cultivating your constituents online - american marketing association
DESCRIPTION
Originally presented at the AMA Nonprofit Marketing conference in Washington, DC on July 11, 2007. Katya Andresen served as moderator, lead presenter, and primary author of this presentation. You can read her blog wrap-up of this presentation at http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/comments/10_things_to_engage_constituents_online/ The session at AMA was coordinated by Lynn Labieniec, CEO of Beaconfire Consulting. The public's intensifying relationship with the Internet means promise and peril for nonprofits seeking to deepen and strengthen relationships with clients, donors, activists, volunteers, and other supporters. Hear from the experts about the top 10 things you should be doing right now to maximize loyalty and longevity -- and then gaze into the crystal ball to contemplate five trends that may cause us all to throw the rulebook out the window. Presenters/authors included: - Katya Andresen, Vice President Marketing, Network for Good (Moderator) - Arlin Wasserman, Executive Director, America on the Move Foundation - Jonathon Colman, Senior Manager, Digital Marketing, The Nature Conservancy - Jacob Colie, MercyCorps You can learn more about Jonathon Colman at http://www.jonathoncolman.org/TRANSCRIPT
Cultivating YourCultivating YourConstituents OnlineConstituents Online
Katya AndresenKatya AndresenNetwork for GoodNetwork for Good
Jonathon D. Colman Jonathon D. Colman The Nature ConservancyThe Nature Conservancy
Jacob ColieJacob ColieMercyCorpsMercyCorps
Arlin WassermanArlin WassermanAmerica on the MoveAmerica on the Move
Computer Man by SuzyQuzy, Flickr
AgendaAgenda• Ten Rules for Online
Engagement Today• Where We’re Headed:
Five Trends to Watch• Q&A
Rule #1: Engage in online cross-channel Rule #1: Engage in online cross-channel promotionpromotion
Cross Channel Activities
•In the mail, email your donors before they receive postal mail appeals•On the phone, give your donors the option to give online•Send email to your best donors
Rule #2: Make marketing a conversation.Rule #2: Make marketing a conversation.
It’s not a monologue.
Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be Easy Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be Easy
• All About Jayne and her family
• Doing better, not good or bad
• Small steps…and lots of them
• On ramp to good health
• The Challenge: Maintaining Good Health doesn’t always have visible results
America On the Move’s bulls-eye target is known as “Jayne,” a working, health-conscious woman, 25 – 59 with one or more children under the age of 18 living at home.
Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be Encouraging Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be Encouraging
• Help people measure their own progress
• Improvement from where you are, not specific goals
• Incremental goals are easily reached
• Regular feedback• Gain encouragement
from a community of peers
Rule #3: Be Accessible & Be IntimateRule #3: Be Accessible & Be Intimate
• More than daily communications via email or cell phone for six weeks
• Two-way exchanges• Ask, not just tell• Respond in kind
Rule #4: Show accountability. Rule #4: Show accountability.
• Defined: (of a person, organization, institution) required or expected to justify actions
AccountabilityAccountability
• Design efficiency, Charity Navigator rating, ETC into the footer of your homepage
• Create an Accountability Report and include it on your website
• Feature the accountability theme in your other web marketing activities
Rule #5: Make it easy for people to find you.Rule #5: Make it easy for people to find you.
