Thursday Buzz: Which Video Story Format Should You Use?

Experimenting with live videos is a great way to get your social media followers engaged. Between Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat stories, which platform is right for your organization?

In part, it depends on who you want to reach. Snapchat has the smallest user base of the three social networks, but it’s incredibly popular with generation Z, and its users are highly engaged, reports a platform guide from the Hootsuite blog  (opens in a new tab).

The downside of Snapchat is that it’s tricky to use for marketers. “But that means brands who can navigate the app acquire an instant cool factor,” writes Michelle Cyca. However, if you’re not looking to be cool, then Snapchat might not be the right channel for you.

One major benefit to Facebook is that it allows you to cross-post to Instagram Stories as well, and you’re more likely to reach more people. “Facebook has the best ROI of any social media platform, according to 96 percent of social marketers  (opens in a new tab),” says Cyca. “Facebook Stories can be integrated with other high-performing ad opportunities on Facebook, like promoted videos and posts in the Newsfeed.”

The Big Ask

Ripple donates $29 million after nonprofit’s founder ‘dared’ himself to ask https://t.co/SoKZwot36B  (opens in a new tab)

— CNBC (@CNBC) March 28, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

In your major gift donor solicitation efforts, have you ever “dared” yourself to ask for an outrageous amount of money?

That’s what Charles Best, CEO of DonorsChoose.org, did when he reached out to Chris Larsen, cofounder of Ripple, a blockchain solutions company. “I kind of dared myself to send an email pitching an idea 10 times bigger than I’ve ever pitched before,” Best told CNBC  (opens in a new tab).

His dare paid off big-time. Larsen and Ripple donated $29 million to DonorsChoose.org, a crowdfunding platform for teachers’ projects. This single donation pledge funds every request on the site.

Other Links of Note

Keeping up with the cloud? CMSWire shares several essential insights about cloud computing today  (opens in a new tab).

To combat disinformation and fake news, the Hewlett Foundation will dole out $10 million in grants to social media research endeavors, reports Nonprofit Quarterly  (opens in a new tab).

Analyzing data well can maximize nearly every aspect of a nonprofit. BizTech delves into how  (opens in a new tab).

(Weedezign/iStock/Getty Images Plus)