and one reason why you should.

It seems like video content is everywhere. From social media platforms to websites, non-profits are posting videos in an effort to engage their audiences. While video does have many benefits, it isn’t always the best answer. There are compelling reasons to rethink your decision to invest in video production and explore alternative formats. This article will delve into five key reasons why video might not be the best choice for your organization. From accessibility concerns to attention spans, we’ll explore how different types of content can better serve your goals. If you’re ready to challenge the notion that video is king, keep reading to discover why it’s worth reconsidering your content strategy.

Reason #1: Everybody has a video. We need a video to stay relevant.

Everybody does seem to have a video. 250,000 videos uploaded to youtube every minute. With such a massive volume of video content created it is amazing we have any attention span at all. Making a video because everyone is making a video isn’t going to produce great creative, instead it will result in wasting your marketing budget. Don’t start with the idea of making a video. Start with what you want to communicate, who you want to communicate with, and how and where you want to communicate with them. Let your message and your audience determine your media.

Reason #2: Somebody told me video is the most popular content on social-media.

Let’s look deeper at this. ‘Who’ is video the most popular with? Young males 15 – 24? Is that who you are trying to reach? What types of video are the most popular on social media? Is it the 7 minute explainer video you have planned or the 20 second gag clip of the cat riding the vacuum cleaner? (It isn’t the 7 minute explainer video in case you were unsure.) If increasing likes and shares is your goal then you need to use media like a gif or meme that can be understood quickly by someone scrolling. Social media feeds are fast-paced, and short lived; audiences don’t typically click through as social media companies make it difficult to leave the feed. It is worth asking if you need to be popular on social media. Is there a more effective way to engage people in your mission?

Reason #3: My social media manager said I needed a video.

Don’t listen to them. If you make a video just because you ‘need’ one you will be wasting your time and money, you will also be contributing to the growing problem of media pollution. (Read Give a Hoot Don’t Pollute: Stop media pollution at the source).

Reason #4: We want to increase traffic to our website.

A video might not deliver on your expectations to drive traffic to your website. Many nonprofits seem to think that video will increase their audience, it won’t. I can’t stress enough that you need to be specific. Who do you want to visit your website and why? Just raising awareness is too vague, you will raise awareness as a side-effect of working towards a specific goal. If increasing traffic to your website through social media is your plan, you are better off with a clickable image, gif, of meme, something that someone scrolling can understand quickly.

Reason #5: We want to raise money for a cause, project, or program.

A video is for a fundraising campaign is a good idea, but there are a lot of questions you need to answer BEFORE you begin production. Simply making a video, even making a great video that drives him your need perfectly isn’t enough. You MUST know before you produce a video who will watch it, how they will watch it, and what mechanism you will use to make the ‘ask’ and accept the donation. This more than likely means you will need multiple edits. See the one reason to make a video below.

Reason #1: We want to tell a specific audience, a specific story that is best told visually.

Don’t get me wrong, I love motion picture, but the fact that anyone can make a video has rendered the media less effective. A video is a great option for specific reasons;  attracting volunteers, and the best way is to show them the volunteer experience or, you want to attract corporate donors and you know you will send them the video as part of a pitch deck. There is a lot of work to do before production to ensure that you receive the best return on your investment you can get. Read Prepping for a video production for Non-Profits here. Or feel free to contact me for a complementary consultation.