December is a big deal for nonprofit giving. Almost one-third of annual gifts occur during the final month of the year. With corporations and individuals looking to make their final donations before the tax year comes to a close, a giving campaign is essential to help draw in donations during the most wonderful time of the year.
To design a year-end campaign that really stands out, use video in your appeal to share your organization’s highlights. Video helps bring your nonprofit to life by showing, instead of simply telling, the impact you made throughout the year. In fact, 57 percent of donors made their gifts after watching a video online. The hard part is getting volunteers, donors and new contacts to watch your video. Here are three ways to boost video views using nonprofit promotional items.
Share your story through promotional products
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth an entire novel. Create an emotional connection by putting together a video about impactful stories that bring your cause to life in a real and moving way.
Find touching moments for your video to complement your year-end appeal by:
- Determining the program you want to highlight.
- Asking colleagues and others involved in your organization for their favourite stories.
- Having detailed conversations with people about their stories before bringing out the camera.
Once your video is complete, share your story by printing the video web link or a QR code on your nonprofit promotional items to promote your annual appeal. Choose promotional products for nonprofits that are popular during the holiday season, such as a mug or ceramic tumbler for hot chocolate.
Since volunteers are almost twice as likely to give to your cause as those who haven’t volunteered, be sure to give them easy access to your video link. Imprint it on a holiday gift, like a magnetic calendar, to promote your year-end appeal, while at the same time thanking volunteers for being part of your success.
Encourage social sharing
Share your video on all communication channels to get the most views possible. Encourage friends and followers to like, comment and share by entering them into a prize draw for doing so. A travel mug or ear buds make a great prize.
Don’t forget your call to action
When promoting the video, be sure to include a call to action to encourage a donation to your year-end appeal. Make sure the message is clear, easy to follow and the same across all channels. Thank and reward those who complete the call to action by sending them a promotional product for nonprofits, such as a special holiday ornament.
Video is a powerful storytelling tool. For this year’s appeal, share your impact through video and be sure to promote it using nonprofit promotional items.