by Lauren Bell, Extend Web Services Manager

The average internet user will spend nearly seven hours per week watching videos online and Millennials tend to hit 10-20 hours of video viewing each week.In 2022, 82% of internet traffic came from video streaming and downloads. (Shepherd, 2023) With all this video content being created, consumed, and shared, is your organization utilizing the opportunity to reach your target audience through video?

 5 reasons to incorporate video into your outreach efforts:

1. Videos are engaging: Whether your target audience is a young woman searching for help or a major donor looking to fund a project, videos will engage your viewer. Videos educate and inspire, but most importantly people will watch them.

2. Videos invoke emotion: Videos make people feel. Emotions help you connect with your target audience quickly and effectively. It’s important to make an emotional connection quickly because you don’t have much time to reach someone on a digital platform. It’s not unusual for a woman to spend just a few seconds on a website before clicking away, but if you can connect with her through video in the first few seconds, you’ve increased your chances of building trust and prompting action.

3. Videos prompt action: Once you’ve invoked emotion in your audience through video, people are more likely to act. This will boost your conversion rates considerably. Whether it’s to make an appointment or give a gift, nothing will spur that action quicker than a well-crafted video.

4. Videos work on multiple platforms: One video can be a tool used across multiple platforms. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. A video used on your website can easily be uploaded to social media. Just be sure you are using the correct format and orientation when you share. Video is great for mobile phones and since the vast majority of internet traffic comes from mobile devices, video is a tool you want on your platforms.

5. Videos increase your search result ranking: Simply put, Google loves videos, especially videos embedded on YouTube. Having at least one video embedded on your website will increase your chances of being ranked higher on search results. Be sure your video content is relevant to the content on your page.

At Extend Web Services, we offer a wide variety of digital marketing tools to help you reach women in need as quickly and affordably as possible – now including video!

With any marketing tool, it is important to test out what works best for your marketing plan and keep trying new ways to increase your reach online. We hope you’ll take advantage of the new videos offered by Extend as we continue to partner with you to reach and rescue lives each day.

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Shepherd, J. (2023, May 15). 30 vital video marketing statistics you need to know in 2023. The Social Shepherd. https://thesocialshepherd.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics

(If you need help setting up your Amazon Baby Registry, click here for a how-to guide.) 

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the champion of Dobbs, has rallied other pro-life Attorneys General who are eager to celebrate you and your life-affirming work. And your state's AG said yes! So, together, we are collecting Amazon Baby Registries from pregnancy help organizations in your state and eight others for a virtual baby shower.

if you live in Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, or Utah, your Attorney General has said "yes!" to supporting this event! If your state's Attorney General is not listed in the form below, that means that they have not committed to participate in this year's donation drive event and therefore, you will not be listed on the main page with Her PLAN. We encourage you, still, to take this idea and create your own Amazon baby registry to share with your community. This is a great way to connect with your community and provide a tangible way for them to show support for your great work!

Simply complete the form below sending us a link to your Amazon Baby Registry by June 12, 2023. That's it! We want you to capitalize on this unique, multi-state opportunity!

Complete the form below by: June 12, 2023 
Event dates: June 19-24, 2023
Location: Online
​​​​​​​Questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We are happy to help! 

Creating an Amazon baby registry is an easy and fun way to get the items you need for your center. You can register for exactly what you need, and items can be sent directly to your center! It also allows your donors to feel even more personally connected to the moms and babies you serve as they can pick out their gifts and see what their money is going towards.

Setting up the registry is a super simple process, and we will walk you through the steps below!

1. Go to https://www.amazon.com/registries. You can go back to this link anytime to view your registry, add gifts, and make changes.

2. Click “I’m welcoming a baby” 

3. Then click “Create a Baby Registry”

4. Fill out the Baby Registry form

5. Add items! Search Amazon for any item you want and click "Add to Baby Registry"

6. Complete the Donation Drive Details form here!

Talking Points

• Threat to Crucial Support Services: The Proposed Rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poses a significant threat to women being denied pregnancy help through the targeting of pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs.
  
