In part one of our YouTube video tips we offered some essential ‘advice on setting up your channel.
In this second part 2 we look at some best practices as well as examples of well-run non-profit YouTube channels.
As data speeds increase, smartphones become more powerful and video technology improves, the consumption of video as a medium just gets greater and greater.
Storytelling has replaced straight-up advertising in many spheres, as today’s generation do not want to be sold to in the conventional manner.
Everybody has a story to tell; from the girl next door filming her gym session on Instagram stories to the guy pranking his best mates and posting it to Facebook or YouTube, the days of being shy in front of the camera are disappearing fast as the millennial generation has literally grown up in the age of social media and smartphone technology.
YouTube remains the single biggest platform for video hosting with myriad networks of channels that offer almost every conceivable idea from the ludicrous to the highly informative.
1. Tell your stories visually
The power of video as a medium is in the visual context. If you have a non-profit or you’re running a social impact campaign, nothing will deliver your message as powerfully as powerful imagery.
Be mindful of how you portray this and use the strong footage you have.
READ: The Power of a Good Story
2. Remember to vary the stories
Your cause or social impact campaign may have a very defined back story and goal but to keep viewers coming back, you need to vary the message and story.
This blog offers some great ideas: Video Tips For NPOs, Social Impact Campaigns & Fundraising
3. Share your videos
Publishing on YouTube does not guarantee views. Much like any social media platform, there a thousands of organisations and individuals competing for the same eyeballs so make sure your share your videos across all possible platforms and/or mediums.
This includes email subscriber lists, all social media platforms and to stakeholders/partners to share to their respective communities too.
4. Embed your videos
Create blog posts on your website and embed your videos on the posts on your website. This is crucial to completing the circle when using video as part of a content/cause marketing strategy.
Each video is a story that is being told so this should be backed up with a blog post on your website complete with a written introduction. The written copy serves two primary purposes; a) SEO – makes your content searchable and visible by search engines and b) it gives those that are not ready to commit to watching a video an option to scan the written story and possibly commit to watching the video.
On this note, making your videos embeddable also enable other websites, particularly partners/stakeholders and also benefactors to embed your videos on their websites.
5. Follow other non-profit organisations and social impact campaigns
Subscribing to other channels increases the chance that they will subscribe back and can also drive more traffic to your own channel.
Each time your organisation likes, comments or subscribes to another channel or video you’re making your own brand and channel more visible. It works, try it!
YouTube Channels we like
YouTube’s Non-profit Program provides any qualified organisation with free premium services, including donate buttons, call-to-action overlays, live-streaming, and goal tracking.
You can check eligibility requirements here.
Sign up for NGO Social Media Package