Online Marketing, Part I: Building Blocks for Success Presented by Kivi Leroux Miller

This is Me

And So Is This . . . Online

Enough Me, How About You? Everyone Stand Up! Flickr: Zen

Everyone

Stand

Up!

Kivi’s Live Oak Theory of Online Marketing for Nonprofits

The Trunk is Your Website

Leaves are Your E-Newsletter and RSS Feeds

Acorns are What You Share with Your Biggest Fans

Seedlings are Your New Online Communities that Grow from Your Acorns

PART I: Website and E-Newsletter Fundamentals

PART II: Fundraising (and Friendraising) via Email, RSS Feeds, and Social Media

Marketing Genius Words of Wisdom “ The basics are what most organizations are missing. Obsessing about this is far more effective than managing the latest fad.” Seth Godin, during an online chat about nonprofit marketing on philanthropy.com, May 20, 2008

“ The basics are what most organizations are missing. Obsessing about this is far more effective than managing the latest fad.”

Seth Godin, during an online chat about nonprofit marketing on philanthropy.com, May 20, 2008

Describe your website in 2-3 words . . .

“ It sucks.” Flickr: bqw

“ It sucks.”

“ It’s OK. You can fix it.” 10 Must-Haves for Nonprofit Websites Flickr: GodzillaRockit

“ It’s OK.

You can fix it.”

10 Must-Haves for Nonprofit Websites

What’s a Must-Have? Elements that connect you more easily and authentically with your website visitors.

Elements that connect you more easily and authentically with your website visitors.

Just Remember: It’s All About Them, Not You!

Domain Name Make Sense? Flickr: violet83

Domain Name Make Sense?

Guess the domain name.

Buy multiple domains and forward to your main domain. Flickr: violet83

Buy multiple domains and forward to your main domain.

Know Where I Am? Flickr: Billy_V

Know Where I Am?

Use a template with your org name, logo, &/or tagline on every page Flickr: Billy_V

Use a template with your org name, logo, &/or tagline on every page

Clear Path to Top Answers & Actions? Flickr: xeeliz

Clear Path to Top Answers & Actions?

What answers are your visitors seeking?

What actions do your visitors want to take on your site?

Raise hand to volunteer . . . To see how your site matches the answers and actions they are seeking.

To see how your site matches the answers and actions they are seeking.

Revamp your menus or feature prominently on major pages. Flickr: xeeliz

Revamp your menus or feature prominently on major pages.

Ways to Capture Email? Flickr: bqw

Ways to Capture Email?

Get an email newsletter provider and put sign-up in your template. Flickr: bqw

Get an email newsletter provider and put sign-up in your template.

Donate Online? Flickr: Leo Reynolds

Donate Online?

Stop making excuses and use one of the “free” services. Flickr: Leo Reynolds

Stop making excuses and use one of the “free” services.

Networkforgood.org

Paypal.com

Google.com/nonprofits

Raise hand to volunteer . . . To see how easy it is to donate and sign up for a newsletter on your website.

To see how easy it is to donate and sign up for a newsletter on your website.

Are People Featured? Flickr: Andrei Z

Are People Featured?

Are People Featured? Where’s the personality? Flickr: Andrei Z

Are People Featured?

Where’s the personality?

Make your supporters, clients, and staff the core of your website. Flickr: Andrei Z

Make your supporters, clients, and staff the core of your website.

Raise hand to volunteer . . . To discuss ways to make people more central to your website.

To discuss ways to make people more central to your website.

Lots of Good Images? Flickr: Peter Gene

Lots of Good Images?

Get a digital camera and use it – a lot! Flickr: Peter Gene

Get a digital camera and use it – a lot!

Good Stories? Flickr: CCCI Youth Group

Good Stories?

Tell real stories throughout your site as examples of everything. Add a blog. Flickr: CCCI Youth Group

Tell real stories throughout your site as examples of everything.

Add a blog.

Raise hand to volunteer . . . To discuss ways to integrate storytelling into your website.

To discuss ways to integrate storytelling into your website.

Easy to Contact Real People? Flickr: cmorran123

Easy to Contact Real People?

Think why visitors would contact you and organize your contact page accordingly. Flickr: cmorran123

Think why visitors would contact you and organize your contact page accordingly.

Keywords on Target? Flickr: bqw Flickr: b d solis

Keywords on Target?

Research your keywords and track your rankings. Flickr: bqw Flickr: b d solis

Research your keywords and track your rankings.

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Raise hand to volunteer . . . To see what Google thinks your home page is about.

To see what Google thinks your home page is about.

More Cool Tools . . . Social Networking Sites – If your audience is already there.

