8 tips for more video plays + replies

Tips + tricks to increase your video views

If you want to stand out in the crowded internet world, you gotta deliver personal experiences for your constituents and donors. This means that they should feel like there was no other person on Earth except them who could have received this message. Does this leave you wondering, “How can I do that?”

Here are eight tips to make your videos more personal and memorable.

Use a whiteboard or piece of paper when starting to record a video

If you take the time to personalize a video, you want to do everything you can to make sure your contacts see the video. There are several ways to do this, but our favorite way is to write the contact’s name on a piece of paper or whiteboard when you start recording the video. This way, they know that the video is personalized for them.

Send via Outlook or Gmail

One of our favorite features of Gratavid from Gravyty is you can send Gratavids directly through your own Gmail or Outlook account. One advantage of using your email account is that it can help prevent spam filters from misinterpreting you as a spammer. Email reputation depends on 1) the domain (i.e., “…@school.edu”) and 2) the server (i.e., IP address) sending your email.

Sending through Gmail or Outlook ensures your Gratavid is sent from your domain and a highly reputable server.

Automatically resend if not watched

The truth is not everyone is going to see your video right away. People are busy and might not check their email for a few days, or worse: your email ends up in the spam or the promotions folder. The good news is Gratavid can automatically resend your videos if not opened or watched.

HTML-heavy emails are a massive flag for spam filters. HTML-heavy emails contain a lot of formatting, color, and pictures. Imagine the emails you receive from a retailer (i.e., Old Navy, Walmart, etc.) sharing their 4th of July sales. Those are HTML-heavy emails. Because Gratavids contain your branding and a nice video preview/GIF, our emails are considered HTML-heavy too. Therefore, they can sometimes end up in the spam and promotions folder.

However, this is why it’s so important to enable automatic resending. When our system resends a Gratavid that has not been watched, we resend it as a plain-text email. A plain-text email does not contain HTML (i.e., formatting, colors, pictures). Therefore, your resend won’t get flagged as spam.

Share a powerful testimonial

Now it’s time for the cherry on top. Now that they’re intrigued, you want to make sure they stick around and watch your generic video that can communicate a bigger message. Luckily, Gratavid makes this easy too.

You can use Gratavid’s story feature to add a generic video after your personalized video. The generic video can be a powerful testimonial, a thank you from the board, or even a professionally edited video you uploaded. You can even include all three videos after your personalized video!

The generic content is shown to each contact; you simply just add a personalized video in the front to make that person feel special. This truly helps to tell your story.

Respond promptly to cultivate donor relationships

93% of donors said they would definitely or probably give again to a charity that provided a prompt and personal thank you.

Donor-Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk

Responding promptly is key to cultivating donor relationships. Sending a thank you video within 48 hours of receiving a gift will let that donor know that you care, you are grateful and you respect their generosity. It also proves you value your relationship with them and respect their time. 

Prompt a response relevant to your organization

When creating the note template, we suggest prompting a response. This means adding a question or comment at the end of your message to get people to reply. Some examples could be “What do you miss about campus?” or “Do you have any prayer requests?”

Of course, it is important to make it relevant to your organization. This will get your constituents to engage while showing that you care about them and want their feedback. People value knowing they have a say in an organization.

Create a note template that features their favorite things

Do you know that some of your donors are big sports fans? Or maybe they enjoy theatre? Create a Note Template labeled “Sports Note” or “Theatre Note.” Taking the time to customize a note with their interests helps to show them how much you care. And really all you need to do is change the background image in the branding section to do this.

Change the email subject line

Changing the email subject line can get your constituent’s attention as well, especially if it is customized and engaging. It will automatically default to “_____ shared a video with you!” It will have your organization’s name.

Try changing it to something more personal, such as “I made you a video today!” or “A special thank you just for you!”

And just like that, you now have eight more ways to make your tasks more memorable and meaningful! These little steps can make a world of a difference in your donor’s experience. 

Learn how Gratavid can help you cultivate donor relationships through personal video messaging. Get a free consultation.