Doing More Videos: Getting Over What’s Holding You Back

On today’s Video Strategy for Nonprofits webinar, I organized my presentation around the barriers that are holding nonprofits back from fully embracing video as the superior communications channel that it is for so many different marketing goals.

The amount of time that it takes to produce videos was the biggest barrier among today’s webinar participants.

My advice: Limit the editing software you are using to just one or two programs. Playing with all of the different tools and thinking the next video editing app will be so much better than the last one you tried takes a TON of time. Just pick one and go with it. The truth is you can get the basics done in all of them.

For anyone who is nervous about doing videos, and especially streaming live, I recommend that you set up some fake or closed practice accounts. Setting up a closed, private Facebook Group is a great way to practice Facebook Live there. You can set up a private finsta on Instagram too to play around with going live on Stories. Just do it by yourself or let a few people in so you can practice some of the live engagement tools.

The webinar participants loved this idea with 2/3rds saying they would be setting up practice accounts soon.

Finally, for those people who fear that their technology isn’t good enough, I say: Just relax and use your phone. JUST DO IT!

If you want to upgrade the quality of videos coming from your phone, focus first on the audio and then on the visuals.

For better audio, get an external mic, like a corded lavalier or a shotgun mic that plugs right into the phone.

For better visuals, use a rig or grip that holds the phone for you and where you can attach things like external lights and microphones.

If you are nervous about doing more video, you aren’t alone! But don’t let those nerves or excuses about not having the right technology stop you from capitalizing on the power of video. You can do this!