More often than not, and certainly for nonprofits, it is rougher videos, usually shot on mobile, that perform the best.
Let’s look at this very simple Reel I turned out when I worked for Clean Cities, as part of their Streets For Kids campaign…
Why this works:
- It’s simple and authentic, and because of that highly shareable
- Even though the footage isn’t the best quality, everything that’s needed is in the shot. I also especially like the sound of the cars/motorbikes over the music. It’s something that can’t be planned but really reinforces the message of the initiative
- The “sound on” sticker invites curiosity. You will usually also have to tap the video to hear the sound (so, engage with the video), and that’s an indicator for Instagram that your content is good
Tools like Canva make it super easy to turn mobile footage into little nuggets like these. If you have more time and some budget, you can also combine your mobile footage with the creative eye and slick editing of a professional videographer, as we did with this longer video, also for Streets For Kids (credit: Adam Miklos of Arrabona Studios for Clean Cities).
