Using Videos For Retention
Here are some suggestions about using videos to encourage retention from Peter Reynolds at For the Record Productions in Toronto, relayed via fundraising firm Hilborn.
Actually, Peter believes all the various videos a nonprofit should have in its repertoire can contribute to retaining donors. He sees that repertoire as including a ‘flagship’ video, a video annual report, a simple video blog (or, for the more ambitious, a video newsletter), and a ‘thank you’ video.
Peter provides links to example videos of each type. The example he gives for a ‘thank you’ video is from Charity: Water. Charity: Water is stellar at using video, but this particular video thanks donors — generically — for supporting the group over its first five years. Nicely done, and probably worth the effort as a cultivation tool, but not the video ‘Thank you for your recent contribution to …’ I was hoping for.
As I see it, the challenge with a ‘thank you’ video is keeping it both reasonably current and aligned with the need/purpose that generated the specific gift being acknowledged.
Of course, the same should apply to a simple email or direct mail ‘thank you’ as well … avoid generic! But how many fundraisers even do that?
So I’m curious … what experience have Agitator readers had with video ‘thank you’s’? Any better results than from a plain old letter or email?
Tom
3 responses to “Using Videos For Retention”
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I have started creating more and more videos over the last year or so, for the North Texas Food Bank. We have found great success in this! Donors LOVE the personal touch, they LOVE being acknowledged in ways other than your typical letter.
Hi Tom.
Convincing nonprofits of the value of personalized thank you videos is perhaps the toughest sell to here in Canada.
The main issue is money. In there mind, individual thank you videos are an expensive undertaking, while a generic thank you video is a one-time cost
I point out that the Do-It-Yourself approach is both inexpensive and effective. All you need is a webcam and a few minutes to personally thank a donor. That personal touch makes all the difference in the world.
I’m totally intrigued by the use of video…not fancy ones, but short, one-on-one personal videos made for specific donors.
I think it would be quite easy (and not expensive) to set up a little video area and to make very short, personal thank you videos for higher level donors or people who are important to your cause.
From start to finish, you could make a 15-30 second personal video, edit it and send it in an email to someone who made a gift that day. I think it would take me under 15 minutes from start to finish. I will do some experimenting with this.
Anyone tried that? I’d love to know.