FUNDRAISING TIP: CREATE VIDEOS

In the age of YouTube and social media, video is a fantastic way to tell your story in an engaging and entertaining way. And the creative possibilities are endless. High quality cameras on our smartphones now allow just about everyone to become Steven Spielberg for a day.

Here are some pointers on how to create great videos with minimal effort and without fancy equipment:

• Record in different environments: the great Hollywood directors invest millions in set design for a reason! Keep your background outside or to a visually interesting indoor space rather than sitting in front of a blank wall.
• Be active: don’t just sit in one place; movement adds interest.
• Avoid overly noisy places: your message loses its effect if no one can hear it.
• Show your passion for what you’re doing: be excited, be animated, and don’t be afraid to ask for support! People love supporting others in their dreams, and enthusiasm is contagious!
• Use a cheap camera: most digital cameras and smartphones come with video mode nowadays – use it!
• Keep it short and sweet: 1-3 minutes is ideal. Anything longer and you’ll have viewers reaching for the remote to see what else is on.

Now that you know how to record, you’re probably asking yourself what to record. The possibilities are endless!

• Bring your camera to the race – document key exciting points along the way: the start, the finish, and several points in between. Most people have never run a marathon (and probably never will). Show them what they’re missing, and they’ll begin to understand why you’re doing this.
• Conduct a short interview with the person you’re running for. Have your son, nephew, cousin, brother, friend or neighbor talk about what it’s like to live with Duchenne every day, and why what you’re doing means so much to him.
• Share the highlights! Did you do anything fun, crazy and inventive along the way to raise money, like holding an event? If you’re still laughing about Uncle Bob’s karaoke rendition of “Born This Way” at your fundraising party, chances are others might enjoy it as well. And entertainment = $$, right?
• Record yourself. Nothing is more powerful than hearing from you about why you’re running, plain and simple.

The most important thing is to tell your story. Tell people why you run and who you run for. Tell people what inspires you. That will inspire others to do what they can and hopefully that will translate into more donations towards your goal.

Now get out there and start filming! And don’t forget to share your videos with us!