Video Rules The World
A new study commissioned by IBM reports that, for the first time, people are spending more hours per week in front of their computer screens than watching TV.
A lot of these hours are spent increasingly on watching online video. According to comScore, 136 million folks watched over 9 billion video streams in June. 3 out of 4 U.S. internet users streamed video online in May, watching more than 2.5 hours of video online. The Pew Internet Project comes up with 57% of internet users (75% of broadband users) watching online video, with 57% sharing video links and 15% watching political videos (lots of user profile data here too).
Everything from full-length feature films to time-shifted TV shows to how-to-do-it videos to Obamagirl to your Uncle Ernie singing “I'm Popeye the Sailor Man” in full costume. According to the NY Times, niche online video networks are blossoming.
In terms of content, there's nothing inherently better about video watched online. As just noted, much of the material is simply re-purposed from traditional sources.
What is important, especially for nonprofits with a story to tell, and sell, is the affordable and unlimited reach of this medium.
Arguably, online video is the ultimate medium for delivering stories, making them readily available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. And stories are what engage people, motivate them and, of course, sell them.
Indeed, people are beginning to build online video collections, just as they previously collected books, National Geographics, records, CDs (and some, records again!). Seth Godin points to his personal collection of online business videos, and to a new service for organizing and sharing an online video collection. He argues that people who will never read a 200 page book will happily watch a three minute video on the same subject.
I submit the same is true of that newsletter your nonprofit is so proud of, and other static copy you produce … brochures, annual reports, etc.
The times — and media of choice — are a-changin' and your communications team and marketers need to master the video medium. You need to begin video recording and presenting your stories online. The two historical reasons for not producing video — “It's too expensive and there's no way to distribute it anyway” — have been blown out of the water.
Now it's simply a question of talent and strategic vision. If you don't have those on your team, better get some!
Tom
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
Read Full Answer
Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
Read Full Answer
Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
Read Full Answer
There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
Read Full Answer