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A New Era in Nonprofit Marketing: Why Winging It with Social Media

No Longer Works

Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE June 4, 2013

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A New Era In Nonprofit Marketing – Why

Winging it with Social Media No Longer

Works

You’re nobody’s fool!

So stop fooling around.

The train has left the station, so…

No More Tip-Toeing

Your prospects are here already - empowered to have ‘real time’ conversations. In multiple places. At multiple times. On their own terms.

Your donors expect it. They have a voice that’s louder than at any point in history. Get in the room and listen.

Social media was made for cause publicity – letting folks spread the word about things they care about. Generation “C”.

Put Hip to Arm

Hop on board! Understand the impact social media already has on your

organization + the impact it can have.

Internal support Secure buy-in to develop an institution-wide social media

strategy to reach more people and raise more dollars.

Plan Develop a social road map that integrates with other marketing and fundraising

strategies.

Action Go beyond ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ to inspire value-for-value exchanges and

meaningful action.

Resources Determine and find the resources you need – preconditions to

success.

Measure Learn to measure “Return on Interesting” (meaningful ROI or ROE)

HOP ON BOARD! Why you should invest more resources in social media

41% of nonprofits attribute their social media success to having developed a

detailed social media strategy.

Source: Avectra

47% of Americans learn about causes

via social media and online channels.

Source: Avectra

56% of those that support nonprofits on the Social Web

confirm that compelling storytelling is what motivates

them to take action on behalf of nonprofits.

Source: Waggener Edstrom

Social media engagement

inspires further action

Source: Waggener Edstrom

People are giving more through

social media.

Source: MDG Advertising

INTERNAL SUPPORT How to get the rest of your organization on board

1. Secure buy-in from the top. People fear “to go where no one has gone before.”

Show them that’s not the case. You can’t do this alone.

Don’t count on a “grassroots” effort to establish a social media program that will change the culture. The “top” holds the purse strings and sets the strategy.

2. Drip data to persuade. Don’t spout “Reddit, Tumblr, Foursquare, StumbleUpon, Digg … it overwhelms!

-- Find solid campaigns you admire; call them up and conduct a research interview.

-- Share articles; case studies; infographics; facts that show impact.

-- Pair them with folks they respect who are already on board.

3. Take your ‘boomer’ by the hand.

Move Social Front and Center

3. Build a social task force. Everyone gives and gets in a networked nonprofit. Cut across departments. Include stakeholders from all relevant functions – HR, Marketing, Development, Programs, IT

4. Frame it as virtual word-of-mouth. Ask, what’s most effective marketing strategy? Tried-and-true most effective form of marketing now has a virtual stage.

5. Lead with relationship-building; not technology. Social media is inherently social! The power to engage and connect is the greatest gift of social media. It’s not something you do to folks (seems time-consuming; unnecessary; pushy). Managed effectively, it’s something folks do for us (as influencers, advocates, askers and givers).

Mindset transformation – Developer of relationships

Invitational – Asks who’s interested? Wants to go along?

Transformational – Way to build constituent-centered

relationship-building machine!

Move

PLAN Integrate social media with other marketing and fundraising strategies

Stop the random acts of marketing. Engagement moves from observing… to following… to endorsing… to contributing… to owning… to leading. Social media lends itself well to the first four – a great entry point.

It’s tempting to just dive in and start posting; Don’t. Honestly assess your organization’s goals—and how social media’s unique strengths – encouraging dialogue -- can help further them

Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod

Understand your Market

People come before technology and tactics

Research and target different audience segments.

Use personas; picture who you’re writing to –

-- Demographic? Lifestyle? Interests?

-- Who influences them?

-- Personal goals?

Understand your own persona.

Build a Content Strategy

1. Promotion channels Blog

Email

Social channel(s)

.

2. Start small. Grow slow and steady. Avoid a passive profile like the plague (i.e., anything that isn’t on a consistent

schedule).

3. Schedule specific time to produce.

4. Engagement RCA - content must be:

Relatable,

Conversational,

Actionable

5. Keep a running content ideas file.

6. Create a content calendar.

Be Smart about Content

Begin with highest yield; lowest cost

Build a Promotion Strategy

Build your email list. Yes, email is #1 online media tool and most direct way you communicate with folks. The thing that will hold you back most is lack of prospects.

Systematically capture leads – if you don’t have a well-designed opt-in form with a headline describing the benefits of joining your mailing list – then this is the #1 reason your promotion strategy sucks.

Promote where your folks ‘hang’.

