Promotional Video vs. Social Media Video

When we shot a case study for EARN, a terrific social change organization in SF, to show at their fundraising luncheon, we used the opportunity to shoot more material than was needed just for that video.  What is emerging now as the most potent video for social networking is the video we shot of them providing services to their clients.  Literally:  the class they offer to people enrolled in their program is what will be most popular as social media  - in this case -  how to improve your credit score.

Earn will be using the videos I made for them that have higher production values extensively on their web site - to convey their message in a compelling way - but they will be using the snippets from class to put on YouTube, and go viral via twitter.  As soon as they are up I will post them here, you can see the difference - just sign up and you should get notified so it will be easy for you to check out.

What is clear is this:  for a video to go viral, it can be well done, but what works best, is something that gives value to the viewer.

Thanks for working to change the world!

Best,

Stephanie Hubbard

BeeKeeper Productions, Smart Video for Good.

EARN

BeeKeeper Productions worked with the team at EARN to create this video for their fund raising luncheon.  When the video was shown, and Dametra came out, she received a spontaneous standing ovation.  Just after the event, the campign ran on the web site with a slightly different version of the video prompting people to donate to EARN's initiative to get all low income kindergartners in San Francisco to have a matched savings account for college this fall.   

The shoot:  BeeKeeper productions really optimized the shoot - by interviewing staff and clients about a wide range of subjects that are now being edited to create a video rich web experience for potential donors and savers alike. 

If you would like a video like this, email huranghu@gmail.com, or check out the website, www.stephaniehubbard.com  or call, (323)202-5645. 

Thanks!

Los Angeles Film Festival

Lung Cancer Foundation of America

I really just want people to see this video.

This was a video where we really had to get people talking about their experience to make the emotional connection as well as show the statistics to demonstrate the gross inequities in cancer funding.

I'd love to know your thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONj8h8ya2v0

Robin Smalley, head of multi-national NGO shares about her power fundraising tool: Video!

I first worked with Robin Smalley over ten years ago.  She had been a successful television producer and director who was now working in the world of non-profits, at The Media Project.  I worked with her on a Telly award winning documentary and a series of consciousness raising videos.  When she left The Media Project, she went to work with an NGO, called m2m (for mothers2mothers)  in South Africa – I didn’t know much about it until she called me to help create a fund raising video.

     

When we started, Robin had scraps of interviews of the mothers helped by her program, and b-roll that others had gathered, but still, she needed an effective video that would enable her to raise the money m2m so desperately needed.    She needed a video she could send to potential donors,  use on the web, and, perhaps most importantly, use when she spoke in person to potential stakeholders in the m2m organization.

Because we had worked together so well eight years earlier, we easily came to an agreement.  For $5000, she contracted me to create the powerful video that she and her partners have used ever since in their fundraising.  In the three years since we created the new video, m2m’s funding has swelled from 2.5 million dollars a year to over $9 million.

Here is the new video:

So, here is what Robbin has to say about the efficacy of video for your organization, and about working with BeeKeeper productions.

BeeKeeper:  First of all Robin, tell us a little more about mothers2mothers.

Robin: Mothers2mothers is a Non-Profit NGO operating now in seven countries employing 1400 HIV positive moms, on 600 sites.  We work to keep mothers alive to raise their babies, and help babies be born without HIV  by preventing transmission of HIV from mother to child.  We also empower women to make healthy choices for themselves and their families and help them fight stigma in their communities.

BK: Talk about why video has been powerful for your organization.

Robin:  When it comes to educating people as well as raising money we don’t have the luxury of bringing our potential funders to sites, but we want them to meet our mothers, so the next best thing is to introduce them to our amazing mothers through video.

We need to be able to show busy Americans why they might care about someone on the opposite side of the globe, and the most effective way we can do that is through video. 

In a nutshell, the video you made for us helps people empathize with our mothers and broadens their horizons without taking the trip.

In the video, we show that the mothers' dreams for their children are no different than the ones that we have for our children: we all want our children to be healthy and have a long happy life.

BK: How exactly do you use the video to help you fund raise?

Robin: I use the video in for presentation and for every speech. I can’t imagine being able to give a presentation without video. Because no one can talk better about the program than the mothers can. 

