Written by: Monique Stennis
Adjunct Professor
University of Redlands
AABLI alumna, Class #6
For nonprofit organizations, building trust with communities is golden. It offers much more value than a brochure, advertisement or other marketing material. Integrating video into its social media program can help a nonprofit build trust as it shares its story.
According to the Pew Research Center, “Seven in 10 Americans use social media to connect, engage with news content, share information, and entertain themselves.” With statistics like this, it is no wonder why 78 percent of consumers say that social media posts affect their buying decisions. This insight should drive you to energize your social media strategy by incorporating video to educate, inform, or entertain— all elements that will help you build trust.
#1: Make Facebook videos
With the most massive audience of any social network, Facebook was the medium chosen by women’s apparel company Izzy and Liv (www.izzyandliv.com) to tell its story in a nearly 50-second video. What better way to communicate the value of your brand than showcasing multimedia content on a platform where as many as 100 million hours of video are watched daily? To pull this off, the company used photos of customers modeling Izzy and Liv garments, which customers either sent by email or uploaded directly to the social media platform. It was a creative move that highlighted their consumers as spokespersons for the brand. It also encouraged these brand evangelists to share the video with their networks.
https://www.facebook.com/izzyandliv/videos/2010402162604937
#2: Live stream on Instagram
There are endless creative ways to connect with your customers on Instagram Live. Active live streams may include a “how-to” tutorial, an interview featuring the owner of your organization revealing the latest industry news, or an event such as a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Once you are broadcasting live on Instagram, your audience can see you ask questions in the comments area. Or they can rate your message using an emoji. It is much better than live radio since you not only hear but see the content. The host can address questions, comments, and concerns from users who are giving feedback. An added bonus: Instagram Live recordings are available to watch on your followers’ newsfeed for 24 hours.
Music mogul Russell Simmons, @unclerush, in the photo, regularly hosts live streams of his meditation class.
#3: Create a YouTube Channel
The second largest search engine, following its parent company, Google, boasts that more than 1 billion hours of video are watched daily by its vast audience. The sheer number of eyeballs watching YouTube makes developing a channel a viable social media strategy. Consistency and creativity, however, are needed if you are to stand out from your competition. YouTube videos give you the flexibility to share them across social media platforms without the limitations that video can pose on other sites.
We’ve reached the middle of the year. Within the next six months, get busy building trust with your market. Create and post video that engages your target community. The opportunity is golden.
Sources:
https://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/
https://www.hot-mob.com/market-insights/how-social-media-influence-consumer-purchase-decisions/
https://www.wyzowl.com/video-social-media-2019/
This blog is not written by aabli.org or The African American Board Leadership Institute. The author is solely responsible for the content.
