4 Tips for Celebrating Giving Tuesday With Video

Giving Tuesday is an annual day-of-giving that raises million for non-profits. The global movement, which falls on November 29th this year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is an opportunity for non-profits to raise awareness and donations and for businesses of all types to join the conversation and spread the spirit of giving.

Chiming in on the trending conversation around #GivingTuesday with video gives you a chance to promote what you care about, stay top of mind for your audience, and even reach new potential donors or customers. In fact, our annual survey ranked video as the top way consumers found out about a brand or product before making a purchase.

To make sure you get the most out of Giving Tuesday this year, we’ve rounded up some video tips and examples for your non-profit — or business.

Tip #1: Share a Specific Story

Rooting your video in a personal story that’s specific helps your audience connect to the content you share, and to your cause. Global Sanctuary for Elephants raised over $82,000 with the help of this video, which they shared on their Facebook and Instagram Pages. The video told the story of the ongoing rescue of an elephant named Ramba, and urged viewers to donate to the cause.

As opposed to generally focusing on all elephants, the organization focused on Ramba’s specific plight, making their campaign one that was more tangible to prospective donors and made more of an emotional impact.

Not a non-profit? Share a personal story about a non-profit your business is passionate about.

Tip # 2: Use Existing Photos and Videos

If you don’t have time to shoot from scratch, just use the assets you already have. Project Chimps shared a video on Facebook using existing photos and video clips. The video helped the non-profit reach their campaign goal of $100,000 and received nearly 40,000 views and 484 shares.

No photos or videos? Not to worry. Use our library of over 1 million stock images and video clips to create a social-friendly video in minutes.

Tip # 3: Go Behind the Scenes

Draw viewers in by showing them how you do what you do. Real insight into your campaign goals, progress, or the impact of past donations creates a unique connection between your audience and your cause.

To share a behind-the-scenes view of their efforts, PS107 shared a video on Facebook and included it in an email to parents. The video detailed events, programs, and projects that community contributions helped fund. By the end of the day, the organization had raised $21,360 completely organically, with no ad spend towards their video.

Tip # 4: Foster a Human Connection

Want to make a genuine connection with your audience? Share a video with people. People connect with other people. As part of their Giving Tuesday campaign, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shared a video interview with their Associate Program Officer.

And if you’re not a non-profit, ask your team to share what they’re doing this Giving Tuesday in a video. Or get your customers involved by talking to them about causes or organizations they love.

Video Creation Tips

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when you dive into creating your Giving Tuesday video:

• Use your best assets first. To keep your customers engaged, place your most striking photos or video clips at the start of the video.
• Optimize for mobile. Since 85% of videos on Facebook are watched with sound off, use text to make sure that your message reaches your audience. Also, remember that square video takes up 78% more space in the mobile newsfeed than landscape.
• Keep it concise. A short, eye-catching video keeps your audience engaged from start to finish.
• Use a clear call to action. Including a clear ask in your video, like “Learn More” or or “Donate Now,” helps viewers understand what action to take next and gets you closer to achieving your goal.

Once you’ve tackled Giving Tuesday, get geared up for the rest of your holiday video marketing. Check out our guide and join the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community for inspiration, ideas, and feedback on your own marketing videos.