Social Media Best Practices for Non-Profit & Public Sector Organizations Jay Moonah [email_address]

A bit about Wild Apricot Member management & website software Focused primarily on small & medium nonprofits Try it for FREE at wildapricot.com Nonprofit technology blog blog.wildapricot.com Association Jam social news sharing site associationjam.org Questions? Please contact me: [email_address] or 416-410-4059 x. 302

Member management & website software

Focused primarily on small & medium nonprofits

Try it for FREE at wildapricot.com

Nonprofit technology blog

blog.wildapricot.com

Association Jam social news sharing site

associationjam.org

Questions?

Please contact me: [email_address] or 416-410-4059 x. 302

Top 10 Wild Apricot blog posts Five of our 10 most popular blog posts were on Twitter or Facebook Including the top three

Five of our 10 most popular blog posts were on Twitter or Facebook

Including the top three

In this session we’ll cover Goals for your social media efforts Identifying the right opportunities Building your presence Please feel free to ask for clarification or make comments any time

Goals for your social media efforts

Identifying the right opportunities

Building your presence

Please feel free to ask for clarification or make comments any time

But, before any of that stuff...

Social media is NOT a magic bullet It will NOT help if you… … have no clear goals … have weak, “me-centric” messaging … have no staff or volunteers to lead the effort … are not consistent and persistent (And even if you do, it STILL may not help!) Start with right expectations

Social media is NOT a magic bullet

It will NOT help if you…

… have no clear goals

… have weak, “me-centric” messaging

… have no staff or volunteers to lead the effort

… are not consistent and persistent

(And even if you do, it STILL may not help!)

It’s still hard to see results http://www.clickz.com/3634883 “ Like brand marketers, advocacy and nonprofit groups are struggling to measure how their social media numbers translate to real action and real donations.”

http://www.clickz.com/3634883

For example, Facebook Causes… Source: Justin Perkins, Care2 Only 0.2% of Causes account for 40% of money raised Only 513 of 180,000 have more than 20,000 supporters Median donation is just $.01 per member ROI on time invested estimated at 300:1 loss Most raise 58% of donations from top 5 donors 20% from the top donor

Only 0.2% of Causes account for 40% of money raised

Only 513 of 180,000 have more than 20,000 supporters

Median donation is just $.01 per member

ROI on time invested estimated at 300:1 loss

Most raise 58% of donations from top 5 donors

20% from the top donor

It takes time Beth Kanter, nonprofit social media guru 5 hours/week to start listening 10 hours/week to participate 10-15 hours/week to generate buzz 20+ hours/week to build community (At least) 3-6 months until you see results http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2008/10/how-much-time-d.html

Beth Kanter, nonprofit social media guru

5 hours/week to start listening

10 hours/week to participate

10-15 hours/week to generate buzz

20+ hours/week to build community

(At least) 3-6 months until you see results

So, why bother?

Social Media a Natural Fit for Causes People want to see themselves reflected in the kinds of causes nonprofits represent.

Social Media creates Real Connections Case study at http://tr.im/childfundcase “ We want to empower our supporters to tell us what they want and share information with us. Social media gives them an avenue to communicate with us, ask questions and give feedback. They can share their stories, photos, information with us or point us to other things they think we should be aware of.” David Hylton from ChildFund International

Volunteers Social media provides new ways for people to contribute to causes they care about.

It’s Hip to be Good! Advertising Age launched GoodWorks section in April Follows “corporate social responsibility and cause marketing” http://adage.com/goodworks/

Advertising Age launched GoodWorks section in April

Follows “corporate social responsibility and cause marketing”

Your Goals

When to try social networking… You’re doing well in other online channels You have people dedicated to care & feeding You’re willing to give up some control

You’re doing well in other online channels

You have people dedicated to care & feeding

You’re willing to give up some control

Goals! Grow membership Increase event participation Raise money Social media CAN help with these

Grow membership

Increase event participation

Raise money

Social media CAN help with these

Growing Membership: North Mason Chamber of Commerce http://frankkennysblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-we-grew-our-membership-by-85-in-18.html

Growing Membership: North Mason Chamber of Commerce "How we grew our membership by 85% in 18 months" Started with blogging Created a private Ning group to connect members Started adding content regularly Once established, members "post dozens of times to your one time, keeping the site active" Promoted through Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube, and email "You must nurture the sites by seeding them, reinviting members to join, engaging them, friending them, coaxing them along until they have a habit of contributing.“ - Frank Kenny , North Mason Chamber of Commerce http://frankkennysblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-we-grew-our-membership-by-85-in-18.html

"How we grew our membership by 85% in 18 months"

Started with blogging

Created a private Ning group to connect members

Started adding content regularly

Once established, members "post dozens of times to your one time, keeping the site active"

Promoted through Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube, and email

Event Participation: Blog Action Day 2008 http://www.visionaryblogging.com/services/case-studies/event-marketing/

Event Participation: Blog Action Day 2008 Goal: enlist bloggers in Blog Action Day 2008 to discuss global poverty Activities: Wrote regularly for event blog Used Twitter to update supporters Tracked event site traffic and social media activity Activated volunteers & partners Recruited more than 80 organizations as partners to assist with promotion Recruited volunteers who translated website into more than 20 languages Results? 12,800 blogs signed up to discuss poverty on October 15, 2008 17 of the 100 most popular blogs in the world participated 13.5 million people worldwide followed or participated in the event http://www.visionaryblogging.com/services/case-studies/event-marketing/

Goal: enlist bloggers in Blog Action Day 2008 to discuss global poverty

Activities:

Wrote regularly for event blog

Used Twitter to update supporters

Tracked event site traffic and social media activity

Activated volunteers & partners

Recruited more than 80 organizations as partners to assist with promotion

Recruited volunteers who translated website into more than 20 languages

Results?

