This document summarizes a presentation about using word-of-mouth marketing strategies for nonprofits. It discusses two approaches: regular "heartbeat" activities like website content and social media, and creating "remarkables" - memorable experiences, stories, or activities that inspire people to talk about the nonprofit. The presentation argues that nonprofits should focus on enabling supporters to take remarkable actions and developing remarkable relationships in order to increase engagement beyond clicks and build a sustainable organization.

1. The Remarkables: How
Nonprofits Win with Word-of-
Mouth Marketing
11NTCwom
Michael Silberman,
EchoDitto
Darren Barefoot,
Biro Creative

2. Session Evaluation
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3. @dbarefoot
@birocrea-ve
@silbatron
@echodi3o
3

4. delicious.com/tag/ntcwom

6. Two Approaches:
Heartbeat and
Remarkable

7. Heartbeat
Activities

8. • Website content
• SEO
• Email marketing
• Social media
• Advertising

9. • Regularly connect with the crowd
• Raise money
• Move members up the engagement
ladder
• Shine a light on members and activities
• Increase organizational reach and
influence

10. The Problem

13. Remarkables

14. “Safe is risky,
and risky is safe”
- Seth Godin

23. • Recruit new members
• Inspire actions and activities
• Connect with influencers
• Empower partners and tribe leaders
to tell your story
• Increase online or real-world attention
and activity
• Improve search engine optimization

24. How do you make
remarkables?

25. Change the medium of
the message

27. Say it visually

30. Riff on
what the web loves

32. Enable user
contributions

34. Sex sells

36. Photos by Caro Wallis, marie.joi, Naida
Folgado, Julie Szabo and Darren
Barefoot

37. Over to Michael

38. Flickr @jelee_unleashed

39. We can ask more of people.
More than a click.
The era of broadcast organizing is over.

40. Flickr: @vineetdiwadkar

42. 189,000 people in 1,200 neighborhoods

43. Successful member
ENGAGEMENT =
Remarkable RELATIONSHIP
+ Remarkable ACTIONS

44. ROI?
• Less list fa-gue
• More money
• Stronger volunteer power
• Sustainability
• Impact
• Relevance

45. INGREDIENTS
 Theory of change
 Understanding your “superpower”
 Supporter‐centric approach (do ppl ma3er?)
 People!
 Ac-onable content and campaigns
 Staff resources – Online organizers

46. How does it work?
• Bite‐size, remarkable asks
• Track engagement levels
• Invest in leadership development

51. Let’s put the organizing
back in online organizing.

52. Session Evaluation
Each entry via text or web is a chance to win
great NTEN prizes throughout the day!
TEXT ONLINE
Text 11NTCwom to Use 11NTCwom at
69866. http://nten.org/ntc/eval
Session Evaluations
Powered By:

53. @dbarefoot
@birocrea-ve
@silbatron
@echodi3o

54. Who wants a book?
54

55. • Why would someone talk about your
organization to a friend?
• Are you communicating in remarkable
ways?
• Are you enabling people to do
remarkable things on your organization’s
behalf?

56. Find the fun(ny)

57. Make it useful

58. Demonstrate
extraordinary skill

59. Add mystery

60. Let visitors
interact

61. Enable user
contributions

63. TV had magic beans for forty years. For forty years, anyone, even a
complete moron, could make a lot of money using TV ads. Buy enough
ads, don't screw up, you're rich...
On the web, there are countless marketers just standing around waiting
for someone to hand them the magic beans. And that's the problem.
Marketing online takes too much measurement, patience, creativity,
technical knowledge, flexibility, speed and authenticity. It requires too
much thinking and not enough going out for dinner with clients.
Perhaps there will never be magic beans again. Perhaps marketing is
about to transition to a new kind of profession, one that requires
insight, dedication and smarts.
Or maybe someone will find some magic beans.
-Seth Godin

64. There are
no magic
beans.