Don’t Panic about the To-Do List Look at your website as a work in progress . . . forever. Flickr: Sister72

Look at your website as a work in progress . . .

forever.

Questions?

Anything else before we move on to e-newsletters?

Think of Your E-Newsletter as a Gift

Four Elements of E-Newsletters Content – What’s inside? Design – What’s it wrapped in? Delivery – How is it sent? Tracking – What’s the response?

Content – What’s inside?

Design – What’s it wrapped in?

Delivery – How is it sent?

Tracking – What’s the response?

E-Newsletter Content What’s Inside?

Which Gifter Are You?

Which Gifter Are You?

Which Gifter Are You?

Which Gifter Are You?

Which Gifter Are You?

Which gifter are you right now?

What People Want The Word “You” – It’s all about them! Results They Helped Produced Great, Dramatic Stories about Specific People How-to Articles

Subject Lines & From Fields Emphasize benefits (personal, timely, useful) to the reader in 50-60 characters. From line must be recognizable.

And What They Don’t Want Too many topics, angles Processes Long series of events Emphasis on organizations, not people

What They’ll Act Upon Donate – Here’s how Volunteer – Here’s how Join – Here’s how Call – Here’s how Email – Here’s how

Donate – Here’s how

Volunteer – Here’s how

Join – Here’s how

Call – Here’s how

Email – Here’s how

Surprise Your Readers With how well you know and understand them!

E-Newsletter Design What’s It Wrapped In?

Plain Text v. HTML

Plain Text Everyone can read it. Very easy to produce. But not stimulating = lower response rates.

HTML Better response rates. But harder to produce. MIME – Sends both HTML and plain text versions in same email.

Do You Have the Skills? A well-written, clean plain text newsletter is better than a badly written, messy HTML newsletter.

A well-written, clean plain text newsletter is better than a badly written, messy HTML newsletter.

Using Templates No skills, no style? Use a template. Great place to start even with skills and style!

Start with a Template

Using Graphics and Photos Photos are best either left or right justified so that you have some text beside them. Always use the ALT attribute so text will show if the graphic doesn’t .

Designing for the Preview Pane

Designing for the Preview Pane

Designing for the Preview Pane

Designing for the Preview Pane

E-Newsletter Delivery How is it sent and to whom?

Don’t Do It Yourself! More easily labeled a spammer. List management is extremely time-consuming. Tracking is nearly impossible.

More easily labeled a spammer.

List management is extremely time-consuming.

Tracking is nearly impossible.

Hire an Email Service Provider List management and tracking are fully automated. They offer extra services like autoresponders.

List management and tracking are fully automated.

They offer extra services like autoresponders.

Use a Service Provider http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_email_newsletter_tools.php

Best Practices in List Building Existing Business Relationships Single Opt-ins Double Opt-ins

Existing Business Relationships

Single Opt-ins

Double Opt-ins

More Articles & Resources www.delicious.com/ecoscribe/enewsletters www.delicious.com/ecoscribe/online-marketing www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/resources/ category/email_newsletters/

www.delicious.com/ecoscribe/enewsletters

www.delicious.com/ecoscribe/online-marketing

www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/resources/ category/email_newsletters/

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/spam/business.htm

Avoiding Spam Filters & Instant Deletions Permission-Based List Recognizable Relevant Formatted Properly No Obvious Trigger Words

Permission-Based List

Recognizable

Relevant

Formatted Properly

No Obvious Trigger Words

E-Newsletter Tracking What’s the Response?

What Are They Saying?

What percentage of a nonprofit’s email list turns over every year?

List Churn is Inevitable What percentage of a nonprofit’s email list turns over each year? 19 % Source: 2008 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, NTEN & M+R Strategic Services

What percentage of a nonprofit’s email list turns over each year?

19 %

Source: 2008 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, NTEN & M+R Strategic Services

Building Your List Make subscribing easy and obvious Make updating easy and obvious Integrate offline collection of names Append your direct mail list

Make subscribing easy and obvious

Make updating easy and obvious

Integrate offline collection of names

Append your direct mail list

2008 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study e-benchmarksstudy.com Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) and M+R Strategic Services

e-benchmarksstudy.com

Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) and M+R Strategic Services

Some Nonprofit Benchmarks Open Rates: 17.6% and falling Click-Thru Rates: 3.8% and falling Advocacy response: 7.5% E-Newsletter response: 3.6% Fundraising response: .13%

Open Rates: 17.6% and falling

Click-Thru Rates: 3.8% and falling

Advocacy response: 7.5%

E-Newsletter response: 3.6%

Fundraising response: .13%

Questions?

Congratulations! © 2008, EcoScribe Communications