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.
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.
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.
A video does not have to be long or expensive to connect with your customers and supporters. It’s a great tool to have in your nonprofit toolbox. Below, you’ll see a short video I put together to promote my speaking services:
The idea is to give a taste of what you’re about and the leave the viewer wanting to know more. The original cut of the video was about 90 seconds long. I’ve trimmed it down to less than a minute by making sure that I was leaving in only the most important material.
Can you craft your nonprofit’s mission into a message that lasts less than one minute? I used a lot of quick edits but you don’t have to do that. My goal was to keep the energy high, even though it only featured one person.
Need help brainstorming some video clips? Let’s talk.
Here’s a video I recently put together for a nonprofit client. This is a good example of how you don’t need fancy equipment to make an impact on the viewer. The project also had a clear focus. It’s designed to raise awareness and funds for domestic abuse prevention programs aimed at teenagers.
Also note that the audience members were mostly minors, so I made sure that their identities were concealed.
It’s a tough time for nonprofits and I want to pass on some marketing advice. Follow this link to read a two part article that will change the way you think of potential supporters of your organization. While the it was written for the sales world, you’ll find a ton of applications for the nonprofit world.
Nowadays you have to be strategic. Let me know what you think.
Several studies have found that you have less than 10 seconds to capture a visitor’s attention on your hompage. So despite the fact that you’ve designed a wonderful website, they may never see anything more than the homepage. How do you get them to stick around and look around? Embed a welcome video on your homepage.
This is easy to do with YouTube. The video doesn’t have to be long. In fact, it can be better if it’s less than 30 seconds. Welcome people, put a face on your organization, and tell them a quick fact or two. That’s all you need to do. Click here to see an example of this kind of welcome video from my speaking website.
In the past I’ve talked about how nonprofits can get terrific exposure by having a Facebook fan page. Facebook is one of the most popular websites in the world. Doesn’t it make sense to associate your organization with it? Remember people are much more likely to see your updates on Facebook than on your website.
I Facebook "Like" You!
With that in mind, in the past you wanted people to become, “fans,” of your page on Facebook. But now things are slightly different. Facebook has switched out being a “fan” with “liking” a page. So you need to tell people who might want to join your Facebook presence to click the “like” button.
Facebook likes to make these occasional tweaks to its system even though they sometimes seem to be change for changes sake. Nevertheless, Facebook is a great platform for connecting with your followers.
This week I was the guest presenter on this webinar. It’s free to view. Enjoy!
Here’s the description: On-demand webinar featuring Ken Okel on strategies to drive awareness, lead generation and customer engagement through multi-media and online video marketing.
We packed a lot of information in the 20 minutes. To view the session click here.
Posted by Ken Okel 
