EXPAND YOUR BRAND WITH A NEW MEDIA STRATEGY
By Robyn Symon

Seen any good videos lately? Chances are you’ve watched one on your computer.

In fact with an increase in bandwidth and connection speed more and more Internet users are turning to their computers and the world wide web for all its content and information. According to comScore Video Metrix, internet users viewed 12.7 billion online videos during November 2008 alone with 500 million new videos uploaded daily.

In the past, streaming video on websites was exclusively for big brands (businesses and nonprofits) with deep marketing and advertising pockets. But today, even the smallest nonprofit organization has the opportunity to upgrade its web presence and build its brand identity with a new media strategy that includes streaming video which can be used for the website and repurposed for video email blasts, PSAs, fundraising videos and a growing number of social networking sites such as FACEBOOK and Youtube. Gone are the days when people send a fundraising DVD. Now with the immediacy of the internet, it makes much more sense to just ‘send a link to the site’ to a prospective contributor.

"For the National Pain Foundation, video content is essential to address the needs of visual learners and helps them better understand their medical condition than text,” says John Sebby, Executive Director, The National Pain Foundation.“ Web video also gives the organization a human face and helps us develop a rapport with visitors that text alone can't achieve.”

The Internet has become like the Wild West: A wide-open landscape where brands are staking their claim to unchartered territory. If a nonprofit wants to be the “go-to” place for information on a particular topic, its site must offer more than pages and pages of text.

Some nonprofits are incorporating a video spokesperson who pops up on the home page to guide viewers as they navigate through their site. The interactive aspect of a video and seeing a real person talking on screen creates a human connection that may keep web surfers intrigued for minutes. Not only is it important to draw traffic to your site, but you must also give people a good reason to return.
Several months ago we created a “web series” for The Sierra Club who has more than 190,000 unique visitors a month to its site. Each 2-3 minute long webisode features a ‘wilderness survival tip.’ Each week, viewers look forward to viewing a new tip for their next trek in the wilderness. Sponsors of outdoor gear lined up to sponsor the series and individual webisodes.

“When used effectively, video can add tremendous value to a web user's experience - it offers the opportunity to tell a story in a format that is visually compelling and that can be shared easily with thousands of viewers,” says Regan Ranoa, Online Community Coordinator of the Sierra Club. “It not only adds dimension to static content but it can also help an organization build strong relationships and increase brand awareness.”

Of course, professional video production can be costly. The planning, shooting and editing – not to mention the graphics and music – can all add up. And, nonprofits are often struggling just to keep the doors open, especially in today’s economy.
But now, using your existing still photos and footage from past events and news media, a nonprofit can get in the game with an affordable video that gives them a first step in building its online brand.
In this new frontier, the possibilities are endless!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
ROBYN SYMON, is a two-time Emmy-winning Writer/Producer, President of Symon Productions, Inc. and a Senior Consultant with CoreStrategies for Nonprofits. Robyn wrote and produced the PBS series Voices of Vision hosted by NPR’s Scott Simon spotlighting the work of nonprofit organizations around the world. She is an expert in creating new media content and strategies for nonprofit organizations.

For a FREE evaluation of whether your nonprofit is ready for a new media package, fill out our questionnaire. For more information about creating a new media package, contact Robyn Symon at 1.888. 458.4351 Ext. 807 or email at RobynSymon@CoreStrategies4Nonprofits.com

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