Robert Rosenthal - Social Media & the 3Rs: Content Strategy Basics for Engaging Volunteers

Social Media & The 3 Rs Content Strategy Basics for Engaging Volunteers Robert J. Rosenthal VP, Communications & Marketing VolunteerMatch.org Twitter: @volmatchRobertConteent

What‟s a Volunteer Worth? $214 $3,075 First year value1 of a Lifetime value2of today’s Facebook like. VolunteerMatch recruit. Based on: • 58 hours per year • 2.5 years • $21.36 equivalent value3 1. 2012 Nonprofit Social Networking Report, Blackbaud, NTEN and Common Knowledge 2. 2011 Annual Report,VolunteerMatch 3. Independent Sector, 2012Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 2

What‟s a Volunteer Worth? 10x Donations  Sharing, Petitions  Skilled Volunteering  Microvolunteering  Pro Bono Volunteer  Traditional volunteering  Board Service Source: Volunteerism and Charitable Giving in 2009, Fidelity ® Charitable Gift Fund/VolunteerMatchContent Strategy &Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 3

Where Social Media Fits In SUPER- INITIAL VISION & SCREENING ONGOING SUPPORT VOLUNTEER RECRUIT- ROLE MENT DESIGN RISK MGMT PRE- PLANNING PLACEMENT ORIENT- ATION TRAINING RECOGN- ITION EVALUATION The volunteer retention puzzle.Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 4

Measuring Success • Am I effectively tapping the most vocal supporters of our volunteer program for other roles? • How many of our Facebook fans volunteered with us last month? • What are our most effective methods for promoting our volunteer opportunities via social media? • Which kinds of volunteer-related social media content is most likely to inspire followers to act? • Which social platforms are the best places to tell our volunteers’ stories?Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 5

Social Media & The 3 Rs Getting to the heart of volunteer motivations.

You Are The Future “The more economy, money, and information become global, the more community will matter. Only the nonprofit organization performs in the community, exploits its opportunities, mobilizes its local resources, solves its problems.” - Peter DruckerContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for NonprofitsPhoto: h.koppdelaney/Flickr 7

The Secret to Engagement? “If you want to be interesting, be interested.” - David Ogilvy 8

Different Motivations To help my To be part of To rid the world of Darth volunteers something, do Vader and the Galactic contribute to our great work, and Empire! mission – on time make an impact. and under budget.Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 9

Volunteering Is Not Donating 5 Ways Volunteering and Donating Are Different: Donating Volunteering Money Time or Skills or Both Buying Earning membership membership High scalability High touch Spontaneous or Planned Planned Inherently Inherently Transactional RelationalContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 10

Where Skills Come In Source: VolunteerMatch User Survey, Peter D. Hart Associates, 2006Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 11

Be The Human In the MachineContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 12

Tie Messaging to Brand VISION: A world where good prevails over evil. Luke, I need to tell you something. MISSION: We leverage mystical forces as part of a Universal alliance to protect peace and justice. OK, Obiwan, MESSAGING: “The Force” - Use this word to describe our powers. It reassures folks but stay on we’re only channeling energy that is all around us. In Twitter: #TheForce message. SAMPLE: Planet missing? Join us 11/3 as we use #TheForce to destroy the Death Star. Good vs evil! RSVP: jed.is/KLT72Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 13

Understanding Volunteers • Create a survey about volunteer interests, or look for results already on file. • Set up Facebook or LinkedIn polls/surveys. • Check in with your volunteer coordinators to better understand their perspective. • Ask about outgoing volunteer procedures. Is there a formal debrief? • Review the LinkedIn profiles or volunteer resumes of many of your top volunteers. See any patterns?Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 14

Social Media & The 3 Rs The basics of storytelling, volunteer-style. Photo: aepoc

Be The Change My World My Community My family and Change friends MyselfContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 16

The Volunteer‟s Story This princess Instigation totally needs me! Obstacles Whoa. Death Star ahead. Nevermind! “Saving the Universe? Achievement Best thing I ever did!”

The Engager‟s Story Instigation “She‟s depending on you, Luke. Hey, how „bout a light saber?Obstacles “Yup, this is hard. But remember that Force thing? Give it a shot.” Achievement “Great work, Luke! One film down and five more to go!

Parts ofMore Engaging?What‟s the Volunteer Story Program Skilled support Non-skilled Figure 1.Staffing for our builds. Two views of a volunteer program.

Collecting and curating thevolunteer experience.

Which Way to Go? Your Members Saving Sharing The Public Social SharingContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 21

Tips for Collecting Stories • Invest in cameras and remind supporters to bring theirs too. • Run photo/video/story contests. • Send out surveys/polls. • Engage volunteers as reporters, shooters, tweeters, note takers, etc. • Remind supporters to use hashtags. • Monitor your social channels for comments and testimonials.Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 22

Corralling Your Content Photos/ Professional Videos Networks (Youtube, (LinkedIn) Pinterest) Social Events Networks (Eventbrite) (Facebook) Volunteer Micromedia (Twitter, Website/ lead sources Tumblr) Blog (Volunteer Match)Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 23

Website Commandments “Your Support page MUST have a range of options like donating, gifts in kind, and “You MUST have “The word volunteering.” a page dedicated volunteers MUST to volunteering… appear on your with links to your home page or social networks.” your website.” Jayne Cravens, Coyote CommunicationsContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 24

How OftenIs Too Often?Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 25

Creating Sharable Content • Make it easy for supporters to share. • Tag everything! • Avoid cross-posting if you can. Follow specifications for different platforms. • Write messaging guides for everyone ahead of time. • Include links to photos, graphics or videos for preview and recap. • Praise and thank publicly, and RT too!Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 26

Social Media & The 3 Rs Recruitment, recognition and retention in action.

3 Rs in Action Friends Retain Recruit Family Recognize Work

3 Rs in ActionContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 29

Friends of The Trees “If we can reach lots of people via social media those are part of the touches that contribute to turning volunteers out to our events” “While we dont understand the exact impacts on our other goals, we suspect only good things are coming from our social media efforts.” Jenny Bedell-Stiles Volunteer & Outreach Specialist Friends of TreesContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 37

Friends of The TreesContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 38

Recap • Social media can’t do everything for volunteer engagement… but it can help with recruiting and recognition. • As culture is changing, people want what you have! • To engage, get engaged. • Make your messaging be about people first. • Let your brand guide your messaging. • It’s all about stories. Their story, your story, our story. • Don’t forget your website. It comes first. • Which platforms you use depend on what you intend to accomplish. There are differences.Content Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 45

More Volunteer Resources VolunteerMatch Learning Center learn.volunteermatch.org Free webinar series on variety of topics. EngagingVolunteers.orgwww.engagingvolunteers.org VolunteerMatch blog for nonprofits Energize, Inc. www.energizeinc.com Volunteer Management Resources HandsOn Network www.handsonblog.org Articles and tips on volunteer engagement Linkedin Groups VolunteerMatch (6,600) Volunteer Coordinators Vol. Mgmt Best Practices Coyote Communications coyotecommunications.com Jayne CravensContent Strategy & Volunteer Engagement | Social Media for Nonprofits 46

Social Media & The 3 Rs Thank You! Robert J. Rosenthal VP, Communications & Marketing VolunteerMatch.org Twitter: @volmatchRobertConteent

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Robert Rosenthal - Social Media & the 3Rs: Content Strategy Basics for Engaging Volunteers

by Social Media for Nonprofits on Oct 10, 2012

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