I’m not usually an advocate of giving away free video production services to non-profit organizations unless there is a direct marketing benefit for your video business. If you are wondering whether to say yes or no when a non-profit requests for your services on a pro bono basis, ask yourself the following questions.
1. Do my favored clients happen to sponsor this non-profit organization?
This is the best time to create a solid relationship with your customer who spends a lot of cash for your services. It’s a private connection because they will realize that you have the same points of view with regards to showing your concern to the community. Just make sure that you do not agree on too many free projects because you still need to take care of your paying clients.
2. Are my prospective customers associated in this non-profit?
If so, the similar advice above is applicable. If you have the chance to be with the top executives of this potential client, proposing business with them in the future will be effortless.
3. Will I get free advertisement for my company if I get involved with this free project?
If you will work for this organization for free, it’s alright to ask them to do something for you. You can request for your website’s link to be put on their site. You can tell the organization to include the video you made (along with your company name) in the email newsletter they will send out. You can also have them mention your name and company during their fund raising events.
In order to get the most out of your efforts, see to it that you get some type of exposure for your video business. Also, keep in mind that there are usually a lot of heavy hitters who attend these non-profit fundraisers so see if you can negotiate a couple free tickets or perhaps an entire table so you can invite customers and prospects to attend with you.
Want to find out more about running a successful video production company, then visit Kris Simmons’s site to see how he’s helping talented and passionate filmmaking professionals make more money in the video production industry.