  
• Undermining TANF Flexibility: The Proposed Rule undermines the flexibility granted to states under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. States, designed to have autonomy in addressing the root causes of poverty, may face politically motivated decisions that contradict the original intent of TANF reforms.
  
  
• Bias Against Pro-Life Mission: The regulatory changes introduced by HHS disproportionately target pregnancy centers without presenting evidence of any misuse of federal funds. This bias against their pro-life mission raises concerns about the administration's impartiality and adherence to Congress' design for TANF.
  
  
• Lack of Comprehensive Impact Analysis: The Proposed Rule lacks a comprehensive analysis of the potential impact on federal and state expenditures, as well as the harm that withdrawing TANF funding would cause to individuals served by pregnancy centers. This oversight undermines the credibility of the proposed changes.
  
  
• Urgent Call for Withdrawal: Given the potential harm to pregnant women and their unborn babies, we urgently call for the withdrawal of the Proposed Rule. It is essential to maintain the ongoing support provided by pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs, aligning with the core principles and purposes of the TANF program.

Sample Letter

Subject: Urgent Request for Withdrawal of Proposed Rule on TANF Funding for Pregnancy Centers

Dear Secretary Becerra:

We write to express our deep concern about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule, “Strengthening Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as a Safety Net and Work Program,” published on October 2, 2023. The Proposed Rule targets pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs, jeopardizing their funding and, consequently, the crucial assistance they provide to pregnant women in need.

TANF, established in 1996, aims to address poverty's root causes and reduce dependency on government by promoting work and marriage. Pregnancy centers, with over 2,700 across the country, play a vital role in providing support to women facing difficult pregnancies, offering services like counseling, ultrasounds, and material assistance at virtually no cost. These centers, often staffed by volunteers, saved taxpayers an estimated $266 million in 2019.

The Proposed Rule raises significant concerns as it targets pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs, potentially stripping them of TANF funding. This move, seemingly aligned with the Biden administration's pro-abortion agenda, is inconsistent with Congress' intent to grant states flexibility in implementing TANF reforms.

HHS's regulatory changes allow the Secretary to question the legitimacy of TANF expenditures, creating a risk of politically motivated decisions that could undermine the autonomy of states. The Proposed Rule singles out pregnancy centers without providing evidence of misuse of federal funds, revealing a bias against their pro-life mission.

Moreover, HHS fails to address the potential impact on federal and state expenditures or the harm to individuals served by pregnancy centers if TANF funding is withdrawn. The lack of comprehensive analysis undermines the credibility of the Proposed Rule.

In conclusion, we urge the immediate withdrawal of the Proposed Rule. Pregnant women and their unborn babies deserve continued support from pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs. The Proposed Rule jeopardizes this support and undermines the integrity of the TANF program.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Organization]
[Contact Information]

Resources

• Read the HHS Proposed Rule Change
  
• Heartbeat's Life Trends 
• Lozier Institute's Pregnancy Center fact sheet

Heartbeat International has teamed up with the March for Life Education and Defense Fund to organize a nationwide donation drive for pregnancy centers and maternity homes! You are the backbone of what it means to build a culture of Life. We are better together in this movement, so when they proposed we partner to bless pregnancy help organizations with donations, we eagerly agreed. We are, and have always been, "with every woman, for every child." 

As our thanks to you, the March for Life called on marchers and the entire pro-life community to contribute to a pregnancy help organization like yours. Watch their March for Life featured commercial below where they tout the good work of pregnancy help!

We were able to fill the March for Life website with more than 500 pregnancy centers and maternity homes nationwide so people can provide practical support in their local communities.

Feel free to share this video and the Donation Drive with your supporters and highlight the partnerships within the movement to amplify the message of hope offered through your efforts. 

March for Life Nationwide Donation Drive: https://marchforlife.org/pregnancyhelp/