• Search engines bring in a high % of your visitors
• At least 60 million American adults use search engines each day
• 61% of all searchers find organic listings to be relevant for their queries
• 92% of journalists use search engines for researching stories
• Stock first page of search results with your site(s) and other friendly sites
• Move critical or negative sites off the first page of search results
• Saturate all channels with friendly content containing strong links back to your site
• Good example: Pontiac
• Bad example: Splenda
Next: Secure your brand’s online reputationNext: Secure your brand’s online reputation
Rule #6: Segment your way to successRule #6: Segment your way to success
• Rule: “Different strokes for different folks”
• Not all visitors are created equal!– Find common groups– Analyze their actions– Target your messaging
• Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be…
Segment by campaigns, visitor self-identificationSegment by campaigns, visitor self-identification
Segment by geography, donor typeSegment by geography, donor type
Segment by incoming referral sourceSegment by incoming referral source
Segment by demographicsSegment by demographics
Flickr (left to right): idealterna, ehavir, davesag (all creative commons licensed)
Segment by real-world actions takenSegment by real-world actions taken
Flickr (left to right, top to bottom): grant neufeld, bulldog1, mishmosh222 (all creative commons licensed)
Mercy Corps Mercy Corps
FY07 NetFY07 Net
EmailEmail
High
Crisis in Lebanon Help Us Respond
$69,6146/25/2006
Help Us Prepare for The Year to Come
$66,50512/27/2006
A Thoughtful, Caring Last-Minute Gift
$56,15712/20/2006
EmailEmail
Low
Sowing the Seeds of Peace
$4,6109/28/2006
Preparing forKosovo’s Future
$3,6302/1/2006
Helping YouthSolve Unemployment
$1,1152/1/2006
Email Segments
No Gifts With GiftsNo GiftsNo Open
Tiers
TOP
MID
MASS
Upgrade PathsGift AnnuitiesMonthly GivingLocal Content
No GiftsWith Gifts
Help Darfur’sDisplaced
$25,2744/26/2007
Send Mom aMother’s Day
Bouquet
$4,4704/26/2007
Rule #7: Test, test, test. Rule #7: Test, test, test.
Would you…• Buy a car without going for a test-drive?
…then why would you make a design change to your site or e-mail without testing it?
• Purchase an antique without verifying its age?• Gulp down a glass of old milk without first
taking a teensy, weensy little sip?
But, but, but, but – the excuses are many…But, but, but, but – the excuses are many…
• “I don’t have time to test…”• “I don’t know what to test for in the first place.”• “I don’t have time to test...”• “I don’t have an analytics team in place.”• “I don’t have time to test…”• “I’m not even measured on testing results”• “No, I really don’t have time to test!”
Testing can be easy, whether it’s e-mail…Testing can be easy, whether it’s e-mail…
……or testing web creative design:or testing web creative design:
Test 1: Same campaign, different calls-to-action
Test 2: Different campaigns
Rule #8: Make your supporters the messengers. Rule #8: Make your supporters the messengers.
We are NOT the best messengers.We are NOT the best messengers.
• 76% of givers are motivated by friends and family, says Cone
• It’s okay to relinquish control of the message
• Donors are experts at knowing how to speak about your cause to their friends and family
• Friends-to-friends is great for online engagement
The messenger’s widgetThe messenger’s widget
Great messengersGreat messengers
Rule #9: Offer recurring giving. Rule #9: Offer recurring giving.
Mercy Corps Monthly Donations
.982 M $1.638 M
Rule #10: Don’t only ask. Thank and inspire too. Rule #10: Don’t only ask. Thank and inspire too.
• What is the number one reason people stop giving to charity?
WaMu ATM Error by Matt B., Flickr
Thanking your donorsThanking your donors
Continuing the ConversationContinuing the Conversation
• Be your own hero• Be a leader• Be part of a
community
Continuing the ConversationContinuing the Conversation
• Keep on giving• Keep in touch• Keep it 2-way• Highlight successes …
win a blog• Cultivate ambassadors
…and provide them with tools
AgendaAgenda• Ten Rules for Online
Engagement Today• Where We’re Headed:
Five Trends to Watch• Q&A
Trend #1: Celebrity philanthropy. Trend #1: Celebrity philanthropy.
Rethinking celebrityRethinking celebrity
Trend #2: Less control. Trend #2: Less control.
Trend #3: More communities. Trend #3: More communities.
Q: Why do bank robbers rob banks?
A: Because that’s where the money is.
What communities can mean for youWhat communities can mean for you
• Findability, SEO gains
• Access to “long tail” niches
• New audiences
• Big numbers
• Established infrastructure,marketing programs
• Low entry barrier = easeof use for your prospects
Communities for Digital MediaCommunities for Digital Media
www.flickr.comwww.youtube.com
Communities for DiscussionsCommunities for Discussions
www.gather.com www.care2.com
Communities for Breaking NewsCommunities for Breaking News
www.newsvine.comwww.digg.com
Communities for Sharing Good ContentCommunities for Sharing Good Content
www.stumbleupon.com del.icio.us
Trend #4: What’s hot will change. Trend #4: What’s hot will change.
Trend #5: More niche marketing. Trend #5: More niche marketing.