What data do annual giving professionals have available that can help them learn more about their alumni? This presentation provides you with the tools necessary to categorize and analyze your Facebook posts in order to find actionable information.

1. February 21, 2014
Mining
Social Media Data
Tim Ponisciak
Annual Giving Network

2. Page 1
About The Presenter
• Director of Graduate Alumni Relations
• Mendoza College of Business,
University of Notre Dame
• 11 years in marketing, annual giving
and alumni relations
• MBA from Notre DameTim Ponisciak
Annual Giving Network

3. Page 2
Agenda
• Current Social Media Landscape
• Finding, Listening and Gathering Alumni Information
• Creating Your Own Social Media Buzz
• Identifying Trends
• Q&A

4. Page 3
Current Social Media
Landscape

5. Page 4
Current Social Media Landscape
Facebook: 1.4 billion users, 5 billion pieces of content shared daily (2%)
Twitter: 288 million users (26%)
LinkedIn: 340 million users (54%)
Pinterest:70 million users (111%)
Instagram: 300 million users (64%)
Google Plus: 300 million users (16%)
Snapchat: 200 million users (55%)
Percentage indicates growth from 2013 to 2014
*http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/25/tumblr-overtakes-instagram-as-fastest-growing-social-platform-snapchat-is-the-fastest-
growing-app/

6. Page 5
Current Social Media Landscape - Corporations
Social media being used to:
• Determine customer preferences
• Create unique content

7. Page 6
Key Questions for Higher Ed
• How can social media be used to enhance what we
know about our alumni?
• What types of information do our alumni most want to
hear about from their alma mater?
• How can social media be leveraged to not only keep
alumni connected, but to amplify alumni interest in
one’s school and to increase giving?

8. Page 7
Finding, Listening and
Gathering Information

9. Page 8
Finding Alumni on Social Media
– Donor Information
– New Board Members
– Matching Gift Volunteers

10. Page 9
LinkedIn Profile Data
Enriching Your Donor’s Profile
• Company
• Industry
• Title
• Location
• Email

11. Page 10
Utilize LinkedIn Advanced Search
Finding Potential Board Members

12. Page 11
Results:
Finding Potential Board Members

13. Page 12
Searching for Matching Gifts Volunteers

14. Page 13
Results:
Searching for Matching Gifts Volunteers

15. Page 14
Listening to Alumni
#EKUStrong
• Feedback from alumni
• Creation of alumni contact
information update campaign
• Leverage alumni passion on
social media
• Ask “Why is this question
being asked?”

16. Page 15
Poll #1: Did your school have a giving day last year?
•Yes
•No
•No, but we are planning one for the upcoming fiscal
year

17. Page 16
Gathering Alumni Information
Giving Day Challenges
• ONU: Various hourly challenges that encouraged
alumni interaction on Twitter

18. Page 17
Giving Day Challenges

19. Page 18
Giving Day Challenges
• Allows university to increase number of followers
• Provides insights into where alumni interests lie

20. Page 19
Informing Future Annual Giving Strategy
Ask questions about your school
that can help you with future
fundraising campaigns
• Beloved places on campus
• Favorite professors
• Best campus traditions

21. Page 20
• Yes, we have a student ambassador team
• Yes, we have an alumni ambassador team
• No, we do not
Poll #2: Do you have a formal social media ambassador
program?

22. Page 21
Building Momentum on
Social Media

23. Page 22
Social Media Ambassadors
• RIT – Volunteer program for alumni to spread school
messages, including fundraising
• American – Alumni ambassadors volunteer to disseminate
and generate content for alumni association social media
platforms
• Babson – Students paid to be the “online tour guides” of
Babson. Audience includes prospective students, parents,
friends and alumni

24. Page 23
Allegheny College Alumni Ambassadors
• Regularly share content from College social media
accounts that interest them and which they believe would
resonate with alumni in their social networks.
• Promote time sensitive initiatives and programs. These may
include major campus events, fundraising campaigns, and
admissions related information.
http://sites.allegheny.edu/web/social-media-ambassadors/

25. Page 24
Allegheny College Alumni Ambassadors
• Time commitment
• Upfront goals
• List of official hashtags
http://sites.allegheny.edu/web/social-media-ambassadors/

