Jamie Perez, local videographer and owner of Beyond Words Productions, knows the value video can have on an organization. Extracting the emotion behind every story, Jamie has helped nonprofits raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, receive grants, share untold stories and help businesses hire and retain employees in a tough employment market.

Jamie shared important tips that will help tell your story, make videos that resonate and enhance your video’s visibility online. View the event replay on the SMBMad Facebook page.

Find and Tell Your Story

If you have ever watched a talent show competition, chances are that you recall a particular contestant with a unique and moving story.

“Anybody who watches America’s Got Talent knows that a lot of their viral videos are the ones that are super heartfelt and have some incredible backstory to them,” Jamie said. “People remember emotions and that is why these videos go viral.”

The same concept applies to businesses and nonprofits on social media. Diving into the personal stories behind the business help conceptualize your “why” as a business owner or nonprofit leader while also making you stand out amongst the noise.

“There are a million people that are doing the exact same thing that you are, so why should anybody pick you out of anybody else?” Jamie said. “You tell your story and you make people care about you; that’s really what the art of storytelling is and embodies.”

Even if you don’t have a story of your own to share, finding a client, customer or volunteer involved with your organization who does can be a compelling way to tell your story. For example, Free Bikes 4 Kidz shared the inspiring and emotional story about the impact a bike had on one recipient’s life.

Make a Video that Resonates

The start and the end of the video should showcase the best, most powerful soundbites of your piece. The first soundbite reels the viewer in, even if it seemingly doesn’t have anything to do with your video topic (like in the Free Bikes 4 Kidz example).

“That first soundbite makes you stop and think, ‘What does that have to do with this?’ and gets you interested,” Jamie said. “Then your last soundbite should wrap up the tone of the video.”

This is an art of practice; write out the soundbites from your footage and play around with structure to get the best flow and feel while still starting and ending with those most powerful clips.

“Sometimes the best stories start with the end and work backwards or start in the middle and fill you in, so it takes practice to get better at your craft of video storytelling,” Jamie said.

While soundbites are your hook, layers keep the viewer engaged.

“You have to keep revealing new information and interesting things throughout the whole video,” Jamie said. “Every shot should be different; visually appealing and stimulating throughout the whole thing.”

Finally, keep things personal and concise. Kick the script, cut out unnecessary fluff and keep just enough information that keeps the viewer hooked and hungry for more information.

Enhance Video Visibility

Creating an appealing video is the first step, but getting it noticed is the next stage of the game. When posting videos to Facebook and YouTube, it is important to use a good thumbnail. An attention-grabbing cover image likely leads to more clicks which ultimately leads to better performance.

“People connect with people,” Jamie said. “When you have a cover image of someone’s face, it’s more likely to get clicked on.”

It is also important to turn on social captioning. Jamie said, “You want to make it easy for people to get the gist of your message without having sound, so include social captioning so that people can silently watch and still understand what is happening throughout the story.”

Finally, an attention-grabbing caption seals the deal. The caption should invoke emotion, tease the content but not give away the whole story.

“A caption that is attention-grabbing and compelling makes people think, ‘Well now I’ve got to watch. I want to know what the story is.’,” Jamie said.

Generally speaking, a shorter video is better, but that is not always the case. A shorter video creates awareness of your brand or organization, while a longer video helps convert viewers into loyal followers who advocate on your behalf. Knowing your objective prior to creating the video is a key to helping you get the attention you want and deserve.

Nonprofit Spotlight:

Every person, every day depends on the food and fiber systems that ensure food, fiber and energy resources are procured from field to families. Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom exists to grow understanding and awareness of these systems – the source and value of agriculture as it affects our quality of life by delivering authentic, agricultural-based content as the context to teach core curriculum concepts in grades PK-12. Curriculum, training, and resources are delivered and developed in collaboration with educators, volunteers, and partnering entities with the goal of increasing student achievement while providing awareness of careers, skills, and opportunities across the scope of agriculture.

Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom is supported at the local level by county programs and volunteers. We receive support from grants, private businesses, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
Visit their website at www.wisagclassroom.org find them on Facebook at @WIAgintheClassroom