ACTION Inspire active engagement. Not transactions, Relationships

OLD: 1. ‘Likes’ and ‘Follows’

2. Passive

3. Push; broadcast “wherever”

NEW: 1. DAR and CTA

2. Actively feed your ‘influencers’ Give them something interesting, useful, engaging, shareable

3. Pull from where your audience ‘hangs’

Stop counting ‘likes’ and ‘follows’

Anti-Social = No Action

Principle of Reciprocity:

Telling = Monologue

Sharing = Being useful; Creating emotional experiences; Giving

Don’t ignore Actions

Social Media Mantra: Unless I intend to engage I won’t do it.

Get Creative to Inspire

DIYsilverware mirror recycled from Goodwill Mission-related cookies from Surfrider Food

Board

Social networks are becoming more visual.

I love Pinterest!

Record a 60-second personalized video

thank you using V-snap on Twitter

Creative Engagement Ideas

Quozio turns

words into images

in seconds

More Creative Engagement

Google+ to create circles, communities and hang-

outs – way to become trusted authority.

LinkedIn Groups build relationships and

demonstrate your expertise. Launch discussions or

contribute (professionals, aka supporters, tend to ‘hang’

here).

Contests on your blog or Twitter (e.g., name your

favorite justice movie and win a water bottle).

Tell remarkable story on FB; ask folks to

share their stories

RESOURCES The resources you need. How to find them.

A PRECONDITION to getting into

the social media game.

Enough human and

monetary resources to

(1)develop, (2) implement and

(3) measure your plan’s

success. But just like with

Goldilocks, you want to get it

‘just right.’

How Much do you Need?

Social media is

like a puppy. If you’re

gonna get one, you gotta care

for it or it’s gonna die.

Don’t overdo it. Don’t adopt new ones if you

can’t care for the ones you’ve

got.

Strike a balance. If your puppies aren’t thriving,

consider whether to give to

someone else (hire/outsource)

or seek a trainer (consultant).

Do you want us all? We dare you!

Who’s driving? Them or you?

Nothing takes care of itself

Figure out roles and responsibilities: Who does what? Insource with existing staff? New staff? Outsource? Social capital (board members, volunteers, other connections)? How many hours (per week or month) is it expected to take? What training is necessary to build necessary skills?

Determine the needed budget: How much is it going to cost?

MEASUREMENT What success looks like for you. How to measure your return.

SMART

OBJECTIVES are

specific,

measurable,

attainable,

realistic and

timely.

Cartoon, Hugh MacLeod, Gaping Void

Specific meaningful

measurements of activity Before launching a campaign put tracking codes into each social media

platform and initiative. There are many metrics from which to choose.

Measure the right things

Short- vs. Long-term metrics

Goal Mobilize support for online

advocacy campaign and rally/event

Target Audiences

Donors, Former staff, Members

Tools FB, Twitter, Blog

Short (transaction)

-- # of ‘likes’on FB page

-- # of ‘likes’ for FB post

-- # of RTs

-- # of folks who view blog

-- # of comments on blog

Long (transformation)

-- # of users signing online petition

-- # of users taking action (e.g., attend event)

Results; not activity. Loyalty; not transactions.

Attainable: start small

With an easy-to-handle

project to measure.

Shares

Conversions to

subscribers

Responses to your

post’s CTA (e.g.,

emailed Congress

person; donated;

volunteered)

Realistic: Return On Interesting

If it’s not realistic to measure "return on investment" in a strictly financial sense, don’t.

ROI = Engagement that will increase probability of sales/donations, and is an essential part of your marketing mix.

You’re investing in a journey to get folks aware, interested, engaged and, ultimately, invested. If you’re interesting, folks will engage. Keep interesting and engaging with them, and the donations will come.

Creating interesting content requires knowing your target really well.

Timesaving

Use measurement to save time. Don’t waste energy measuring

things that don't get results.

Counting ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ may show you’ve been busy, but it won’t show you’ve been smart.

Use what you measure to get better results in the future.

Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod, Gaping Void

Take-aways

1. Hop on board the social media train. Prospects are already there.

2. Technology is just a tool. Use it to deliver value. Use it to connect.

3. Constituent-centered. Look into their eyes; not your mirror

Cartoon, Gaping Void, Hugh MacLeod

Take-aways

4. Engage to

inspire action. Don’t just slap up a FB

page.

5. No more

winging it! Learn.

Invest. Plan. Measure.

6. Don’t get

discouraged.

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