The world is becoming more and more remote. In light of recent events, this notion is not going away anytime soon.
Now, what does this have to do with nonprofit marketing? Good question.
Your nonprofit is an indispensable part of the community. Nonetheless, the services you provide to those who need it are not enough. That’s if you can’t always reach them.
This is where video conferencing services come in.
This new technology (which really should be called an art form) does wonder. It increases attendance, productivity and has little to no travel and event planning expenses.
But still,
What do they have in common?
The need to connect – despite the circumstance.
Let’s face it: as people become more distant, they long for the social connection they are familiar with.
As Bill Clinton puts it, “The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.”
This might sound obvious since nonprofits are built off of human interaction. Putting this into practice, however, is not as easy as it sounds.
Nonprofits are unfortunately tasked with creating the most impact given the least amount of resources. Meaning it’s all too easy to lose sight of keeping a continual relationship with their supporters.
With video conferencing, you can help eliminate the feeling that people are overlooking obstacles and supporting you out of pure love. And with technology aiding your outreach, you can focus more on what makes you get up in the morning – your nonprofit’s mission.
Now, how can your nonprofit make this happen?
Fortunately, there are many video conferencing services (other than Zoom) you can use to make your nonprofit marketing efforts as personable as possible.
Google Hangout Meets
If you already have a Google account, congratulations! You have access to Google Hangout Meets.
Its interface is similar to Zoom: you invite others (up to 100 participants) to your meeting using a link or meeting code. To join the meeting, you have to tap the meeting link, enter the meeting code, or dial into the meeting.
Voila. You now have people’s undivided attention for up to 1 hour.
Another unique perk of Google Hangout Meets is you can have live captions during the meeting using Google’s speech recognition technology.
The best part is all of the above features are free!
Don’t be discouraged if you need more. There are two more plans you can choose from: Google Workspace Essentials and Google Workspace Enterprise.
Workspace Essentials caters to about 150 people. The length of the meeting increases from 1 to 24 hours. It also comes with up to 100 GB of Google Drive storage and other exclusive features for only $8 a month.
Workplace Enterprise can take your nonprofit marketing efforts to new heights. This plan comes with everything in the previous two plans plus up to 100,000 viewers during your live stream.
Google needs no further explanation when it comes to its image clarity and interface usability. With this service, your nonprofit’s distant relationships will be in good hands.
Cisco Webx
Powered by technology giant Cisco, this tool is one of the jewels of video conferencing services. This is because the software lives for collaboration.
The plans that cater to industries like start-ups and healthcare makes it hard to miss envisioning the memorable conversations you will have with those you care about.
Another feature Cisco’s software offers is “Webex Workspace”. The feature gifts the presenter with taking as much of the “remote” aspect out of the meeting. You and your team can purchase virtual meeting rooms to use as the interface for your meetings.
From a room as small as a “Physical Content” room (which digitally caters to about 1 to 4 people) to rooms as big as an “Auditorium” (which holds anywhere from 50 to 150 people), you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to setting the tone you want for your presentations. Whoever’s a part of the experience will now feel like they took a business trip without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Webx is on the pricier side compared to other video software, but the artificial intelligence it uses to gage your audience is priceless.
If you want a glimpse into the future, Webx is the way to go.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft is the staple of work life. If you can use Outlook, you will have no issue integrating Teams into your workflow.
This software makes your nonprofit marketing efforts quite simple: it takes the guesswork out of the organization.
Features such as real-time file sharing, “raise your hand,” and “together mode” makes it hard for you to lose track. Also, Teams allow you to record your meetings and download the participant list. This makes it easy for you to continue the dialogue after the meeting.
Although it’s similar to other video software, it differentiates itself in terms of who can attend live streams. Microsoft teams offer a generous number of attendees for even its lower-level plans.
The free plan allows you to have 100 attendees. The next plan (Microsoft 365 Business Basic) allows you to have up to 300 attendees.
All in all, Teams was created with your concerns in mind. With tutorials on distance learning and remote working, as well as kudos from companies like Paypal, you have a platform that gets you.
Blue Jeans (by Verizon)
This software is not your typical video conferencing software: it’s all-in-one.
Meaning it’s purely a software-as-a-servive (SaaS).
It’s designed to serve as a gateway (complement) to Microsoft Teams. In a non-technical sense, it combines all of the different platforms you are using into one meeting. With this software, anyone, regardless of what internet browser, device, or video software (like Zoom) they are using, can connect and be present in one single meeting room.
The software has similar features to other video conferencing tools. Nonetheless, if you are looking for video quality rather than quantity of features, Blue Jeans delivers. Like Webex, this software harnesses the power of diverse interfaces and artificial intelligence.
Plus, Blue Jeans does not push you into commitment. You have a 30-day free trial to see if this platform is suitable for your nonprofit marketing needs.
One thing’s for certain: if your nonprofit has a relatively large platform, Blue Jeans will take your integration worries away.
Free Conference Call
As the name implies, there is a reason the platform is on the list, but it’s not the only one. Free Conference Call knows the true spirit of selflessness.
You will get most of the previously mentioned video tools’ features, but it will be for free (or pay as you wish).
Free Conference Call also sees the importance of an international community. Over 60 countries (with about 40 million annual conferences) can log into a single meeting.
If you use this software, you are making a difference in how people worldwide can communicate – at no cost to you. With Free Conference Call, resonating with your audience will be a breeze. Take it from over 80% of Fortune 500 companies.
Deciding on what’s right for you.
At the end of the day, don’t stress it. You know what you want your nonprofit marketing efforts want to accomplish. Whatever software you choose, you can be sure your nonprofit will be a positive force in society for years to come.
