Why do people use images on their campaign pages? Because people pay more attention to visuals than just plain text, right? Although that is true, have you thought about using video instead?
Not only can you tell a visual story and show gratitude to your donors by sharing videos of your project’s progress, but using a video can double your donations.
Here are 3 very human reasons we love watching videos:
- We pay attention to faces. It’s a well-known fact that our brain uses the human face as a source for collecting information and believability.
- Voice converts information into meaningful content. It’s amazing how the simple sound of a human voice can affect us and help us understand the person.
- Emotions are powerful. We pay a lot of attention to the body language of emotions and most of the time we do it unintentionally. We love sharing our emotions with others and are deeply impacted by them.
You probably think that creating a video is an expensive and difficult process. You will be surprised that a video does not have to be an expensive production to be effective. It can simply be a single shot of a person telling their story in front of a computer. The most important thing in your video pitch is how you communicate with the viewer.
Videos work most effectively when they create a sense of identification between you and your supporters. People connect to people.
Learn how to create an effective crowdfunding video in 3 easy steps:
- Pre-Production
- Production
- Post-Production
One of the most important things to learn when creating a crowdfunding campaign is how to communicate effectively, starting with your video pitch. The video pitch is the first thing someone sees on your page, it is the first chance you get to really capture the attention of your audience. Campaigns with video are twice as likely to succeed because of the powerful way it brings your campaign to life, and it’s an easier way to share your campaign on social media.
A video is crucial to establishing a positive first impression on a campaign page, so it pays to put in a little extra time to make sure you get it right. It may surprise you that making an engaging video that gets your message across is actually quite easy, it doesn’t need to be professional and you don’t need to know a lot of technical stuff.
Pre-Production
Translate your campaign into a compelling story that will inspire and engage people, and get them to share your story with their own networks. Make sure to get people’s attention from the very beginning of your video, the first 10 seconds are crucial! It is important not to assume people already know what your campaign is, so let people know upfront what they will be watching. Share what you will be talking about; your introduction sets the tone and mood of your pitch.
Be prepared by writing a brief outline with a few bullet points. These include:
- ‘Who you are’,
- ‘What are you raising money for’– be transparent and specific about your funding goal,
- ‘Why your audience should care’,
- And end with a ‘call to action’.
A call to action outlines a clear result you want from people. It creates a sense of urgency when you outline the fundraising goal and deadline. You can use phrases like “we need your help”, “contribute now”, “share on your Facebook wall”, “tweet your followers”, and “email friends and family who may be interested”. Focus on how your supporters can make a difference in your cause and show people your energy and optimism; this will encourage people to help.
Production
When recording your crowdfunding video be passionate and speak clearly and directly to your audience, this makes your appeal feel more personal and gives a face to your campaign. It is very important to have a “talking head”, however, be sure to integrate great visual aids, graphics, props, and images to enhance the quality of your video. When filming make sure you or your subject is in focus. You don’t want to be so far away that your facial expressions can’t be seen, but you don’t want to be too close, because that could be uncomfortable for both you and the audience.
To create a quality video, avoid common mistakes like dim lighting, poor sound quality, unstable screenshots or background noise. You can do this by setting up bright lights facing you, placed behind the camera, and trying to get some natural light in the room. Make sure you film in a quiet space to avoid background noise. To film you can use a range of devices like a high-quality smart phone, webcam, camcorder, or DSLR camera in movie mode. The device you use is less important than how you use it. If it turns on, focuses correctly, and records both video and audio in a digital format, you’re set. Also, ask a friend to help you in the recording process so that you can focus on being in front of the camera.
Thankfully, there are a number of resources online to teach you basic shooting skills, ‘Vimeo Video School‘ is a great place to start. Even if you can’t shoot a video, you can create a slideshow using images that integrate music and voice-over narration, check out ‘Animoto‘ to get started.
Post-Production
For the next step, you will need a computer with video editing software to bring your shots together into a final product. As an editor, your aim should be to create a seamless experience that will immediately engage your viewers and keep them watching until the very end. There are many low-cost editing programs, like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, which you can use to craft your video. When editing it is crucial to keep your video short and simple, all you need is 90 seconds to get your message across. The longer your video, the higher the risk of potential donors losing interest. The purpose of a video should be to highlight the most important elements of your campaign and entice people to find out more about your project.
An engaging video will have many layers that, when combined, work together seamlessly. Avoid fancy transitions between clips and stick to straight cuts. If you are adding text, be sure to use a simple font in a colour that contrasts with the background. Embed annotations in your video, so people can easily click through to your campaign. Add music to evoke emotion that matches the feel of your video, and voice-over dialogue when appropriate. Be careful that you do not use material that belongs to others unless the owners explicitly authorize you to do so.
Once you have spent time making your video you need to share and reshare! It is very important to maximize the video’s visibility across a variety of media channels! Continue to update people on your progress through the social media platform you are using, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, your blog, your newsletter, other people’s blogs, PR outlets – the sky’s the limit. Making video updates is a great way to regularly communicate, build trust and engage with donors.
Reimagine your fundraising with our new crowdfunding platform that can help your organization raise money online and achieve revenue sustainability. Learn more about CharityVillage’s Crowdfunding Platform.
