This document discusses how social media can be used to engage alumni and raise funds. It provides tips on crafting engaging content through humor, authenticity and assisting others. It also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between social media and fundraising teams to identify potential major donors through platforms like LinkedIn. Data shows Cornell's social media-driven crowdfunding and prospect identification efforts have led to increased donations and gifts from new and lapsed donors.

1. From Content to Cash:
Engaging Alumni on Social Media

2. From Content to Cash:
Engaging Alumni on Social Media
Goooooooaaaaaaals
Crafting Content on the Social Web
 The Power of Virtual Volunteers
 Cashing in

3. Full Disclosure…
I don’t know everything

4. I do know much of what
we’re doing isn’t working.

5. Is social media the savior?

6. Gooooooaaaaalllls!

7. Gooooooaaaaalllls!
What can social media do for you?

8. What I WON’T be talking about
today…

9. Follow your people
know where your audience plays

10. Follow your people
know where your audience plays

11. Via Bime.com
Follow your people
know where your audience plays

12. Haste makes waste…of time

13. Gooooooaaaaalllls!
how can social media aid advancement?
Brand exposure
Donations
Event Attendance
Crisis Management
Prospect Discovery
Stewardship

14. Beware of the office “post it” person
Hey! Can you share this on the
Facebook page for me?

15. Beware of the office “post it” person
Hey! Can you take this static and unappealing
piece of content and post it on Facebook even
though I have no idea what I hope to get out
of it other than people will see it
because it’s on Facebook.
(translated)

16. Call Your Shot
If you don’t define success, you
won’t know if you’re succeeding

17. Forget what you know
crafting killer content

18. Forget what you know
crafting killer content
Ah, ha!

19. Forget what you know
crafting killer content
Authentic
Humorous
Honorable
Assisted

20. Authenticity
be true to your school

21. Authenticity
be true to your school

22. The Viral Challenge:
a social media gimmick

23. Everyone ‘s to Laugh
Inject Humor into Your Content Strategy

26. Humor establishes rapport
Humor triggers memorability
Humor creates alignment
Via -@KevinJDaum
Why Make them Laugh?

28. Water Cooler Talk
Before there was
Facebook, there was
water-cooler conversation
Who shot J.R.??

29. The Age of the “Digital Water Cooler.”
“There comes a point in all our lives when a single event;
personal or public, envelops us to a point where we cannot
think, speak or focus on anything else. This is not new by any
means; however, social media has taken it to a level which
may or may not be a good thing.” – Patti Schwartz
 Real-time reactions
 Real-time feedback
 Real-time sharing
 Real-time engagement
Your Audience is “Working”

30. The Nielsen Global Survey of Trust in
Advertising polled more than 29,000
Internet respondents in 58 countries.
47% of global respondents agreed
that humorous ads resonated the
most. – Ekaterina Walter

31. “Start with your customer’s pain point.
Comedy comes from pain, so it’s a rich
area to mine.”
It’s funny because we ask
for money…frequently.

32. It’s funny because Cornell winters are cold.
“When a brand shows that it doesn’t always take itself
too seriously, it’s a powerful way to demonstrate
authenticity and confidence, as well as connect with
your community.” - Tim Washer, Cisco

33. Get serious, drop the serious.
Relaxing the Brand

34. Get serious, drop the serious.
Relaxing the Brand

35. It’s funny because Cornell winters are cold.
... It’s engaging because ALL alumni endured it.

36. “Self-deprecating humor is sometimes a
powerful way to humanize the brand. When
a brand shows that it doesn’t always take
itself too seriously, it’s a powerful way to
demonstrate authenticity, as well as
confidence.” – Tim Washer
It’s funny because Cornell
ISN’T like Andy Bernard

37. Self-deprecating humor is sometimes a
powerful way to humanize the brand. When
a brand shows that it doesn’t always take
itself too seriously, it’s a powerful way to
demonstrate authenticity, as well as
confidence. – Tim Washer
It’s funny because Cornell
ISN’T like Andy Bernard
..but he WAS our commencement speaker.

38. “Add a funny sidekick. A simple approach is to
have a company expert tell a story and toss in a
few humorous responses along the way to help
you reach a different audience.”- Tim Washer
85,000 views
14,000 views
10,000 views
37,000 views
Power of the President
…and the mascot.

