Showcasing your Impact through YouTube

 

Despite typically being known for video streaming, YouTube is a place for sharing stories, connecting, bringing awareness to social issues, and inspiring action. According to Pew Research Center, 81% of Americans use YouTube and impressively, according to Nonprofit Source, 57% of people who watch a nonprofit video go on to make a donation (2021, 2023). Clearly, there is so much you can do through YouTube, especially if done right. How can you create a powerful YouTube channel and use it to tell your stories and grow your audience? Keep reading to find out how to showcase your impact through YouTube.

Nonprofit organizations can easily create video content and engage on YouTube with low production costs. A massive budget or advanced filming equipment are not necessary to create great video content. In fact, many YouTubers record, edit, and upload videos from their smartphones. Invisible People is an example of a nonprofit that creates compelling videos with limited resources. Below we outline the steps you can take to start showcasing your impact through YouTube.

  1. Create a Youtube Channel

  2. Brand your Channel

  3. Create and optimize your content

  4. Engage your Audience 

  5. Promote your Channel 

Step 1: Create a Youtube Channel

  1. Create a Google Account if you don’t have one already

  2. Go to YouTube and click on profile picture on the upper right hand corner

  3. Click on “Create a channel” and enter your organization’s name and logo as the profile picture

Step 2: Brand your Channel

Establish your identity in “Channel Customization”:

  1. Under “Basic info”, write a concise description outlining your purpose and content - you can include your mission and values here

  2. Under “Branding” include the banner image - it will appear across the top of your channel. You can create this image including something about your organization such as a slogan (your logo will already be the profile picture)

  3. Under “Layout”, customize your page into sections or playlists. You can also add a “Video spotlight” to the top of your homepage

Step 3: Create and optimize your content 

As you create your videos:

Pre-produce

  • Brainstorm video content and make outlines of what you will film

  • Visit and familiarize yourself with the location you will be filming in 

  • Have pre-production meetings with your team for efficient preparation

Optimize audio, lighting, and framing

  • Audio: Ensure high quality audio and use background tracks and make sure you use free, no copyright music

  • Lighting: Use as much natural light as possible and avoid large bright spots

  • Framing: Film horizontally and when filming people, frame the subject a little to the side rather centered. Watch this video of useful videography tips.

Edit and upload

  • Some useful softwares for video editing are:

    • iMovie

    • HitFilm Express

    • Lightworks

  • Usually after editing, you will need to save the edited video into your Photos Library and then publish it to your YouTube channel

  • Quality over quantity: focus on producing a few high quality videos, rather than many that are poorly produced

  • Craft creative video titles and descriptions

  • Use Canva or Adobe Express to create thumbnails - the still image that acts as the preview image for your video

  • Use relevant tags if applicable and categorize your videos into your channel layout accordingly

    • Introduce your cause to new perspective supporters, like how Nature Conservancy explains its work in this video

    • Share success stories highlighting the impact you are having on those you are helping, like the Ronald McDonald House Charity features a specific family story in this video

    • Present spotlights interviewing your directors, staff, and volunteers, like Charity Water’s founder Scot Harrison shares his story in this video

    • Build awareness to address key issues related to your cause, like UNICEF USA advocates against female genital mutilation in this video

    • Promote events you are organizing like workshops or fundraisers or do recap videos of your events to promote engagement in the future

    • Share testimonials of the people or communities you have helped, like Teach for America includes the voices of its students in this video

    • Show impact reports with statistical data of the progress and impacts of your projects

Step 4: Engage your Audience

  • In videos, ask viewers to subscribe to your channel, like, comment, and share your videos

    • See how Junior Achievement calls for likes and subscriptions on its home page 

  • Use the Cards and Endscreens video enhancement features to encourage more viewer  engagement

    • Cards: pop up in the top-right corner of the screen throughout the video, plugging up more of your content like another video, playlist, or web link.

    • Endscreens: overlay more content at the end of your video, encouraging viewers to engage with your channel, playlists, or another video 

  • Respond to comments on your video

  • Collaborate with other nonprofits, experts, or influencers

    • See how UNICEF features snapchat influencer Shaun McBride in this video

icon of individuals representing an audience

Step 5: Promote your Channel 

  • Cross-promote your channel on your other social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Tiktok

  • Embed your videos and channel on your website

    • See how Charity Water embeds one of their videos- “The Journey of Your Donation”, on their website 

  • Feature your videos in your mailing newsletters to encourage more subscriptions

  • Consider using Google Ads to invest in more views 

Step 6: Analyze and Improve Performance

  • Use YouTube Analytics to understand how viewers engage with your content, who is your audience, and which are the most popular videos

    • To get YouTube Analytics:

      • Enter on your channel

      • Click on “Manage videos” on the upper right corner

      • Click on “Analytics” on the left column

  • Adapt your content in accordance to your analytics results and create more of what your audience wants

icon of a bar graph with trend line

Creating a YouTube channel is a great way for your organization to have more impact by growing its outreach and engagement. Following this guide will help you in the process of doing so. Always remember quality, consistency, and authentic engagement are key to creating and maintaining a successful YouTube presence. 

This post was written by our Asibey Summer Fellow, Silvana Alfaro. For more insight on topics ranging from social media strategy to Asibey’s consulting work, follow our LinkedIn page.

 
Tech Tools for GoodAsibey ConsultingYouTube