But you know, a video isn’t any good if it doesn’t engage a viewer’s heart strings and bring our women closer to home, which is why the one you made for us has been so effective, it really hits the right emotional tone.

BK:  I think people recognize the importance of getting their message out there, but they also think it’s expensive, what do you have to say to that?

Robin:  Yes it is expensive but  you have to look at it in terms of net gain, if it is compelling and engages potential funding than it’s worth it.

The fact is you are spending a lot of money, and you want to make sure you get the kind of quality you are spending for otherwise it’s wasted.  It's worth spending a little bit more to get effective quality.

In terms of working with Stephanie Hubbard, from my perspective, I didn’t have the time to baby sit this project.  I needed to have someone I trusted whose work I knew that I knew would come back with the kind of job I wanted.  I’m probably pickier than most because I have a television background, but I just didn’t have the time, and I knew Stephanie would do a terrific job.

I think it’s really really important to hire someone who has the same vision that you have because it's crucial to have someone who gets your funders and your organization and who has the style and story telling ability to put it all together.  Stephanie Hubbard is that person for us.  Who you choose to do your video is not something you want to economize on.

BK: So finally, can you wrap up what video does for you as a fundraising tool?

Robin: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In todays life video is our picture.

As someone who has grown a non profit very quickly, nothing is a better tool than video.

Fund raising is all about selling.  It’s all about getting people to sympathize with people they have no stake in and video is the key that opens that door. So it's an essential tool to taking your organization to the next level.

BK: Thank you Robin, and thank you for all the good work you and m2m continue to do.

Robin: Thank you too Stephanie.


LINKS:  To www.stephaniehubbard.com     To m2m.org

How to Make a Video to Change the World

My name is Stephanie Hubbard.

I have been making videos for and with people since 1996, and many of them have been used to bring about social change.

The purpose of this blog is to help people and organizations who want to explore all the tools at their disposal to raise consciousness about their issue, change people's behavior, and to fund raise for their cause.

I believe that a well made video can be one of the most effective tools in serving these goals.

Why does video have so much impact?

Because of emotion. Think about it, you have the power to use pictures and music. Most importantly, you have the ability to bring the folks your issues most affect right onto the television or computer screen of your potential donor.

I once worked with an internet entrepreneur who wanted to start med school online. He interviewed about 20 medical students about how they do medical school now, and how they would feel about being able to get the best professors online. I edited it for him into a short presentation. He raised over sixty five million dollars with that video.

SO, what do you need to do as the communications person for your not-for-profit?

Well, first you need a proper budget. You sometimes need to fundraise to create the fundraising material.

Depending on how your budget works, you might actually want to skip to step two, selecting a video provider to help you sort out what your budget might be to put into your upcoming fiscal year.

So, how to choose a video provider: I would find videos you like and go from there. It is also super helpful to ask others who they have used to make videos and get referrals. Most of my non-profit work comes from the director of one organization recommending me and my company to another who asks.

Please feel free to check out videos at http://www.stephaniehubbard.com/beekeepersite2009/Production.html

Also check out this site: http://www.lcfamerica.org/

Go to the "Watch and be Inspired" link. on the middle right of the page.

Okay, so once you have your budget, and you have your provider, then what.

(as per the pattern of this blog, this phase actually speaks directly to the question of how to select someone)

You want to talk to them about what are the issues you think resonate with people. Sometimes these are people's objections. For example, when I did the Lung Cancer Foundation of America Video, they knew that many people didn't take lung cancer as a serious issue because it was found mostly in smokers, and well, if someone smokes, they deserve it right?

Well, it was the goal of the video to make clear three points on this one issue: 1) many people who don't smoke also get Lung Cancer, 2) Many of the folks we are talking about smoked briefly and stopped long ago and 3) even smokers deserve to have research commensurate with what is possible.

Ideally, you will talk with this person about to best present your case. Though you may have ideas, you are looking for someone who can confidently build and improve on your ideas, or even point you in a more effective direction.

Then of course, you work with the video provider to set up the shoot.

The shoot is produced and executed, then you move into post production.

Typically your video person will work on a cut for you to see and review together, once that has been done, now the post production collaboration begins.

If your person suggests graphics and music in your budget, take it seriously, you will want to have handsome graphics and licensable music in your video.

How much will all this cost? Anywhere from 5 to 10 thousand dollars will get you a super fine video.

More tips to follow.