26. Page 25
Allegheny College Alumni Ambassadors

27. Page 26
Facebook Ads
• Affordable
• Customizable
• Not a replacement for email or direct mail
• Direct users to your Facebook page or giving page

28. Page 27
Targeting Your Facebook Ad
• Visitors of your general
school page or online
donation form page
• Upload custom email list:
nondonors, lybunts,
recognition society
members
• Those who have liked your
Facebook page

29. Page 28
Boosting Your Posts

30. Page 29
Identifying Trends

31. Page 30
Our Social Media Focus
– College of Business related information
– Notre Dame related content
– Business related articles of interest

32. Page 31
• No planning, we post what is topical each day
• 1 week, and adapt when necessary
• 2 weeks or more, with flexibility to adapt when necessary
Poll #3: How far ahead do you plan your social
media posts?

33. Page 32
How We Talk
• Odd fact – unique news story
• Invitation
• Well wishes
• Excitement

34. Page 33
The Approach
• Break down our Facebook posts by topic
• Break down our posts by tone
• See if we can determine any particular types of posts that
are most appealing to our alumni, so we can create an
informed social media plan for the future
• Inform other areas of our work based off of our findings

35. Page 34
Our Typical Social Media Topics
• College of Business
• Notre Dame
• Football
• Alumni Info
• Fundraising
• General business

36. Page 35
Breakdown of Facebook Post Topics

37. Page 36
Our Typical Social Media Tones
• Congratulatory/
Well Wishes
• Fun
• Informative
• Nostalgic/ Student
Life
• Questioning
• Reminder

38. Page 37
Breakdown of Facebook Post Tones

39. Page 38
Sorting Everything Out

40. Page 39
Sorting Everything Out

41. Page 40
Top Bit.ly Clicks
Rank Link Type Topic Tone
1 Field & Field – Alumna startup Alumni Informative
2 Chicago Alumni Reception Alumni Reminder
3 Want a Happy Office? Article
featuring Professor
College of
Business
Informative
4 Student startup wins awards at
competition
College of
Business
Informative
5 Mendoza Dialogues video –
CIO Scott Malpass
College of
Business
Informative
6 ND launches first open online
courses
Notre Dame Informative

42. Page 41
Informing Decisions
• Highlighting video featuring Chief Investment Officer in
most recent recognition societies newsletter
• Next video to be created will focus on entrepreneurship
• Focusing on online courses currently available

43. Page 42
How does this help formulate social media strategy?
• Ensure we have photos and videos of events
• Focus more on messages about the College of Business,
and less on general business articles
• Plan each week to have: 2-3 College of Business
posts, one post that is either football or ND related,
and then fill in with events and reminders as
appropriate
• Find more news to make people feel proud to be a
part of our College

44. Page 43
Pre-Webinar Survey

45. Page 44
Survey Summary
• Types of pages
• 26 alumni
• 12 institution
• 4 giving
• Alumni pages
• Fans per Alumni – 5%

46. Page 45
Topics for Top Posts

47. Page 46
Topics for Recent Posts

48. Page 47
Tones for Top Posts

49. Page 48
Tones for Recent Posts

50. Page 49
Westminster Schools
Topic: Faculty
Tone: Congratulatory/Well Wishing

51. Page 50
NC State Recent Grads
Topic: Athletics
Tone: Informative

52. Page 51
Del Mar College Alumni Association
Topic: Local
Tone: Fun

53. Page 52
UIS (University of Illinois Springfield) Giving
Topic: Fundraising
Tone: Persuasive

54. Page 53
James Madison University
Topic: Holiday
Tone: Congratulatory/Well Wishing

55. Page 54
Top Words

56. Page 55
Key Takeaways
• Don’t restrict yourself to data in your database
• Listen to your alumni on social media, and be nimble
in your response
• Don’t just answer alumni questions, figure out why
they are asking in the first place
• Utilize Facebook/Twitter to ask for feedback from
alumni to inform future campaigns
• Analyze past social media posts to determine what
topics and tones appeal to alumni and will get your
alumni interacting with you and with each other

57. Page 56
Q&A