Social Media Strengthens Nonprofit Public Relations Heather Whaling Costa DeVault [email_address] card.ly/heatherwhaling twitter.com/prtini linkedin.com/in/heatherwhaling

Getting Social 77% of active Internet users read blogs Facebook – 250m users 10 million Twitter accounts Social networking is more popular than e-mail Information sharing via Facebook surpasses e-mail

77% of active Internet users read blogs

Facebook – 250m users

10 million Twitter accounts

Social networking is more popular than e-mail

Information sharing via Facebook surpasses e-mail

A Perfect Match Nonprofits are in the relationship business Conversations drive conversions Social media strengthens relationships

Nonprofits are in the relationship business

Don’t Be Fooled Social media isn’t: Traditional marketing “digitized” Easy donations Free Stand alone Social media is: Insightful Conversational Strategic Valuable … when done correctly

Social media isn’t:

Traditional marketing “digitized”

Easy donations

Free

Stand alone

Social media is:

Insightful

Conversational

Strategic

Valuable … when done correctly

“ The influx of charities and nonprofits to platforms like Facebook and Twitter could result in noise, congestion, and outright apathy. Spreading awareness of a good cause grows difficult when that good cause starts to seem like spam. If one tweet after another is seeking donations, people might just get fed up.” -- Caroline McCarthy, CNET

“ The influx of charities and nonprofits to platforms like Facebook and Twitter could result in noise, congestion, and outright apathy. Spreading awareness of a good cause grows difficult when that good cause starts to seem like spam. If one tweet after another is seeking donations, people might just get fed up.”

-- Caroline McCarthy, CNET

Getting Started: 5 Easy Steps

Step 1: Measurable Goals Why social media? Support overall communication goals: Increase volunteers Strengthen relationships with donors Influence the conversation/debate Education Create S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Why social media?

Support overall communication goals:

Increase volunteers

Strengthen relationships with donors

Influence the conversation/debate

Education

Create S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Step 2: Research & Listen Who are you trying to reach? How are they using social media? Surveys, polls, focus groups What are people saying? Where are they saying it? Listen, listen, listen “ If you’re always talking, you’re not listening.” – Chris Brogan

Who are you trying to reach? How are they using social media?

Surveys, polls, focus groups

What are people saying?

Where are they saying it?

Listen, listen, listen

Step 3: Develop a Network Choose the right tools Start interacting Create interesting content Stay focused on overall strategy Cultivate influencers Promote others Share, share, share “ It’s not how many, it’s how good.” – Peter Shankman

Choose the right tools

Start interacting

Create interesting content

Stay focused on overall strategy

Cultivate influencers

Promote others

Share, share, share

Step 4: Integrate Online & Offline Cross-promote content Balance traditional communication with social media Enhance media relations Talk to reporters on social networks HARO Distribute social media releases Strengthen volunteer/donor appreciation

Cross-promote content

Balance traditional communication with social media

Enhance media relations

Talk to reporters on social networks

HARO

Distribute social media releases

Strengthen volunteer/donor appreciation

Step 5: Measure ROI & ROE Return on Insight = The New ROI Return on Engagement Twitter followers, retweets and link open-rates Blog comments and inbound links Web site and blog traffic Facebook fans, wall posts and discussion comments YouTube ratings or videos embedded on other sites Measuring influence requires research

Return on Insight = The New ROI

Return on Engagement

Twitter followers, retweets and link open-rates

Blog comments and inbound links

Web site and blog traffic

Facebook fans, wall posts and discussion comments

YouTube ratings or videos embedded on other sites

Measuring influence requires research

Tools Real-Time Monitoring Filtrbox Scout Labs SM2 Link Tracking Bit.ly Tr.im HootSuite Trend Monitoring Google Trends Google Alerts Trendrr Tweetbeep Twilert Survey Tools PollDaddy SurveyMonkey

Real-Time Monitoring

Filtrbox

Scout Labs

SM2

Link Tracking

Bit.ly

Tr.im

HootSuite

Trend Monitoring

Google Trends

Google Alerts

Trendrr

Tweetbeep

Twilert

Survey Tools

PollDaddy

SurveyMonkey

Coming Soon … You Go Serve – a volunteer social network Activates people, connecting them to organizations based on skills and interests Website, Twitter and Facebook yougoserveorlando@gmail.com for details and to be included

You Go Serve – a volunteer social network

Activates people, connecting them to organizations based on skills and interests

Website, Twitter and Facebook

yougoserveorlando@gmail.com for details and to be included

3 FAQs Whose responsibility? How much time? Will people be negative?

Whose responsibility?

How much time?

Will people be negative?

Does it really work? Does it really work??

Community Crisis Center Situation: Raise $150,000 or close Sarah Evans “donated” her massive online presence to the cause Integrated approach: E-mail & letter to donors and friends of the Crisis Center Online appeal via Twitter, Facebook, Seesmic, PRsarahevans.com, YouTube and CrisisOvernight.org

Situation: Raise $150,000 or close

Sarah Evans “donated” her massive online presence to the cause

Integrated approach:

E-mail & letter to donors and friends of the Crisis Center

Online appeal via Twitter, Facebook, Seesmic, PRsarahevans.com, YouTube and CrisisOvernight.org

#CrisisOvernight Result: Raised $160,000+ in 3 weeks

Result: Raised $160,000+ in 3 weeks

Social media matters to the Coalition because when they needed extra help, their online network – people who were strangers just months ago – stepped up to the plate.

Social media matters to the Coalition because when they needed extra help, their online network – people who were strangers just months ago – stepped up to the plate.

Coalition for the Homeless Overall Goals: Increase online brand recognition Reach a new demographic Increase communication and create a dialogue with donors, volunteers, advocates and stakeholders Position the Coalition as the authority on homelessness Encourage active involvement with the Coalition

Overall Goals:

Increase online brand recognition

Reach a new demographic

Increase communication and create a dialogue with donors, volunteers, advocates and stakeholders

Position the Coalition as the authority on homelessness

Encourage active involvement with the Coalition

Connect with the Coalition 5-Step Process: Research and listen Lay the groundwork Create sites and add content Maintain ongoing rhythms Evaluate success

5-Step Process:

Research and listen

Lay the groundwork

Create sites and add content

Maintain ongoing rhythms

Evaluate success

Connect with the Coalition Troubleshooting issues Local focus Employee guidelines Good, bad and ugly comments

Troubleshooting issues

Local focus

Employee guidelines

Good, bad and ugly comments

Connect with the Coalition Sample objectives: Increase web traffic by 10% Be mentioned on outside blog posts as least 12 times/year Obtain bulk donations of specific in-kind items at least 3 times/year directly from social media “asks” Increase number of Twitter followers by 50 per month Garner 1,000 blog views each month

Sample objectives:

Increase web traffic by 10%

Be mentioned on outside blog posts as least 12 times/year

Obtain bulk donations of specific in-kind items at least 3 times/year directly from social media “asks”

Increase number of Twitter followers by 50 per month

Garner 1,000 blog views each month

Connect with the Coalition Measuring results Web traffic Mentions of Coalition on outside blogs Social media “Challenge” results Number of friends/followers/views

Measuring results

Web traffic

Mentions of Coalition on outside blogs

Social media “Challenge” results

Number of friends/followers/views

Questions?

Heather Whaling Costa DeVault [email_address] twitter.com/prtini linkedin.com/in/heatherwhaling slideshare.net/heatherwhaling delicious.com/prtini/nonprofits Shari Orr Coalition for the Homeless [email_address] twitter.com/cfl_homeless centralfloridahomeless.org