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Giving Back E-Tips

Let’s Go to the Videotape. Or Maybe Not.

Are you toying with the idea of adding online video to your emails? In theory, it seems like a great idea. After all, what better way to get your story across than to show a short video clip that dramatizes your issue?

Well, I was enthusiastic about online video, too. But one of the fundraising agencies I work with expressed caution after seeing a number of nonprofits generate less-than-stellar donation levels from their forays into the online video world.

So we tried a test of two emails. Both had the exact same copy and subject line. The only difference was that Version #1 had a one-minute video clip of a wild animal round-up. Version #2 featured a still photo from the video.

Here are the results:

Version #1 - Online Video Clip
Open Rate: 19.4%
Average gift: $32.59

Version #2 - No Video - Just Photo
Open rate: 19.7%
Average gift: $34.68

While the open rates are similar, the “No Video” email was the winner based on the higher average gift. The results become more conclusive when you consider that it did cost some money to put together the video itself — rather than just using a photo.

Of course, this is only one instance, and you may want to conduct your own tests. But here’s an alternative to video that you might want to try — the slideshow. Not only are slideshows easier and cheaper to put together, they also generate great results.

In December, I created a “Victory” slideshow highlighting my client’s 2008 campaign wins. It ended up bringing in an average gift of over $95 — the highest gift of a very successful year-end campaign.

Slideshows are easy to create — there’s some great off-the-shelf software out there. You just plug your photos and copy into a template — and voila, you have a professional-looking presentation.

Why do slideshows work so well? It could be that slideshows are a more comfortable medium for donors who are less than tech-savvy. Or it could be that serious donors would rather read information on a slideshow than view a fast-paced video. Whatever the reason, you owe yourself the opportunity of giving a slideshow a whirl.

What’s your experience using online videos and slideshows? Let Karen know for a future issue of Giving Back. Contact her at 718-680-1627 or at kg@karengedney.com.