A #GivingTuesday video can help take your campaign to the next level. It’s not just a great storytelling device, it’s a secret way to get more engagement on social media on a day when it’s essential that more of your followers see your content. But what makes a #GivingTuesday video stand out from the crowd? How can you craft a video that grabs people’s attention? How do you leverage on social media to get more traffic to your #GivingTuesday page? And what if you’re on a shoestring budget?
These tips from the Mightycause team will help you plan, execute, and promote your video to get more donations on #GivingTuesday.
Why bother with a #GivingTuesday video?
So, it’s important to understand that social media is at the very heart of #GivingTuesday. It’s a day that was built to drive charitable giving in the age of social media. And video is your key to doing well on social media.
Videos on social media
You may have heard people talking about the “algorithm” when discussing social media, but let’s break down what that means. Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms used to be chronological — that means that users had a feed that showed them what their friends posted in the order they posted it. But as more people signed up for these services, and the number of friends the average user had ballooned into the hundreds, this became untenable. And, on top of that, businesses and nonprofits had entered the fray as well, using social media to reach customers and supporters, respectively.
An algorithm is a set of rules to be followed when calculating or solving a problem. So, in a social media context, the algorithm solves the problem of what to put in users’ feeds. That means people who follow your nonprofit on social media might not see your posts when you post them. They may, in fact, see them several days later… or not at all.
But one of the things you can do to work with the algorithm is post certain types of content. King among “algorithm-friendly content” is video. Having a #GivingTuesday video will simply help your posts be seen by more supporters on December 3rd.
Get more social media tips
Mightycause has a new guide to navigating social media on #GivingTuesday. (And having a #GivingTuesday video is a big part of that!) Download this free guide today to help you and your video make a splash on #GivingTuesday.
Tips for creating a #GivingTuesday video
#1. Use what you’ve got
We promise: You don’t need to create an Oscar-caliber motion picture for #GivingTuesday. With some creativity and resourcefulness, you can craft a wonderful #GivingTuesday video with what’s available to your nonprofit.
- Smartphones: Did you know that most of us are walking around with a camera that’s on the cutting edge of technology and capable of taking high-quality videos in our pockets or rattling around in our purses? It’s true! Smartphone cameras are excellent, and can be used to film footage for your #GivingTuesday video.
- Volunteers: Many nonprofits make excellent use of volunteer photographers — but why not see if you have someone in your ranks who can help you create a #GivingTuesday video?
- Free editing software: You don’t need expensive video editing tools for a #GivingTuesday video that’s going to be just a few minutes long. YouTube has free editing tools you can use with a free user account, if you’ve got a Mac, you’ve also got iMovie, and you can find a plethora of free tools online. And don’t forget to check the app store! Free apps will also allow you to edit, add music and effects, and more.
- Still photos: You can absolutely incorporate still images into your video, and odds are, you have tons of images on your phones, on your hard drive, and on your social media accounts you can utilize to add to your #GivingTuesday video.
#2. Write a script
Improvisation is an important skill for nonprofit employees, but it’s hard to improvise a video! Writing a script will help you hone in on what you want to say and how you want to say it. Now, you don’t need to script every single line — but you can use the script-writing process as an outline for your #GivingTuesday video and plot out where you want to, say, use certain footage, get a quote from your Executive Director or Board Chair.
Use your campaign talking points
When nonprofits think about their work, they can sometimes fall into the trap of wanting to say everything about their work and how important it is. But a video doesn’t need to tell the whole history of your organization and detail every program and service you offer. Stick to your campaign’s main talking points when writing your script. It’ll make or a more focused and impactful video.
#3. Create a storyboard
Creating a storyboard is how filmmakers conceptualize their movies and know what they have to shoot. It’s how they start getting the images from their head onto film. So, you’re not filming Citizen Kane here, but this process will help you get your #GivingTuesday video organized.
You don’t need to be a great sketch artist, you can use stick figures if you want! But the point of a storyboard is to think about the images and scenes you’ll want, how they will flow and what your #GivingTuesday video will look like when it’s finished.
#4. Keep it short (and have multiple cuts)
So, most social media platforms place some limitations on how long your video can be:
- Facebook: You can actually go nuts on Facebook with long videos — they allow you to upload videos up to 10GB, which is a huge file. You could make your video 45 minutes long if you want to! But don’t do that, because most people don’t watch 45-minute long videos on Facebook. Resolution is limited to 1080px, which again, is huge.
- Twitter: Videos need to be no longer than 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Twitter supports MP4 and MOV video formats.
- Instagram: You’re limited to 1 minute for videos you upload to your grid.
And, of course, if you upload your video to YouTube, Vimeo, your Mightycause profile, or your website so people can watch it, you can make your video as long as you’d like. But people’s attention spans are short, so as a best practice, don’t make a video that’s longer than 5 minutes.
You can make sure that your video works for each platform by having different cuts of your video — meaning, different edits of the video that meet the requirements for each platform. So, if you want more time to include more interviews and more footage, use that on your Mightycause page and Facebook account. And upload a shorter edit to Twitter and Instagram, with just the most important scenes.
Upload directly to each platform
You’ll need to upload your #GivingTuesday video to either YouTube or Vimeo in order to embed it on your Mightycause profile, but on social media, be sure to upload your video directly to each respective platform! Sharing a YouTube link adds an extra step, forcing people to click a link to watch the video on YouTube. Social media platforms want to keep users on their platform, so you’ll most likely get more views if you upload it directly, so users can watch it right from the app they’re on!
#5. Ask for volunteer help
We mentioned this above, but seriously: Ask volunteers to help! You may have a YouTuber or professional editor or social media manager in your volunteer base who can help you put together an amazing #GivingTuesday video. So, be sure to ask — send an email out to volunteers, ask on social media, put something up on your website, use the volunteer management tool on Mightycause. But don’t shy away from asking for volunteer help!