Video

Over the last six months, it’s fair to say that Instagram Video and Vine have taken the app world by storm. This has definitely not gone unnoticed by nonprofit marketers, with a number of high-profile organizations starting to utilize these channels to communicate with their audiences, both cheaply and effectively.

If you’re still unconvinced that Vine and Instagram are right for your brand, then the following seven examples should be of interest.

Let’s be honest. Videos about programs end up putting people to sleep instead of making them feel something. I’ve learned that compelling, money-raising videos are about people, not programs. So here’s how I turn a program into an emotional story: 1. Find a protagonist. 2. Lead with a story. 3. Leave the board members out. 4. Ask questions that lead to storytelling. 5. Include shareable stories.

Ultimately, platforms like video on Instagram make it easy and fun to produce short videos that can be shared on social-media platforms while engaging your community of supporters. However, much like every digital-marketing initiative, it’s important to plan in advance ensuring that there is focus in the content that is being created.

The following are best practices to follow when implementing a short-video marketing initiative via Instagram's video app: 1. Have a purpose. 2. Tell a story. 3. Be creative. 4. Don't over-post.

Google is shutting down Google Checkout worldwide and replacing it with Google Wallet Nov. 20, so at the very least those nonprofits taking advantage of YouTube’s Nonprofit Program that also take the necessary steps to accept donations through Google Wallet and YouTube, will be the best positioned when wallets go mainstream and transform online and mobile fundraising. That said, for your inspiration, below are five nonprofits maximizing YouTube’s Nonprofit Program and YouTube’s new channel design: ASPCA, Natrue Conservancy, Oxfam, SOS Children's Villages and WITNESS.

See3, YouTube and Edelman have released a new report and guide for nonprofits about using video. The report, “Into Focus: Benchmarks for Video and a Guide for Creators,” is based on a survey of 500 nonprofits and interviews with experts (including me). The report describes current nonprofit use, adoption challenges and best practices.

The big takeaway: Nonprofits overwhelmingly agree that video is crucial to their communications, but many feel they do not know how to use it effectively or measure its impact — yet.

While at the Nonprofit Technology Conference last week in Minneapolis, we were on hand to see the winners of the 2013 DoGooder Video Awards announced. Four finalists were chosen for each category, and then the winners were selected by the public. The winner of the Best of Nonprofit Video Award was the Rainforest Alliance’s “Follow the Frog.” Why it works? It's entertaining, relatable and has an easy-to-follow call to action.

John Gelety, director of video services for FundRaising Success parent company North American Publishing Co., shares some insights that can help nonprofits make the most of their video efforts.

Creating engaging, sharable videos doesn’t seem to come naturally for most nonprofits, and I think I know why. Instead of highlighting naturally dynamic stories about people, nonprofits tend to create videos about programs. I call this The Program Trap. Your organization’s job is to run your programs well. That’s why you care about the details of how they are run. But your audience is hungry for meaning, belonging and purpose. Viewers want to be a part of something that matters.

I also love fundraisers, and this video made me think of y'all and the glorious work you do, and it reminded me again of how proud I am to be a part of it (if just peripherally) through FundRaising Success.

If you know anything about Sesame Street's Count von Count, it's that he loves to count. In Sesame Street's latest YouTube upload, the number-loving Muppet is counting the TV show's YouTube channel views. And for a good reason: Sesame Street has just become the first nonprofit YouTube channel to hit 1 billion views.