YouTube for Non-Profits
Using video as a marketing tool for your cause.
You already know that online video is the best medium to get your message heard and spread.
You know people are 12 times more likely to share a video than text or image posts combined…
So, since you’re sold on video, here are some tips about how to launch a great campaign on the world’s largest online video community and second largest search engine, YouTube.
Some stats & facts…
Although YouTube content can range from the ridiculous to the pointless, it’s also a great platform for any organisation serious about getting its message to over 1 billion monthly users.
The YouTube Playbook Guide ‘YouTube for Non-profits’, published in March this year, says that:
- Non-profits and Activism are among the fastest growing categories on YouTube
- Non-profits yield more than Four Billion Video Views a day on YouTube
- 271 non-profit partners have more than one million views
Tips for YouTube success
So, you’ve got your videos, and are all ready to reap the benefits of the stats you’ve read…
Here’s your check list:
Titles
Your titles should be attention-grabbing and snappy. Prioritize keywords, placing them before the name of your charity or cause.
Descriptions
Each video needs a good tagline describing the video’s content/message. It’s a great idea to put any calls-to-action there, too.
Tags
Choose a range of keywords (which you can find at GoogleAdwords). If you’re feeling really crafty, update the tags as trends change.
Annotations
You can also include calls-to-action by inserting overlays or annotations to your videos.
Google Wallet ‘Donate’ Button
Once you’re signed up as a non-profit on YouTube, it’s easy to add this button that will mean it only takes one click to donate to you. Go to your Google Wallet Options, enter your details, choose donation amounts, and voila! Your donation button will appear on your profile and video pages.
Be shameless about promoting your cause
The more places you advertise your channel and videos, the more views you’ll get! Each time you post a new video, share it all over social media and even embed the videos on your website and blog.
You can also put links in your annotations to other videos on your channel. This will also lead to more views!
Comments
Reply to every comment you get and leave comments on other channels of similar organisations. If someone “likes” your video, ask them to subscribe! This will get you more views, too.
The YouTube Non-profit Program
If your cause is short of funds, you can apply for the YouTube Non-profit Program
This program will help you to set up and optimize your channel. They’ll even help with channel branding (thumbnails, logo avatars, backgrounds etc) and stream live video footage onto your channel.
A few inspirational Non-profit YouTubers…
charity: water
This wonderful charity posted 240 personalized thank-you videos for their donors and campaigners. They made their supporters the stars of the show!
The Red Cross created an amazing fundraising campaign on YouTube for the Syria Crisis and is currently doing the same for their Typhoon Haiyan Appeal.
So far they have raised over £1 million for victims in the Philippines.
The American Foundation for Equal Rights
These guys used their YouTube channel to post videos and even live-stream a play about the Prop 8 trial in California on marriage equality. The initiative raised more than $2 million.
For more inspiration, check out the YouTube channels of your favourite charities, and see how they do things!
Good Luck! www.ampleearth.com
