bring your communications to life with multimedia content
DESCRIPTION
Eric Whelan, Sounddelivery www.charitycomms.org.uk/eventsTRANSCRIPT
Measuring and Communicating
Your Impact Conference
29 June 2011
CharityComms is the professional membership body for charity communicators. We believe charity communications
are integral to each charity’s work for a better world.
W: www.charitycomms.org.uk T: 020 7426 8877
Using Multimedia Content
Eric Whelan
Producer, sounddelivery
@ericwhelan
About Us
• Small digital media training, production and consultancy company
• Work with the charity, not-for-profit and heritage and museums sector
• Our mission is to help organisations change the way the communicate and reach as many people as possible using free and cheap tools
www.sounddelivery.org.uk
The Media – What’s Different?
• The type of media that is
available to us has changed
• “Multimedia” is now used
all over the web
• Even traditional media is
being affected – for
example, radio-friendly
press releases
What is Multimedia content?
• Audio
• Video
• Blogs
• Photos
• Social Media presence
• Any kind of content that isn’t simply a single
piece of text
What does the Content allow us to
do?
• Show our supporters the good work we’re doing and where their donations are going
• Tell true stories of the lives of our beneficiaries – particularly useful for annual reports, newsletters, press releases etc
• Give a more human face to our organisations
• Multimedia content is a fantastic way to fundraise
Who’s using Multimedia Content?
How are they using it?
What happened next?
• Content was picked up by several
departments of the Guardian, including
Society Guardian and the Joe Public blog
• As a result, content was seen by many more
people than it otherwise would have, raising
awareness of the work that Carers UK do
• What do you think would have happened with
these stories had they only been in text form?
What about smaller charities?
• It’s not just large charities
that are using multimedia
content
• Tiny, start up organisations
are also creating incredibly
successful multimedia
campaigns
• They are doing this by
utilising free and
affordable tools
Case Study
www.colalife.org
• Charity that campaigns for Coca-Cola to allow
life-saving “aid pods” to be delivered to Africa
with their cola shipments
• The pods contain vitamins, rehydration salts,
supplements and more
• ColaLife have designed the aid pods
themselves and have just been registered as a
charity
What kind of content are they
creating?
• Videos diaries
• Audio pieces
• Photos
• Blog entries
Multimedia content get pride of place right on
the homepage
Why does this content work?
• Very personable, giving supporters an insight into the charity
• Makes the people behind the charity approachable, meaning people are more likely to engage with them online and spread their message
• The content is easily shareable – an important factor when it comes to getting your content noticed
Case Study
www.childsifoundation.org
• Organisation working in Uganda to help local
children and families
• Opened up a Mother and Baby centre last
year, providing support, care and even
temporary placement for local families
• Supported by volunteers and donors
Child’s i Hompage
• The entire website is built around a Wordpress blog
• This means that people working on the project can easily post updates and share any content they have created without the need for a web team
• Readers know exactly who has posted the update, creating a more direct connection with the content
Who do you think this video was for?
• Supporters
• Stakeholders
• Donors
• The media
How does it help?
• Content like this (in video, photos or audio form) really shows off the work that the organisation is doing
• It also shows donors where their money has gone to.
• Being able to clearly see exactly what has been done with donations is likely to encourage donors to return and will engage new supporters
What do you notice that’s different
about the “Our Mission” page on the
website?
Why do you think it’s done this way?
Points to Remember
• With both Child’s i & ColaLife, multimedia
content is key to their online presence
• This is true of many organisations and we
have started to see a shift towards the use of
videos, and audio to tell stories rather than
traditional text
• Always consider if you can show your story,
rather than tell it
Points to Remember
• The key to multimedia content is it’s
shareability
• You can easily embed audio, video, slideshows
and images into blogs, websites, on your
social media presence etc
• Unless you’re speaking about a particular
event, try to keep your content timeless by
not mentioning dates etc
Where to with your content?
• It’s important to remember to think of where
your multimedia content can go
• It allows you to offer ready-made content for
journalists. The media are screaming out for
your content!
• Don’t be afraid – pick up the phone and get in
touch with editors, Clare Horton especially
• Real stories will get you heard
Questions?
Get in Touch
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.sounddelivery.org.uk
Twitter:@ericwhelan / @sounddelivery