Social Networking:

11 Steps to Success, 6 Things to AvoidKatya Andresen, Network for Good

www.networkforgood.org | www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com

What is Web 2.0 Anyway?And how do you feel about it?

Brian Solis of PR 2.0

Mashup!

You can excel at this.

• Because you are already doing the most important part: the human part.

• This is about bonds, not wires.

FacesofMillions.com

What I Want to Share with You• What is Web 2.0/social media anyway?

• Absolutely essential guiding principles

• What to do, What to avoid

Brian Solis of PR 2.0

My Definition of Web 2.0

It’s about people wanting to be seen and heard.

And to connect with others.

The Official Definition (thanks, Wikipedia)

“Web 2.0 is a living term describing changing trends… It does not refer to an update to any technical specifications,

but to changes in the ways (people) use the Web.”

Someone for everyone

No, Seriously: Everyone

Very Human Needs at Work Here1. To be HEARD

2. To be CONNECTED to others

3. To be part of SOMETHING GREATER THAN

THEMSELVES

4. The security of TRUST

Web 1.0:Launch and walk away

Web 2.0:Engagement!

We have to change our paradigm

We’re not in charge any more.

A little scary, a lot wonderful

• Not about them

coming to us

• No control

• No mothership

(Clay Shirky)

• New

messengers

Haiti

Matthew Marek, ARC on Flickr

To be heard

To be connected

To be part of something

Trust

We need to engage.

• Because it is close to pervasive

• Because it is powerful – relationship and

conversation based

• Because it puts word of mouth on steroids

• Because the price is right (though the time

investment is considerable)

• Because there are many amazing, passionate,

mobilized people! You have an army of Davids.

Most nonprofits are now at least dabbling in social networking

Of charities surveyed….• 74% have a presence on

Facebook, average community size is 5,391

• 80% are committing at least ¼ of an employee

• 30% have built one or more house social networks

Source: Common Knowledge and ThePort Network Study

Getting the culture

Seth Godin: Flipping the Funnel

Listen, listen, follow

• This is not a message delivery vehicle

• It is a conversation

• Listening tells you how your audience is using social media and gives you clues as to how to proceed

• Listening is appreciated, deeply

Be Authentic

Flip the funnel (and control)

We are NOT the best messengers

• 76% of givers are motivated by friends and family, says Cone

• 65% of internet users trust friends and user forums more than any other media*

• It’s okay to relinquish control of the message

• These people are experts at speaking about your cause to their friends and family

Source: TNS Media Intelligence Survey, eMarketer

Robin’s Story

“I would email somebody at their office and then they would email a bunch of people…they felt like there’s somebody’s story that

they could attach to it”

What You Can Do

1. Listen

From a presentation by Charlene Li, author, Groundswell

2. Share and start playing in THEIR space

3. Define Your Desired Outcome

• Who are you trying to reach?

• What do you want them to do?

• Do some basic marketing planning

and set some goals

•Page Impressions, Visits, Unique Visitors

•Time Spent, Pages per visitor

•Emails opened, click-throughs

•Videos viewed, audio plays

Engagement & Reach

•Number of Mentions, Posts, Comments

•Recommendations

•Mentions-per-user

•Send This To A Friend

•Inbound links

Word of Mouth

•Offline media mentions

•Online media mentions

Earned Media

•Higher search results

•Greater search results “share”

•3rd party results

•Customer/stakeholder feedback

•Product sampling

Research

Search Visibility

Source: Qui Diaz, Livingston Communications: www.livingstonbuzz.com

Know what the point is!

4. Decide if Social Networking Will Get You There

• Don’t put the cart before the horse

5. Borrow Your Tools

• Social networks

• Widgets

• Blogs

Change.org SixDegrees

6. Find Your Wired Fans

Wired fundraiser noun (wīr’d fŭnd'rā'zər)Someone who is relatively tech-savvy, spends a decent amt. of time online, and has a built-in network.

• Word of mouth maven• Emotional connection, passionate• Active connecters, sphere of influence• Could be new to fundraising or dabblers• Tech savvy• Young 20-40yrs

7. Think Like the Marine Corps

• The few the proud

• Not every wired person is a champion

• 5% of your donors might be über-activists

8. Crawl before you run

• Listen first

• Set small, simple goals so you know if you

are succeeding (or not)

• Have a qualified staff member who can

commit the time – and give them a policy

9. Have a policy!

Engage in a discussion -- policy creation process itself makes you think and increase understanding among staff

• Be clear upfront• Address who responds to conversation and how• Protect your brand by training your staff/volunteers• Identify which platforms you get active on, and how?• Specify the types of social media that is ok to do at work• Consult sample policies

Based on guidelines from Beth Kanter and Nancy Schwartz

10. Measure and Monitor!

Nigel: "What we do is if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?"

Marty: "Put it up to eleven."

Nigel: "Eleven. Exactly. One louder."

Marty: "Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?"

Nigel: “[pause] These go to eleven."

•Page Impressions, Visits, Unique Visitors

•Time Spent, Pages per visitor

•Emails opened, click-throughs

•Videos viewed, audio plays

Engagement & Reach

•Number of Mentions, Posts, Comments

•Recommendations

•Mentions-per-user

•Send This To A Friend

•Inbound links

Word of Mouth

•Offline media mentions

•Online media mentions

Earned Media

•Higher search results

•Greater search results “share”

•3rd party results

•Customer/stakeholder feedback

•Product sampling

Research

Search Visibility

Source: Qui Diaz, Livingston Communications: www.livingstonbuzz.com

How are you doing vs. goals?

11. Plug in your supporters

• Add an area to your website– Starter text

– Images

– Video links

– Testimonials

• Keep people aware of

upcoming events

• Thank people and give regular updates

What NOT to do: 6 pitfalls

• Trying to control it

• Going wild west – get ground rules!

• Taking a self-important, promotional “broadcast” approach

• Seeing dollar signs only

• Failing to set goals – do what with whom?

• Quitting when we mess up – they are lessons, not mistakes

Questions

Katya AndresenKatya.andresen@networkforgood.org fundraising123@networkforgood.org

888.284.7978

Learning Center – www.fundraising123.org

Free Training – www.nonprofit911.org

My take – www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com