Documentaries are my favorite genre to watch and to edit. Coincidence? Definitely not! A documentary - or a video that provides a factual record or report - is a wonderful medium to learn about the world and the variety of perspectives that surround us every day. The range a documentary can cover is astounding: true crime, activism, historical, or informational, just to name a few.
Often times documentaries can have a marketing angle, but a great non-fiction story can inspire audiences to act simply because the story is compelling enough on its own. I see this every day in my work with Spotted Yeti; we shape true, compelling stories into actionable videos.
Watching a real-life story about what is happening in one’s own community can inspire a person or people to dive deeper into the topic and get involved in the subject matter.
Non-profit Videos
Non-profits are a huge benefit to society, and yet they don’t always get the glory or attention they deserve. Most of the time, every person in the organization is playing many roles and trying to maximize impact with little resources. There’s a common misconception that video production is too expensive for non-profits or that budgets should always be put directly towards the "cause" and not marketing.
But actually, an investment in video storytelling can go a long way in telling your mission to a larger audience.
There are so many ways that non-profits can use video in their business such as raising awareness and inspiring action. We frequently produce videos for annual fundraising events and social media marketing campaigns. Sometimes videos are designed to be an "evergreen" piece for your overall marketing strategy. Other times, shorter content and regular communication on social media is effective to reach your audience in a timely manner. Being strategic about video implementation can help to ensure your video reaches your audience at the right time and place.
Yeti Hands-Up
Spotted Yeti Media has always put an emphasis on working with non-profits and community do-gooders. We have a Yeti Hands-Up video package available for non-profits or new businesses because we’re dedicated to offering affordable, high-quality products to the small, the new, and the charitable.
We’ve been privileged to work with many local organizations and here are two examples of how their story and mission have come to life through video.
Village Life used several short videos to launch their fundraising efforts for a new Reproductive Health Center.
Client Spotlight: Village Life Outreach Project
In the spring, we worked with Village Life Outreach Project and created two videos for a Mother's Day fundraising campaign. The non-profit wanted to honor the memory of Anne Haire, and inspire others to donate to the Roche Maternal Health Center in Tanzania. We were able to meet both needs with recording just one interview and using existing photos. After seeing the effectiveness and popularity of the videos on social media, they returned to Spotted Yeti to request one final edit for their annual gala. The third video produced was a deeper look into the project, using the original interview and required no extra shoot days.
"The Mother's Day campaign brought in $16,100 for the M. Anne Haire Reproductive and Child Health Center.We also showed the videos at a small backyard fundraiser, which brought in $148,200! We're about $150,000 away from our goal. YOU helped us get there and we thank you kindly." -Buthaina Karaman, Village Life
This style of marketing is not only doable but recommended! We love strategizing as part of our initial conversations. During this discovery phase we helped explain how multiple edits can be created from one shoot day. We also talk about your delivery platform and how to maximize organic reach. Sometimes repeating footage is even effective if your edits will be used in different places, or to achieve different marketing goals. These are all decisions Spotted Yeti Media can help you prepare to think through and implement.
This evergreen video from Covington Partners shares how the organization provides opportunities for children who might not have access to mentors or extracurricular activities otherwise.
Client Spotlight: Covington Partners
Covington Partners, an organization that works with schools to help childhood development, opted to promote themselves with an overview video of their many programs. The video was initially produced to be shown at a fundraising gala, but has a second life online as an anchor on the organization’s website and social channels.
Thinking through the duality of your video in our initial discovery meetings allows us to produce for a variety of user experience.
The Case for Values-Based Video Marketing
We love clients who leverage video in their marketing. Video has been trending in current media for some time, and audience engagement with video continues to rise.
In fact, Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to engage and invest with a brand that uses video over other traditional marketing tactics. Both generations are known for watching videos for more than just entertainment; research shows they also watch for research and education. This is a great case for breaking out of your current marketing mold and using video and human interest to appeal to these audiences.
Also, audiences these days are more inclined to view video content through social media and want video material that feels organic. That means you don’t over produce you video content.
Real Stories Work
Corporate companies have realized that audiences (especially younger consumers) cannot be fooled with marketing gimmicks. They have taken note from journalists and newsrooms to tell air-tight, ethical, and real stories to create relationships with consumers. In short, we have a society that is used to self-aware marketing. Audiences and consumers want to hear the truth about what sets you apart.
That’s why interview-based documentary videos-- while they’ve been around forever-- work; you are telling a real story about who you are and what you do.
Let's Collaborate!
At Spotted Yeti Media, we help you figure out which direction your video should lean because we believe in the power of strategy-backed videos. That means we’re dedicated to understanding why a video should be produced before we figure out how.
We want your video to be an effective element to your marketing strategy and are dedicated to designing a video, or a video marketing process, that will help you see a return on your investment.
If you’re a non-profit, emerging business, do-gooder, or are just interested in a human interest story that calls your audience to feel, act, and do -- get in touch! We’re excited to hear your story.
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