How to use video successfully in ministry & missions.

Most ministry partners who have videos struggle with one question: “How do we successfully use video to help motivate and reach new and current supporters?” Here are some examples of how to take your good video as part of your total communication strategy and turn it into a great video!

1. Release the video on your social networks not just once but one a week for the next few months. Research show that if you are not paying to promote your campaign on social media, only 15% of your followers will see the post. Another practice is the build up the release of the video a week before you release it. Creating status updates of how excited you are to share this update and a video will be released on a certain day and time. (Web Tip: You can use a cool app called bufferapp.com to stagger and “buffer” your posts.)

2. Send it as part of your email campaigns. Take a graphic from the video, put a play button over it, make it so it links to the video, and chances are you will get more views. It’s ok to host the video on Youtube or Vimeo. Most people don’t wait long to load a video. Those video hosts usually have the loading and playing part down keeping your viewing rate high.

3. Make the video a part of an insider newsletter. Add a password to the video and send it out to your supporters saying that this is a preview of the video that will be soon be released publicly. Since they are insiders they get the password and a sneak peek at the video. Making them feel special while giving them a look at what you ministry/mission is doing.

4. Put the link to the video in your email signature. One ministry partner, that I workwith, puts the link to his ministries video in his email signature. Think about it, how many emails do you send out a day? Putting it in the signature might get more views and more people, some that you wouldn’t expect, to connect with your mission & ministry.

5. Take your longer video and break it into 3 or 4 smaller videos. Then you can release these videos over a period of 6 months in emails or social networks. At the end of the video put in it the date of the next released video. Some ministry partners think they need just one video to communicate their mission. I challenge that idea explaining that one video can get tired over a period of time.
If you need more advice, just email me!

W. Ashley Maddox
Award Winning Filmmaker
MissionaryFilms.org
Join our monthly insider e-news!