12,800 blogs signed up to discuss poverty on October 15, 2008

17 of the 100 most popular blogs in the world participated

13.5 million people worldwide followed or participated in the event

Raising Funds: Critical Exposure http://www.frogloop.com/care2blog/2009/9/7/how-a-small-nonprofit-used-social-media-crowd-sourcing-to-wi.html

Raising Funds: Critical Exposure Goal: earn a permanent spot on GlobalGiving “marketplace” website Three weeks to raise $4000 from 50 donors, opportunity for bonus money Message Saturation Updated supporters via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, website & more Initial concern about over-messaging, but supporter asked for MORE Empowered Supporters = Emotionally Invested Supporters Asked supporters to be fundraisers, provided sample messages to post Regularly updated supporters on the fruits of THEIR labour Supporters “wore out the refresh buttons on their browser keeping tabs” Result? Raised over $15,000 from more than 600 individuals, $5000 in bonuses http://www.frogloop.com/care2blog/2009/9/7/how-a-small-nonprofit-used-social-media-crowd-sourcing-to-wi.html

Goal: earn a permanent spot on GlobalGiving “marketplace” website

Three weeks to raise $4000 from 50 donors, opportunity for bonus money

Message Saturation

Updated supporters via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, website & more

Initial concern about over-messaging, but supporter asked for MORE

Empowered Supporters = Emotionally Invested Supporters

Asked supporters to be fundraisers, provided sample messages to post

Regularly updated supporters on the fruits of THEIR labour

Supporters “wore out the refresh buttons on their browser keeping tabs”

Result?

Raised over $15,000 from more than 600 individuals, $5000 in bonuses

What do these cases have in common? Clear, specific goals Strategy and tactics for achieving those goals Staff/volunteers dedicated to the program Desire/need to create community evangelists Willingness to adjust and learn on the fly Measurable outcomes

Clear, specific goals

Strategy and tactics for achieving those goals

Staff/volunteers dedicated to the program

Desire/need to create community evangelists

Willingness to adjust and learn on the fly

Measurable outcomes

Your Opportunities

Start by listening (1) Search for your keywords on Twitter Subscribe to search results RSS feed Follow people who tweet about you or your cause

Search for your keywords on Twitter

Subscribe to search results RSS feed

Follow people who tweet about you or your cause

Start by listening (2) Find and follow people/organizations http://wefollow.com/tag/nonprofit

Find and follow people/organizations

http://wefollow.com/tag/nonprofit

Start by listening (3) Search Facebook What other nonprofits like you have a presence? What kind of support are they seeing? -- fans, wall posts, etc. What is being discussed?

Search Facebook

What other nonprofits like you have a presence?

What kind of support are they seeing? -- fans, wall posts, etc.

What is being discussed?

Start by listening (4) Ask your supporters and volunteers Where are they active online? What would they like to see you do?

Ask your supporters and volunteers

Where are they active online?

What would they like to see you do?

Building Your Presence

You do not need to participate in every social media platform Pick places where… … your supporters are … where you are comfortable … features match your goals

Pick places where…

… your supporters are

… where you are comfortable

… features match your goals

Start small Where should you start? Do your homework! Best (Free) Sources of Social Media Audience Usage Research http://www.netsquared.org/blog/kanter/nptech-summary-best-free-sources-get-social-media-audience-usage-research

Where should you start? Do your homework!

Don’t Just Broadcast WWF tweets: Their own links Links to other Retweets Replies Lists local accounts http://twitter.com/wwf

WWF tweets:

Their own links

Links to other

Retweets

Replies

Lists local accounts

http://twitter.com/wwf

Encourage Sharing Create “talkability” Ask for help (retweets, etc.)

Create “talkability”

Ask for help (retweets, etc.)

Establish daily routine Starting points: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/define-a-social-media-system-for-yourself/ http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/01/22/my-social-media-system/

Starting points:

http://www.chrisbrogan.com/define-a-social-media-system-for-yourself/

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/01/22/my-social-media-system/

Establish regular reviews What have we learned? What has worked well? What did not seem to have effect (so far)? What should we change? Are we moving toward our targets? What should we adjust activities or targets?

What have we learned?

What has worked well?

What did not seem to have effect (so far)?

What should we change?

Are we moving toward our targets?

What should we adjust activities or targets?

Social Networks Fundraising & Advocacy ROI Calculator By Justin Perkins from Care2 http://www.frogloop.com/social-network-calculator

Resources Wild Apricot Blog http://blog.wildapricot.com/ Association Jam http://associationjam.org/ Beth Kanter blog http://beth.typepad.com/ FrogLoop Care2 blog http://www.frogloop.com/ NTEN blog http://www.nten.org/blog TechSoup blog http://blog.techsoup.org/ NetSquared blog http://www.netsquared.org/blog We Are Media SM Starter Kit for Nonprofits http://www.wearemedia.org/

Wild Apricot Blog

http://blog.wildapricot.com/

Association Jam

http://associationjam.org/

Beth Kanter blog

http://beth.typepad.com/

FrogLoop Care2 blog

http://www.frogloop.com/

NTEN blog

http://www.nten.org/blog

TechSoup blog

http://blog.techsoup.org/

NetSquared blog

http://www.netsquared.org/blog

We Are Media SM Starter Kit for Nonprofits

http://www.wearemedia.org/

Thanks! Questions? [email_address] wildapricot.com Twitter/Facebook/Flickr/YouTube/LinkedIn: jmoonah