Social Media Seminar for Non-profits

©Fluid Studio, 2009

Social media allows you to . . . • Connect on deeper and more meaningful levels • Focus in on real relationships, not temporary transactions • Provide “value-added” and relevant points of connection • Utilize and leverage communication and public relations opportunities in an integrated and fully-branded manner • Build community ©2009 Fluid Studio

Connect on A non-profit's mission and vision deeper and need to give people a reason to more believe and participate in the cause. meaningful That connection, when nurtured and levels sustained, engenders loyalty, creates advocates and ambassadors, and builds relationships that transcend transactions. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Focus in on The Boston Symphony Orchestra real relation- (including Boston Pops and ships, not Tanglewood) sells more than temporary 600,000 tickets annually. transactions Because the organization is focused on building long-term relationships, there are fewer transactions, and the cost of sales stays low. All communications and information move “stakeholders” closer to the organization; even modest donors are encouraged to see themselves as investors and partners. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Provide Successful nonprofits know "value-added" their constituents; they have to. and relevant points of Because people don't have to go to a museum or be a member of connection a conservation group, it's been imperative that non-profits understand the rational and emotional drivers of their various constituents—and connect to what those people value. Quantitative/ qualitative research is important, but direct interaction and listening are key. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Provide At Boston's Brigham and Women's "value-added" Hospital, some donors care deeply and relevant about research around particular points of diseases, others care about advancing patient care, whereas connection others care about the training of the next generation of physicians. In addition to an overall message, the organization has crafted individual messages that target what each group is passionate about. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Utilize and The non-profit segment is very leverage efficient because it has been forced communication to do more with fewer resources. and public relations opportunities in an integrated and fully– branded manner ©2009 Fluid Studio

Utilize and Leveraging “unpaid” leverage communication channels (e.g., communication social media, the pride felt by and public ambassador-advocates, media relations coverage, etc.) extends the reach opportunities of every communication dollar and in an integrated the brand equity of the cause. and fully– branded manner ©2009 Fluid Studio

Build Pre-concert talks and addresses, community lab tours with researchers, intimate dinners, nature walks with sanctuary directors, galas, balls, silent auctions, and other fundraisers all create shared experiences and connections that advance an organization— immediately and into the future. With social media, similar activities can occur in a virtual world that is not restricted by distance or other traditional limiting factors. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Tactics: • Securing 10,000 video views for each of the three main RoboU vids • Getting 500 subscribers to the school's YouTube channel within a year of the campaign's launch • Garnering 1,000 Facebook fans (followers of the school on Facebook) within a year of the campaign's launch • Engendering viral forwarding of the campaign's videos and having them picked up by large blog sites ©2009 Fluid Studio

Tactics: The university intended to highlight its professors, alumni, students, and curriculum by launching a series of online videos. It also hoped to connect on a deeper and viral level with its 70,000+ alumni to help build the university's presence and outreach, offline and online. "We recognized that we needed to engage with our intended audience on their terms," said Marilyn Kail, assistant VP for marketing communications. "Prospective students are cynical about typical hard-sell marketing. They trust their peers. They appreciate entertainment. This is why social media marketing worked so well." ©2009 Fluid Studio

Tactics: The school created a YouTube channel and a Facebook presence as well as released a series of videos on YouTube, Yahoo Video, AOL Video, and Carnegie Mellon's site, among others. Carnegie Mellon also released a series of lectures from professors as part of its YouTube channel's playlist. ©2009 Fluid Studio

The Results: The Web 2.0 initiatives by CMU continue to increase awareness about the school and its offerings. Within a year of launch, Carnegie Mellon's initial goal of 500 YouTube channel subscribers has been surpassed. Carnegie Mellon students continue to "blog forward" the school's online initiatives, and word of the videos has spread virally to more than 290 technology and news blogs, (including Gizmodo, which averages 50 million+ page views a month). ©2009 Fluid Studio

