Cultivating Your Constituents Online Katya Andresen Network for Good Jonathon D. Colman The Nature Conservancy Jacob Colie MercyCorps Arlin Wasserman America on the Move Computer Man by SuzyQuzy, Flickr

Agenda Ten Rules for Online Engagement Today Where We’re Headed: Five Trends to Watch Q&A

Ten Rules for Online Engagement Today

Where We’re Headed: Five Trends to Watch

Q&A

Rule #1: Engage in online cross-channel promotion Cross Channel Activities In the mail, email your donors before they receive postal mail appeals On the phone, give your donors the option to give online Send email to your best donors

Cross Channel Activities

In the mail, email your donors before they receive postal mail appeals

On the phone, give your donors the option to give online

Send email to your best donors

Rule #2: Make marketing a conversation. It’s not a monologue.

It’s not a monologue.

Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be Easy All About Jayne and her family Doing better, not good or bad Small steps…and lots of them On ramp to good health The Challenge: Maintaining Good Health doesn’t always have visible results America On the Move’s bulls-eye target is known as “Jayne,” a working, health-conscious woman, 25 – 59 with one or more children under the age of 18 living at home.

All About Jayne and her family

Doing better, not good or bad

Small steps…and lots of them

On ramp to good health

The Challenge:

Maintaining Good Health doesn’t always have visible results

Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be Encouraging Help people measure their own progress Improvement from where you are, not specific goals Incremental goals are easily reached Regular feedback Gain encouragement from a community of peers

Help people measure their own progress

Improvement from where you are, not specific goals

Incremental goals are easily reached

Regular feedback

Gain encouragement from a community of peers

Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be Intimate More than daily communications via email or cell phone for six weeks Two-way exchanges Ask, not just tell Respond in kind

More than daily communications via email or cell phone for six weeks

Two-way exchanges

Ask, not just tell

Respond in kind

Rule #4: Show accountability. Defined: (of a person, organization, institution) required or expected to justify actions

Defined: (of a person, organization, institution) required or expected to justify actions

Accountability Design efficiency, Charity Navigator rating, ETC into the footer of your homepage Create an Accountability Report and include it on your website Feature the accountability theme in your other web marketing activities

Design efficiency, Charity Navigator rating, ETC into the footer of your homepage

Create an Accountability Report and include it on your website

Feature the accountability theme in your other web marketing activities

Rule #5: Make it easy for people to find you. Search engines bring in a high % of your visitors At least 60 million American adults use search engines each day 61% of all searchers find organic listings to be relevant for their queries 92% of journalists use search engines for researching stories

Search engines bring in a high % of your visitors

At least 60 million American adults use search engines each day

61% of all searchers find organic listings to be relevant for their queries

92% of journalists use search engines for researching stories

Stock first page of search results with your site(s) and other friendly sites Move critical or negative sites off the first page of search results Saturate all channels with friendly content containing strong links back to your site Good example: Pontiac Bad example: Splenda Next: Secure your brand’s online reputation

Stock first page of search results with your site(s) and other friendly sites

Move critical or negative sites off the first page of search results

Saturate all channels with friendly content containing strong links back to your site

Good example: Pontiac

Bad example: Splenda

Rule #6: Segment your way to success Rule: “Different strokes for different folks” Not all visitors are created equal! Find common groups Analyze their actions Target your messaging Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be…

Rule: “Different strokes for different folks”

Not all visitors are created equal!

