Welcome to our DRTV and Social Video Session Recap!

Missed out on the presentation?

Watch the session recording:

Or click through the slides:

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KEY TAKEAWAY #1

The fundraising channel mix has changed.

There are a lot of traditional communications methods that are currently non-starters. These include face-to-face, mass challenge events, physical community fundraising, out of home events, cinema audiences and printed press. 

All is not lost!

TV and video are seriously on the rise as digital and virtual fundraising events take a more prominent role. Social media is becoming key. Other effective methods to reach the home are Newsbrands, radio and audio, direct mail and door drops.

See below the very real surges in search terms since the lock down.

KEY TAKEAWAY #2

Know your Audience('s behaviour)!

This is actually the same 'second takeaway' from our last session.

Dan backed up Claire's point about understanding your audience with graphs and maps to do with the different individual consumption habits.

• 70% more people are participating in group calls using Facebook week over week.
• 39% of people are streaming more online video
• Channels orientated to entertainment are up - Pinterest, Snapchat, Tik Tok and Youtube all report Growth
• Paid social ads are cheap, with CPM and CPC down by 25-50% compared to pre-lockdown

KEY TAKEAWAY #3

You need to engage the viewer's heart, mind and intent - but considerably.

These pillars or principles are standard practice for good video content, but the context for this advice has now changed.

• This is a time of heightened emotions – use language and visuals mindfully
• Too much sadness, despair, anger will impact on response
• Language and tone should evoke: 

Human stories especially resonate right now – family, friends, workers, heroes…

  “care, togetherness, common good, hope”

                             NOT 

  “fear, scare-mongering, division, helplessness ”

KEY TAKEAWAY #4

There are four clear ways to get on air or 'live' - but in each case you can use your smartphone to film.

1. You already have a DRTV ad
2. You have your own footage and still image assets
3. You need to create something completely new
4. You planned ahead for emergencies like this

(Check out the slide deck for fantastic detail on each of these)

Key smartphone camera tips.

• HORIZONTAL FORMAT NOT VERTICAL
•  Set up camera on a hard surface rather than hand-held   
• Level shot as opposed to a selfie looking down type of shot
• The framing should be waist up so, in editing,  we can move in or blow up to a closer shot if need be
• Eyeline should be direct to camera
• Simple background in a room with soft furnishings to absorb echo.  (Not a kitchen)
• Avoid back to the window as this puts faces in shadow. Side light is good
• Ideally get the presenter to do a  quick take and send it to you so you can see if there are any problems with lighting, picture or sound

The Us & Us collective organisers...

...want to thank our panellists:

....but who is The Us & Us Collective?

The Us and Us collective began life on April 1st, 2020...but despite that, the motivations behind it are not a joke! When the COVID-19 pandemic first began to demonstrate it's impact globally, we were immediately worried for charities worldwide. 

As a result, at Funraisin, we transformed our usual offering. We typically offer entirely bespoke, full-stack fundraising solutions to our charity partners. Still, instead, we rejigged our toolkit to produce a lighter, quicker-to-turn-around fundraising website. We are still offering it entirely for free to all charities who need to get a virtual fundraising strategy off the ground as soon as possible, to avoid losing income. 

Immediately, we saw that many organisations needed the tech (that's where we come in) but they also needed support beyond that. It wasn't just a tech platform that many organisations needed. They had lost whole events, whole chunks of their fundraising strategies. They needed new ideas, strategies that worked in the post-pandemic world, marketing and fundraising advice that took self-isolation into account, support transitioning to virtual, and guidance on how to stick out from the crowd.

The Us and Us collective was born! Our friends at Massive joined us, and added their own offering: two hours free strategy and innovation consultation to help charities make the most of the free tech on offer.