Nonprofits in an age of social networks NDN, May 2008 Beth Kanter, Beth’s Blog

Beth Kanter, Nonprofit Technology Trainer Photo by Steve Goodman

Beth’s Blog Profiles & Presence Communities RSS Powered Fundraising Sharing photos, bookmarks, videos, and more Conversations network

A Quick Poll

Why Social Networks are important What are some patterns for successful adoption? Some stories … What I’m going to talk about …

The one minute social networking primer

An Online Social Network is this on steroids ….

Now I know all these people!

Friend of a Friend Object Sharing Platform Open Platform Social Presence

Social Networking Platform

Why Important … Social networks are a fad

Source: Morgan Stanley

Social Networks are changing the way people are getting information to make decisions

Trust Factor http://www.nielsenbuzzmetrics.com/cgm.asp

Digital Natives

Why Important… The Trust factor Rapid Word of Mouth To cultivate the next generation of donors, volunteers, stakeholders

The Trust factor

Rapid Word of Mouth

To cultivate the next generation of donors, volunteers, stakeholders

The Cute Dog Theory: Nonprofits and Social Networking

It’s a remix of the Cute Cat Theory!

Web 1.0 tools were created so physicists could share their research papers

Wait a second … looking at nonprofits that have successfully Adopted social media .. There are a lot of dog lovers …..

Web2.0: to share cute cat photos

Assess Audience Online Social Activities

Where’s our target audience? -Ask them (surveys) -Field research -Look at demographics of site What social networking site has my audience? How do they use technologies? What are they talking about? Who are they? What do they want?

What social networking site has my audience?

How do they use technologies?

What are they talking about?

Who are they?

What do they want?

Discuss/set objectives first

Not a monologue

Listening

Conversation

Even difficult ones …

The audience wants to participate

Source: Alan Levine – CogDog Blog Web 1.0

Web 2.0

Staff Roles

Define a box Define a Box

Is this real work?

Start small, reiterate over and over

Here’s some advice from Wendy Harmon, Red Cross Blogger

A project that won’t take much time and relates to org goals. Write down your successes. Write down your challenges. Ask the people you want to connect with whether they think your outreach and listening is valuable. Watch other nonprofits and copy and remix for your next project. Rinse, repeat.

A project that won’t take much time and relates to org goals.

Write down your successes.

Write down your challenges.

Ask the people you want to connect with whether they think your outreach and listening is valuable.

Watch other nonprofits and copy and remix for your next project.

Rinse, repeat.

It takes time

Participant Content Creator Community Manager You get out what you put in … Source: Nina Simon, Museum2.0

Success Patterns Assess Audience Objectives Policy and Education Time investment Staff Roles Experiment

So how do you avoid this?

Individual Profile

Group

Fundraising

Regular posting to profile, group, and cause One on one connections with people in similar causes and friending Challenges – experimenting and time

A Story

Contest Opens: December 13, 2007 3:00 PM

December 13, 2007 3:01 PM

I opened my Kimono

Strategy Make It Personal Theory Example ….

“ The message is not about the charity. It’s about why the messenger cares.” Katya Andresen, Network For Good

Will it scale?

Involvement Participator Type Ladder of Engagement Personal Fundraiser does the Network Weaving Happy Bystanders Create Solicit Money Share Listen Spreaders Donors Evangelists Instigators

Strategy: Stories

Strategy Three R’s of Network Weaving

Relationship Building

Rewards

Reciprocity

Stories and Network Weaving …

Strategy Fun, Humor, Easy, Urgency, Competitive Spirit, and Passion!

What’s more fun than a birthday party?

Where did they get all those embarrassing photos?

125 people donated 142 birthday wishes 180 views on “see me naked” photo

But my birthday was Jan. 11 th and we had 20 more days to go …

57 donors Energizing Burst

How To Ask for Donations on Twitter

Offline/Online

24 hours before the contest ends We’re in 1 st Place

WooT! WooT!

Chan Piseth

Open the Kimono Make it personal Use the Ladder of Engagement Stories The Three R’s of Network Weaving Fun, Humor, Easy, Urgency, and Competitive Spirit Say thank you in creative ways Lessons Learned

Open the Kimono

Make it personal

Use the Ladder of Engagement

Stories

The Three R’s of Network Weaving

Fun, Humor, Easy, Urgency, and Competitive Spirit

Say thank you in creative ways