The Results: The initial goal for the three main RoboU vids was 10,000 YouTube video views each. (YouTube views are counted if a video is played in its entirety.) All three videos have surpassed that goal. Carnegie Mellon also released a series of lectures from professors as part of its YouTube channel's playlist, titled "Lectures." One of those videos, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" has had more than 2.2 million views on Carnegie's YouTube channel. The 1 hour, 16 minute lecture was given by Dr. Randy Pausch. It was tagged and forwarded as "The Last Lecture," which shares the title of Pausch's book, released in April 2008. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Lessons • In social media, keep your initial Learned: goals modest, because there is no guarantee that an online video, for example, will go viral. That said, make sure you understand what social media measurement tools are available and apply them. • Enabling collaboration among your organization's stakeholders can result in powerful outcomes. Encourage communication and forwarding of content to extend the reach of your message. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Lessons • Messaging needs to be authentic Learned: and engaging; it cannot be ad- speak or otherwise be contrived. • Hope for the unexpected. There was no way to tell that Dr. Pausch's video would become the viral success it became. If that does happen, take full advantage; for example, Carnegie Mellon subsequently adjusted its YouTube channel homepage by placing the successful video front and center. ©2009 Fluid Studio

the1010project Twitter: @the1010project Website: the1010project.org Mission: “The 1010 Project is a nonprofit organization that provides income-generating grants to indigenous development partners in Kenya and raises awareness in the United States on behalf of the global poor.” ©2009 Fluid Studio

the1010project Denver is a long way from Kenya. The 1010 Project seeks to make that span seem a little bit shorter. On their Twitter account you’ll find info on the ins and outs of working for change in Kenya. They’re really hooked in to social media and some of their staff Twitters on their own. They use Twitter to engage followers on issues of global poverty in general by publicizing advocacy events as well as interesting facts about poverty. ©2009 Fluid Studio

humanesociety Website: hsus.org Mission: “The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty.” ©2009 Fluid Studio

humanesociety If there’s a turtle in turmoil, count them in. And if someone’s hassling a hippo, they will stop it. The Humane Society is spreading the word and motivating their constituents to action through Twitter. They engage by asking for feedback and reactions on issues in the media that affect animals. ©2009 Fluid Studio

American Website: redcross.org Red Cross Mission: As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering. ©2009 Fluid Studio

American Do you know of an unfolding Red Cross catastrophe or just want to find out about some terrible event happening around the globe that is affecting the lives of millions of people? As the official account for the American Red Cross, @RedCross uses Twitter to warn and interact with people about situations that may require their help. Wherever disaster strikes, @RedCross is there to lend a hand, and they’re Twittering about it to let you know what you can do as well. ©2009 Fluid Studio

NWF Not only has The National Wildlife Federation embraced Twitter by tweeting under some of their own brands like @greenhour and @ wildlife_watch, they’ve mobilized the troops to tweet under their own identities to help promote the mission. They also have a Twitter search stream on their website for people to see what other wildlife watchers are tweeting about. ©2009 Fluid Studio

General Tips • Be a good member of the community: promote others even more than you promote yourself (i.e., "treat others as you would have them treat you"). Linking and promoting others is a nice way to show you care about people. • The creative material or your message should be something that people want to share—newsworthy, controversial, timely, immediately useful, or even humorous. ©2009 Fluid Studio

General Tips • Don't spam: a good rule is to make one post of your own content for every 4-6 posts that link to other sites. • Don't digg/stumble/link/tweet every single piece of your content. Save it for your very best. • Try hard not to send too many self- promotional e-mails or make too many posts of just your own content. Wrap your self-promotion in something of value to others instead. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Twitter Tips • Make your content Twitter-friendly. If you want “re-tweets” of your content, keep that summary to well-under 140–characters. • If you want people to re-tweet your content, append "please RT" to your tweet. • If you retweet, give credit where credit is due by including the source of original tweet. • Build relationships with others on Twitter; respond back to their tweets regularly. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Twitter Tips • Learn more about the interests of your followers by subscribing to their blogs. • DM or @ new followers—recognize/thank them for following you. • Use #hashtags to identify tweets specific to an event or theme. • Think of the 140 character limit as a challenge to be creative. • Are you using your account solely for link- or news-sharing? Consider noting that in your biography on Twitter. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Twitter Tips • Keep your content relevant to the purpose of your account. Be mindful of using direct messages (DMs) when appropriate. • Don't send out tweets just because you feel you must. Focus on quality over quantity, although most experts agree that tweeting 20-26 times/day is optimal. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Digg Tips • Don't just submit your own content: submit stories from all around the web. • Be a good community member and learn by watching people whose posts regularly become "popular" on the homepage. • Spend time building your reputation by digging stories and making intelligent comments. • Respond to "shouts" of stories that you like by digging them and letting the shouter know that you supported them. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Digg Tips • Spend at least 10-15 minutes each day digging stories, making comments, and submitting new content. • Remember that you only have 24 hours to make your post "popular"; any longer than that and the post usually can't become popular anymore. • If you become friends with a powerful digger, occasionally have them post content on your site to Digg rather than doing so yourself. • Check with your IT/IS staff ahead of time to ensure that your site can handle a "Digg Effect" (also known as a "slashdotting")—a giant waves of people all coming to your site at the same time. ©2009 Fluid Studio