Find common groups

Analyze their actions

Target your messaging

Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be…

Segment by campaigns, visitor self-identification

Segment by geography, donor type

Segment by incoming referral source

Segment by demographics Flickr (left to right): idealterna, ehavir, davesag (all creative commons licensed)

Segment by real-world actions taken Flickr (left to right, top to bottom): grant neufeld, bulldog1, mishmosh222 (all creative commons licensed)

Mercy Corps FY07 Net

Email High

Crisis in Lebanon Help Us Respond $69,614 6/25/2006

Help Us Prepare for The Year to Come $66,505 12/27/2006

A Thoughtful, Caring Last-Minute Gift $56,157 12/20/2006

Email Low

Sowing the Seeds of Peace $4,610 9/28/2006

Preparing for Kosovo’s Future $3,630 2/1/2006

Helping Youth Solve Unemployment $1,115 2/1/2006

Email Segments No Gifts With Gifts No Gifts No Open

Tiers TOP MID MASS

Upgrade Paths Gift Annuities Monthly Giving Local Content

No Gifts With Gifts

Help Darfur’s Displaced $25,274 4/26/2007

Send Mom a Mother’s Day Bouquet $4,470 4/26/2007

Rule #7: Test, test, test. Would you… Buy a car without going for a test-drive? … then why would you make a design change to your site or e-mail without testing it? Purchase an antique without verifying its age? Gulp down a glass of old milk without first taking a teensy, weensy little sip?

Would you…

Buy a car without going for a test-drive?

Purchase an antique without verifying its age?

Gulp down a glass of old milk without first taking a teensy, weensy little sip?

But, but, but, but – the excuses are many… “ I don’t have time to test…” “ I don’t know what to test for in the first place.” “ I don’t have time to test...” “ I don’t have an analytics team in place.” “ I don’t have time to test…” “ I’m not even measured on testing results” “ No, I really don’t have time to test!”

“ I don’t have time to test…”

“ I don’t know what to test for in the first place.”

“ I don’t have time to test...”

“ I don’t have an analytics team in place.”

“ I don’t have time to test…”

“ I’m not even measured on testing results”

“ No, I really don’t have time to test!”

Testing can be easy, whether it’s e-mail…

… or testing web creative design: Test 1: Same campaign, different calls-to-action Test 2: Different campaigns

Rule #8: Make your supporters the messengers.

We are NOT the best messengers. 76% of givers are motivated by friends and family, says Cone It’s okay to relinquish control of the message Donors are experts at knowing how to speak about your cause to their friends and family Friends-to-friends is great for online engagement

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

It’s okay to relinquish control of the message

Donors are experts at knowing how to speak about your cause to their friends and family

Friends-to-friends is great for online engagement

The messenger’s widget

Great messengers

Rule #9: Offer recurring giving.

Mercy Corps Monthly Donations .982 M $1.638 M

Rule #10: Don’t only ask. Thank and inspire too. What is the number one reason people stop giving to charity? WaMu ATM Error by Matt B., Flickr

What is the number one reason people stop giving to charity?

Thanking your donors

Continuing the Conversation Be your own hero Be a leader Be part of a community

Be your own hero

Be a leader

Be part of a community

Continuing the Conversation Keep on giving Keep in touch Keep it 2-way Highlight successes …win a blog Cultivate ambassadors …and provide them with tools

Keep on giving

Keep in touch

Keep it 2-way

Highlight successes …win a blog

Cultivate ambassadors …and provide them with tools

Agenda Ten Rules for Online Engagement Today Where We’re Headed: Five Trends to Watch Q&A

Ten Rules for Online Engagement Today

Where We’re Headed: Five Trends to Watch

Q&A

Trend #1: Celebrity philanthropy.

Rethinking celebrity

Trend #2: Less control.

Trend #3: More communities. Q: Why do bank robbers rob banks? A: Because that’s where the money is.

Q: Why do bank robbers rob banks?

What communities can mean for you Findability, SEO gains Access to “long tail” niches New audiences Big numbers Established infrastructure, marketing programs Low entry barrier = ease of use for your prospects

Findability, SEO gains

Access to “long tail” niches

New audiences

Big numbers

Established infrastructure, marketing programs

Low entry barrier = ease of use for your prospects

Communities for Digital Media www.flickr.com www.youtube.com

Communities for Discussions www.gather.com www.care2.com

Communities for Breaking News www.newsvine.com www.digg.com

Communities for Sharing Good Content www.stumbleupon.com del.icio.us

Trend #4: What’s hot will change.

Trend #5: More niche marketing.