39. Honor
It’s not about us, it’s about them

40. Honor
What can we learn from Game of Thrones?

41. NOTHING.
Honor
What can we learn from Game of Thrones?

42. Honor
Give your audience what they want and/or need

43. Honor
Give your audience what they want and/or need

44. Honor
Give your audience what they want and/or need

45. Honor
Always try to make them the star of the show

46. Honor
Give your audience what
They want and/or need
Think beyond content that is self-serving

47. Honor
Give your audience what
They want and/or need
Think beyond content that is self-serving…
And you just might get the desired response

48. Assist
Even the most brilliant content
needs a little help from friends

49. Assist
Even the most brilliant content
needs a little help from friends

50. Assist
Even the most brilliant content
needs a little help from friends

51. Assist
when you post something on Facebook, you must boost it
Boost it good.

52. Assist
when you post something on Facebook, you must boost it

53. POWER OF THE PERSONAL NETWORK
THE RISE OF VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERS

61. How do we cash in
on social engagement?

62. YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE
THE BURDEN OF ROI

63. WHAT WE
LIKE TO DO
My super power
is engagement!

64. WHAT WE DON’T LIKE

65. WHAT WE HEAR
DONATIONS, DONATIONS, DONATIONS!

66. OUR RESPONSE
engage, engage, engage.

67. COMMUNITY MANAGER
KRYPTONITE

68. THE ART OF LISTENING
IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

69. MONITORING
SOFTWARE

70. MONITORING
SOFTWARE

71. Are you having a conversation or
just talking through a megaphone?

74. $115,000 raised
1,300 donors
CORNELL CROWDFUNDING PILOT
Average gift = $88.00
(7 projects)

75. 64% First-Time Donors
13% Lapsed Donors
27% Young Alumni
August 2013 – December 2013
ADDRESSING THE UNENGAGED

78. PARNTERING WITH RESEARCHERS
AND FUNDRAISERS

79. IT’S NOT
GOOD VS. EVIL
I’m a FRIEND-raiser!
VS.
My ONE friend beats
your one-thousand.

80. THE BELIEF:
WE SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES

81. THE REALITY:
WE’RE ALL FUNDRAISERS

82. FORMING A
PARTNERSHIP
Prospect Research
Gift Officers
Social Media
Annual Fund

85. “We’ve reached out for the last
two years and…silence.”
- Cornell Major Gift Officer

89. TEAMING UP:
PLAYING TO OUR STRENGTHS

90. Happy VP (and less skeptical)
of Development
REVERSING
THE FLOW
600 ADDITIONS TO MG ANALYZED
• Included alumni, alumni ND, parents, and
friends
• 60% had confirmed profiles on LinkedIn
JUST ALUMNI
• 65% had profiles on LinkedIn
• 15% already belonged to our private LinkedIn
group and we didn’t know it.
July 2014 – August 2014

91. The Old Prospector

92. Higher Ed’s Old Prospector
AKA Gift Officer

94. $5M - $10M
$100k - $300k $500k - $1M
$1M - $3M

95. Industries
 Finance
 Medicine
 Law
 Energy
 Media
 Entrepreneurship
Titles
 Managing Director
 Managing Partner
 Partner
 Owner
 CEO/CFO/COO/CMO
 President
 Chairman
 Surgeon/MD
 Principal
Company Size
 Myself Only
 1-10
 250-500
 1000-5000
 10,000+

96. Asking the Right Questions
“What class at Cornell was instrumental
in helping you achieve occupational success?”
(2012)

97. Asking the Right Questions
“What class at Cornell was instrumental
in helping you achieve occupational success?”
(2012)

98. (2013)

99. Asking the Right Questions
(2014)
(2015)

102. Some like this.
Others like this.

103. Some people like this.
Other people like this.

104. FY 2014
• 60 nominees processed
• 96% assessed at 25K+
• 42% assessed at 100K+
• 10% assessed at 250K+
THE SOCIAL MEDIA STAMP
PROSPECT NOMINATION

105. THE SOCIAL MEDIA STAMP
PROSPECT NOMINATION
FY 2014 Nominees:
• Only 8 made a gift in FY14
• 21 have never made a gift to Cornell
• Total lifetime giving = $42,000 (57% from 2 gifts)
• MINIMUM capacity of nominees = $1.4 million
(assuming everyone has at least $25k capacity)

106. OVERALL
• 400+ nominees
processed
• 80-85% assessed at
$25K+
• 35% assessed at $50-99K
• 25% - 30% assessed at
$100K+
THE SOCIAL MEDIA STAMP
PROSPECT NOMINATION

107. New Prospector?

109.  Establish goals and KPIs.
 Design compelling, authentic content that competes.
 Harness the power of the virtual volunteer.
 “Cross the aisle” and collaborate with fundraisers/prospect research.
 Listen as much as you broadcast.

110. QUESTIONS?
@KeithHannon
Keith.Hannon@Cornell.ed
THANK YOU!