Do you have a Viral Video in You?

Earlier this week, exhausted from a long day at the office, I slumped down on my couch and began mindlessly surfing facebook. In the sea of sonograms and engagement announcements, I came across the video below, posted by a distant acquaintance from my undergraduate days. I'm not sure what drew me to click on the video, but I did. It was so profoundly powerful. It made me want to cry, it made me want to watch it again, and most importantly, it made me want to take action and clothe every child in the world, which is exactly what it was designed to do.

The video is a winter campaign for SOS Children's Villages International, who is working in Syria to provide blankets and clothing to children in need. With more than 12 million views on youtube, I'd say the video is sending an effective and powerful message about the punch that viral videos pack.

Do you want your nonprofit to have 12 million views? Me too. 

My Web Presenters put together an info-graphic to guide nonprofits through the process of creating what we can only hope will be a successful video campaign.

I would also add in here that it is very important to target an audience and an action. Your video should propel a specific someone to take specific action. Donate, volunteer, visit website, learn more, educate themselves on an issue, share, like your page. If you don't have a strong call to action in your video you are missing a huge opportunity if the content is shared.