You’re under pressure to stand out online, so what really moves the dial on visibility and engagement? Is video worth the investment for nonprofits? And what technical tricks can actually get your content seen? Solid video strategies are what’s needed.
According to Insivia, nonprofits that implement a video strategy see a 25% increase in donations on average. And Cisco predict that video will make up 82% of all internet traffic, it’s not just a nice-to-have—it’s how your audience is searching, sharing, and making decisions.
In this post, I’ll walk you through some video strategies to improve your online presence. You’ll learn why it works, how to do it well, and how to make sure your video content doesn’t just look good, but works hard for your mission.
TL;DR: Online Visibility Starts With Strategic Video Marketing
If you want to increase your charity’s online visibility, start with your videos. They don’t have to break the bank to make, just regular strategic posting on where you audiences are will lift engagement over time.
At the core of your video strategies is authentic storytelling and attention to structure
Authentic storytelling
- Lots of simple case-studies – can be shot on your phones
- Some hero content that sets out your mission and vision
- Campaign films that dig down into your seperate campaigns – spend most of your money on these and get lots of cut downs for your different channels.
Technical structure
- Optimise your videos by embedding them in structured posts that search engines and LLMs can understand
- Publish schema for your videos, describing your content to search engines
5 Benefits of cracking your video strategy
Here’s what the research and real-world practice say about the benefits of incorporating video into your nonprofit marketing strategy:
- Improved Search Rankings
Google and specifically YouTube favours content that holds user attention. Video increases dwell time, which sends a positive signal. Add schema markup (we’ll get to this) and you amplify this effect. - Stronger Social Engagement
According to HubSpot, video is the most shared type of content on social media. Charities that lead with short-form video earn more shares, comments, and click-throughs than those relying on stills or text. - Higher Conversion Rates
Landing pages with video can see conversion rates increase by up to 80%. Whether it’s volunteer sign-ups or donations, the right video dramatically lifts results. (HubSpot, 2023) - Better Donor Trust and Transparency
Videos build trust by showing, not telling. Seeing your team, your beneficiaries, and your outcomes on screen fosters a sense of transparency and connection. - More Accessible Storytelling
Audiences are diverse and consume content in different ways, video allows for subtitles, voiceovers, visual metaphors. It makes your mission accessible across languages, abilities, and attention spans.
In summary: A solid video strategy will help you increase visibility by aligning human emotion with platform logic.
Under the Bonnet: Use Video Schema to Improve Visibility
If your videos aren’t tagged and structured properly, they’ll underperform. One important technical step many charities miss is implementing video schema markup. This is a code you add to your webpage to help Google understand your video content.
What is schema?
Schema tells Google and signals to LLMs like ChatGPT what your content is, what it’s about and who authored it, among other things. If someone is looking for something specific and your video is able to answer their question, a schema to accompany your content will help is get seen over your competitors.
Here’s how to implement video schema
- Use Google’s VideoObject schema to describe each video’s content, thumbnail, and transcript.
- if your site is built on wordpress you can use the RankMath plugin to publish schema very easily
Need Help With Charity Video Production or Strategy?
If you’re trying to increase your online visibility, I can help. I’ve spent over 15 years helping charities and NGOs create video content that connects with audiences and supports real world goals; from fundraising to policy change.
I work closely with your team to understand your goals, then guide the creative, scripting, filming, and editing—ensuring the final output is authentic, values driven, and technically optimised. Whether it’s for your website, YouTube, Instagram or your next campaign, we can map a strategy that works.
👉 See my charity video production services
👉 Contact me to discuss your next video project
Charity Video Marketing: Key Takeaways
Let’s bring this all together in one clear, actionable table:
| What to Do | Why It Matters | How It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Create short, authentic videos for social and web | Captures attention & builds trust | Improves engagement and relatability |
| Use VideoObject schema markup | Helps Google index your content | Boosts SEO and visibility |
| Add captions, transcripts, and thumbnails | Makes your video more accessible | Broadens your reach & search signals |
| Host videos on your site with optimized metadata | Keeps traffic on your page | Improves dwell time & conversions |
| Tell stories rooted in your values | Aligns emotion with brand | Builds lasting donor relationships |
