Social Media for Nonprofits

Video is a great tool to help your supporters grow their relationship with your nonprofit. Pictures and words are powerful but video can really transport them into your world. That’s a great way to make sure that you’ve built a connection with your donors and can lock them into your cause for many years to come.

A big part of video clips on YouTube are soundbites. In non-technical terms, these are short segments of an interview. A common mistake for nonprofits is using an overly long or a very technical soundbite. Here are some suggestions for what you want to get from an interview subject the next time you get behind the camera:

1. I find the best soundbites are roughly 8 to 10 seconds long. That’s enough time for someone to make a point.

2. Try to use soundbites that contain some emotion. If I were covering a hot dog eating contest, I wouldn’t want a dry soundbite like, “The competitors will show up at 11 a.m. and they’ll start eating an hour later. Let’s see who wins.”  Instead, I’d want a comment like, “You’re going to see something amazing at 11:30 when the buns and the hotdogs will be literally flying off the plates. If you’ve ever pigged out at a meal, then you’ve got to see this event to believe it.”

3. Don’t ask questions that only get a yes or no answer. Ask people things like, “Why is this program important? Why should I care about it? What would things be like if this program didn’t exist?”

4. At the end of your interview, ask, “Is there anything else you’d like to add?” This question can be a gold mine as sometimes people have a great comment but won’t share it if you don’t ask about it.

Additional Resources:

• Before You Shoot Your 1st YouTube Video
• YouTube Tips
• Video Testimonials