Top 5 Tips to Make GREAT Fundraising Selfie Videos

You can’t jump on social media without seeing one. From TikTok teens to celebrities and athletes to world leaders, selfie videos are all the rage.

Selfie videos have emerged as a highly effective communication tactic in the world of political marketing – particularly when it comes to online fundraising.

Everyone who was on Facebook or Twitter over the last few years remembers 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’s ubiquitous social media ads and tagline... “I am once again asking for your financial support”.

We assure you, selfie videos are a winning tool for Republicans as well!

If you aren't already using fundraising selfie video - you should be!

Candidates for elected office and advocacy organization and using this tactic more and more for one reason: It works.

In Sanders case, his fundraising selfie videos became a huge social media meme which brought even more attention to the campaign.

The success of DIY-styled videos for campaigns isn’t a happy accident but is data-backed.

Consider these stats:

• 44% more engagement from video posts on Facebook over the average post, the highest of all post types.
• 2X more effective at capturing attention with DIY videos in a head-to-head test of “organic” vs. “polished” video content.
• 97.3% of Facebook users in the U.S. access using their phones, with 67.9% use only mobile phones.
• 80-100% more engagement for square video (1:1) compared to horizontal or landscape video (16:9), primarily by taking up more real estate on mobile.
• 26-38% less expensive for vertical videos (9:16) compared to square videos (1:1) on Facebook cost per click (CPC) campaigns.

What do these social video statistics tell us?

1. People on social media pay the most attention to video posts.
2. DIY-style videos perform better than “polished” videos on social media.
3. People use smartphones for social media, making vertical-video king.

The bottom line is this: You can get more from social media by using DIY-style selfie videos.

Here at The Prosper Group, we’ve helped many clients create high-performing fundraising selfie videos. And it’s not difficult to do so – you likely have everything you need to be successful.

How to Make Your Political Selfie Videos

You will be making your political selfie videos in no time for little to no cost. Creating a video may seem intimidating at first, but be assured, it is easier than you may think.

To get started, you will need two essential types of tools. The first is a phone or camera to record video. Ensure you have sufficient memory available to save your video. For the second toolset, you need apps and software to edit and post your videos online. Here are some options you probably already have at your fingertips:

• Phone | Apple iPhones and several high-end Android phones, like those from Samsung and Google, come with high-quality cameras and image stabilization software built-in.
• Camera | If you don’t have a smartphone, a video camcorder or a digital camera like a DSLR camera will work but may require at least one other person to help you film.
• Social Media Apps | Social media apps and sites including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube provide editing tools with limited editing features.
• Editing Software & Apps | There are numerous free and paid apps for your phone or computer. Microsoft Video Editor and Apple’s iMovie are options as well as paid tools like InShOt or Animoto.

At The Prosper Group, we believe in taking a test and measure approach to digital to get the most for our clients from their digital presence.

We encourage you to conduct testing as well. Commit to making more than one video and test what works best for you.

What should you test? Try different clothes, different calls to action, text on the video, different text on your social media posts, or any other change you think could make a difference in performance. Then, see if it makes a difference.

The Final Cut

The final cut is the finished version of your political video you will upload and share on social media. Generally, you will require some level of editing before achieving your final cut. These edits may be as simple as adjusting the starting and ending points of your video.

Be on the lookout for our forthcoming blog post on how to start making your final cuts. We will share tips on what to do with your political selfie videos once you have your raw video.

Our team at The Prosper Group works with clients to get the most from their fundraising selfie videos and other political selfie videos.

The final cuts for two high-performing political selfie videos we worked with clients to create are included above. In these videos for Representatives Elise Stefanik and Jerry Carl, the campaigns filmed the raw video, and we worked with them to produce the finals cuts.

If you have questions, our experts at The Prosper Group have the answers you need.

The Prosper Group is an internationally-recognized, award-winning digital marketing agency headquartered in Indianapolis. The firm specializes in online media, strategy, and fundraising for Republican political candidates, advocacy organizations, associations, and non-profits. The Prosper Group's best-in-industry work has been recognized for awards dozens of times by prestigious organizations such as the American Association of Political Consultants and Campaigns & Elections.

The firm has worked in tandem with Trump for President 2016, Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Ted Cruz, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Congressman John Katko, the National Association of Manufacturers, Fox News, and many other candidates and organizations.