did it, and now you have a great video to share. We wish you all the best this year as you participate in the Great Community Give!
Want to dive deeper into this topic? Watch the Ways to Use Video For Your Campaign Webinar!
