Below you’ll see two videos that I’ve produced. Both were shot with the same equipment. The difference is the length and the amount of time spent editing the clips.
Both clips have strengths and weaknesses. Before you approach a video project, think about what you want. If your vision is too broad, you’ll likely waste time and money.
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Social Media for nonprofits who want to use twitter, youtube and facebook, youtube | Tagged: ken okel, making a YouTube Video, youtube production tips, YouTube video tips | 
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Posted by Ken Okel
Do you repel your donors?
Stay tuned for a list of the top phrases that your nonprofit should ban from all communication. We’ll have some fun but also make a series statement about making sure you’re being heard.
Leave a Comment » | Social Media for nonprofits, nonprofit fundraising, social media | Tagged: ken okel, Social Media for nonprofits, overused fundraising phrases | Permalink
Posted by Ken Okel
It can be tempting for nonprofits to bombard their audiences with lots of facts in their YouTube videos. Resist the urge. You love all the facts associated with your good work but others will be overwhelmed in a short attention span world.
Here’s a short clip I put together for my speaking business. Basically I’m having some fun with my first name. The idea is to make the viewer want to know more about you.
Try to find similar hooks for your organization. What will make them stop what they’re doing and listen to you and want to know more.
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Posted by Ken Okel
With improvements to cell phone cameras, it’s easier than ever for nonprofits to take pictures of volunteers and donors. Yet very often these shots look like they belong at awkwardfamilyphotos.com.
The problem is that the photographer just has a group of volunteers line up next to each other. “Click,” goes the shutter and another boring photo is born.
This kind of lineup doesn’t convey energy or enthusiasm, which is what you want to give to your supporters.
If you must take shots of the lineup, take an additional picture where you ask the group to cheer. Then compare the ordinary picture to the cheering one.
Which one produces more of a reaction in you? Which one do you think would make a donor stop and check out? Which do you think would make a donor forward a copy to friends and family?
I’m also a big fan of candid shots at your events. Try to get away from so many posed photos, like check presentations. Take me behind the scenes.
Show people doing things, especially as it relates to your mission. If your group has just held a food collection drive, can you take a picture of your volunteers surrounded by cans? Get creative.
Don’t underestimate the power of a good picture.
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Posted by Ken Okel
I keep hearing about nonprofits that are struggling with social media. You’re job is hard enough without not knowing how to use these free and powerful tools.
I want to offer you the opportunity to pick my brain for 30 minutes. We’ll talk through Skype or over the phone and you can ask me whatever you like about social media. This is a chance for you to learn. I won’t be selling anything. It’s all about helping you.
In my career, I’ve benefited from the wisdom and generosity of others and I want to continue the tradition.
Contact me to set up your call. I’ll take the first five to sign up.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized, Social Media for nonprofits, nonprofit fundraising | Tagged: youtube, facebook, twitter, ken okel, Social Media for nonprofits, nonprofit marketing, free consultation, 30 minute call, learn about social media, nonprofit fundraising | Permalink
Posted by Ken Okel
During the Superbowl, I noticed a couple of interesting things when it came to advertisements. As you know, companies pay big bucks to have an ad on during the game. They want to make sure they get as much bang for the buck.
The first thing that I realized is that many companies don’t wait until the big game before releasing the spots. Several days earlier, Volkswagen released this spot through YouTube:
The idea was to get people talking about the commercial ahead of time. In a sea of commercials during the Superbowl, it’s more likely that people will shush their friends and have them watch the spot.
It’s not rare to see a commercial that does not have a web address, Facebook, or Twitter address appear at the end. The goal is to engage the audience as well as measure their reaction to the ad. This kind of thing can make a message, stick, instead of being entertaining and then forgotten.
If the big companies are using the same basic social media tools to maximize their million dollar advertisement accounts, then why aren’t you taking advantage of them as well?
Leave a Comment » | Social Media for nonprofits, Social Media for nonprofits who want to use twitter, youtube and facebook, youtube, nonprofit fundraising | Tagged: youtube, ken okel, Social Media for nonprofits, VW commercial, Superbowl advertisements, Volkswagen Darth Vader ad, use social media to help your business | Permalink
Posted by Ken Okel
The story of the golden voiced homeless man, Ted Williams, swept across the nation. Suddenly the fall, rise, and possible fall of a man became part of the national discussion.
The story was captured with an inexpensive Flip video camera by a newspaper reporter. Would the story have had the same impact if it was only printed in a newspaper? No, you really had to see and hear Williams to get the full impact of the story.
Take advantage of video to spread your message. As we saw with Williams, you don’t need to have fancy production values to make a splash with the public.
Additional Resources:
Leave a Comment » | Social Media for nonprofits who want to use twitter, youtube and facebook, youtube | Tagged: ken okel, Social Media for nonprofits, convention speaker, Ted Williams, golden voice homeless man, power of video, use flip camera, nonprofit marketing with video | Permalink
Posted by Ken Okel
Do you have a great speaker at your next event but can’t afford to video tape them? Why not consider this low cost alternative? In the clip below, I used a digital audio recorder to record a short presentation. Then I took the mp3 recording and put it in a video editor. Then I added still photos to “cover” the black spots.
Now I have a video that I can post on YouTube and share with my supporters. In your case, you can use photos from your nonprofit’s event as your wallpaper video.
Don’t let a small budget limit your creativity.
Additional Resources:
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Posted by Ken Okel
A lot of nonprofits hold fall fundraisers and in recent weeks they’ve sent out postcards previewing these important events. I’m worried about these groups as they are mailing at a very busy time.
Politicians have been bombarding my mailbox with lots of postcards. It’s gotten to the point that when I see a postcard, I immediately throw it in the trash. It’s almost a Pavlovian response.
Before you send out any kind of mailing, make sure to consider what you’ll be competing with in your supporter’s mailbox.
Some would say that the best thing you can do is to make your mailing flashy so it will stand out from the pack. That sounds like a great plan if you are a printer but I’m not sure if paying more for a piece of mail will help your organization that much.
Mail isn’t what it used to be and you shouldn’t rely solely on it for your communications. Why not take advantage of social media as a tool to connect with your donors? YouTube, Facebook, and blogs give you the opportunity to show more and say more than you can on a postcard.
Consider this: People check their Facebook accounts several time a day. How many times do they check their mail?
Additional Resources
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Posted by Ken Okel
Take a step back from your nonprofit marketing efforts to consider the message you’re sending to your supporters. Social media tools like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter give you immediate access.Unlike something that’s mailed, you’re interrupting someone’s day.
This isn’t a bad thing but you need to make sure that when you pop up, you’re saying something of value. Otherwise, you’ll train your followers to ignore your messages or even unsubscribe.
Always try to pass on some relevant information in all of your communication. Saying, “Buy raffle tickets,” doesn’t educate the reader. They don’t learn more about your mission or feel proud for having supported you in the past.
Instead try to inject something the reader may not know about your organization. “Ten years ago, 1 in 8 students were at risk of becoming sick. Thanks to your support, it’s now 1 in 16. Our work isn’t done. Please support our mission by buying a raffle ticket.”
In an average day, people are bombarded with sales messages. Avoid the temptation to sell without telling the reader something of value.
Additional Resources:
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Posted by Ken Okel