StumbleUpon • Make friends; connect to other stumblers Tips who have a lot of friends (100+). • Don't spam; stumble lots of other content besides your own site. • Find people interested in your topic and connect to them. • Find niche groups related to your topic and join them. ©2009 Fluid Studio

StumbleUpon • Stumble your friends' content and Tips occasionally e-mail them, telling that that you did so. • Spend at least 10-15 minutes every day stumbling and reviewing content; make new discoveries. • If you become friends with a powerful stumbler, occasionally have them "discover" content on your site rather than doing so yourself. ©2009 Fluid Studio

http://youtube.com/nonprofits Nonprofit Program Does your organization have a compelling story to tell? Do you want to connect with your supporters, volunteers, and donors but don't have the funds to launch expensive outreach campaigns? YouTube can help. Video is a powerful way to show your organization's impact and needs, and with a designated "Nonprofit" channel on YouTube, you can deliver your message to the world's largest online video community. http://mashable.com/2007/09/27/youtube-nonprofits/ ©2009 Fluid Studio

Bullseye Gives The retail chain Target already gives 5 percent of its income to charity. During the "Bullseye Gives" campaign, they are allocating those funds—which come out to $3 million every week—to charities selected by Facebook users. From a Salvation Army press release: The company [Target] has launched the “Bullseye Gives” campaign on Facebook, which is essentially a voting application connected to the brand’s existing Facebook page. On it, users select one of ten charities they would like to see funds allocated to. Money will then be given out based on percentages (so if 10% of users vote for The Salvation Army, that organization will receive 10% of the total donations). ©2009 Fluid Studio

Bullseye Gives Target’s Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/target "The Salvation Army is excited and grateful to be part of Target’s groundbreaking fundraising idea through Facebook,” said Major George Hood, national community relations secretary for The Salvation Army. “It gives us another great way to engage our donors, friends and partners in a meaningful way during National Salvation Army Week 2009 for the betterment of those we serve.” ©2009 Fluid Studio

Salvation Army Fluid’s work with local Salvation Army Chapter: • Website Development • Local Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter presence • Database • Online Fundraising Campaign • Red Kettle Giving http://give.salvationarmyusa.org/site/TR/RedKettleCam- paigns/RedKettle?fr_id=1200&pg=entry ©2009 Fluid Studio

Twitter Step 1: Create a dedicated twitter account for your cause. We've found that people will feel Fundraising better about supporting a dedicated account such as "@wellwishes" or "@redkettle" rather than sending it to a personal twitter account. Step 2: Blog about the effort or create a dedicated donation page. Your blog post or page will give people somewhere to go to learn more about your campaign. This is where you'll put your tipjoy/twitter widget so people can donate immediately. Use a url shortener like bit.ly to keep the link small, so that people can easily tweet it. Bit.ly also helps you track the campaign. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Twitter Step 3: Make your custom Twitter Payment widget. This is the widget which makes it all Fundraising happen. Put it on the site or post you just made for Step 2. It will look something like this: ©2009 Fluid Studio

General Tips for Non-Profit Blogging Blogging * Build awareness * Generate buzz * Keep people informed * Educate general public, local leaders, supporters, donors and volunteers * Reach new supporters, donors and volunteers * Build loyalty * Provide more ways to engage or support * Raise more money * Tell and show donors how funds are used * Demonstrate progress and success of active projects * Organic Keyword Marketing (SEO/SEM) - Courtesy of Frank Barry ©2009 Fluid Studio

Widgets Widgets are like portable websites that operate with the same functionality of the host site but can be embedded into a blog or webpage. This is an optimal tool for lead generation that can bring in clients from diverse demographics. ©2009 Fluid Studio

Social Media Seminar for Non-profits

0 comments

Notes on slide 1

9 Favorites