june 4: footprints of social media planning
DESCRIPTION
Learn the basics of planning a successful experience using social media for your nonprofit. Prepared & presented by Susie Bowie, Communications Manager at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.TRANSCRIPT
The Footprints of Social Media Planning
www.CFSarasota.org
“I hear YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are merging to form
a super-social media site: YouTwitFace.”
− Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show
www.CFSarasota.org
Question:
What’s the common denominator in steady media coverage, loyal donors, good community relations and engagement with clients/ members?
www.CFSarasota.org
Answer:
Relationships.
Is social media the right communications tool for every relationship?
For every audience?
For every need?
Is it another tool?
No.
No.
No.
Yes, and it’s an important one.
www.CFSarasota.org
What footprintsare we leaving today?
• 4 core principles of social media • What goes in your plan• Attracting a crowd• Measuring success
www.CFSarasota.org
What is social media? 4 core principles.
www.CFSarasota.org
1. Social media is SOCIAL.
What are the elements of conversation?
What bothers you during bad conversations?
www.CFSarasota.org
Listen with enormous ears.
www.CFSarasota.org
Social media is not a billboard for your nonprofit’s announcements.
We’re officially begging
you to donate & come to the events we invite you to on Facebook.
Not taking to comments at this
time.
2. Social media—like other forms of communication—insists that you ask:
“Where does my audience live & what do they like?”
www.CFSarasota.org
14
• Current supporters or prospects?
• Youth? Working? Retired?
• Middle class? Wealthy?
• How do they talk?
• What interests do they have that relate to your mission, values or brand?
www.CFSarasota.org
3. Like dating, social media involves TIME and TRUST.
www.CFSarasota.org
If you’re using social media, you have to water it or it will die.
Value = Water
www.CFSarasota.org
4. It’s not if you’re going to play but when you’re going to play.
www.CFSarasota.org
60% of all donors—online and offline—did research
online before giving.
Source: Kintera
www.CFSarasota.org
Television Ad Campaign
Website
www.refresheverything.com
Blogwww.refresheverything.com/blog
Facebook PagePepsi- Refresh Everything
Twitter Hashtag#PepsiRefresh
A Well-Integrated, Cross-Linked Campaign
The Good Side
• The tools are free.• Easy to use.• Provides a way to meet new audiences.• Provides a new way to connect with existing fans.• Drives traffic to your website.• Enhances your brand presence.
www.CFSarasota.org
The Evil Side
2. People can say bad stuff about you.
1. Time isn’t free.
3. No plan, no power.
www.CFSarasota.org
23
1. Managing Time• Time Management: It’s nothing new.
Tips: -Start small: 20 mins/ day -Delegate -Try several accounts -Establish boundaries/ policies -As you start getting results, consider investing more time.
www.CFSarasota.org
24
Nearly 85% of nonprofit survey respondents committed at least ¼ of a full time staff member to maintaining their social networking presence in 2009.
Two thirds committed ¼ to ½ of a full-time resource.
Source: 2010 Nonprofit Social Network Survey
www.CFSarasota.org
25
2. Managing Reputation
3 Questions
1. What are people saying about your organization?
2. What’s being said about issues related to your mission?
3. Who’s saying it?
Your biggest talkers are often your own staff and volunteers.
26
Social Media Guidelines
• For you.• For your fans.• For your employees.
You need written social media guidelines
in your employee handbook.
www.CFSarasota.org
Dirt Travels Fast. And the delete key doesn’t
work once it’s out there.
“Viral. It’s so…viral.”
www.CFSarasota.org
• Be honest and truthful.
• Be respectful of timing. (Does your board know it?)
• Reflect your nonprofit’s values.
• Respect privacy. (Of clients, donors, members, volunteers, staff, confidential “insider” info)
It’s mostly common sense.
(See Kodak, IBM, Intel SM policies)
www.CFSarasota.org
Look at 3 things:1. Tone.
Totally negative, neutral, seem like they could be talked to?
2. Influence. How many followers, friends, subscribers do they have?
3. Frequency. Is this a standalone argument / complaint or does there seem to be a trend brewing?
-Carrie Lewis, Humane Society of United States
So what if people DO say bad thingsabout your business?
At this difficult time, @Shamu will not be active. For Twitter updates follow @SeaWorld_Parks. http://bit.ly/b0oU3l
SeaWorld: What Happened
www.CFSarasota.org
“…social media is on 24/7 so be prepared and do not be caught off-guard with No social media strategy… Be proactive, be transparent and be honest.
Your customers will appreciate that more and will become your legs in spreading your news faster if you engage and interact with them in an honest and transparent way….”
33
3. Managing the Plan A good social media plan has: -Goals -Guidelines for content/ frequency of posting -An overseer and team members -Policies (Yes, this again!) -Outcomes measurement
www.CFSarasota.org
34
Content is King.• To be interesting, you must be interested. (It’s not all about you.)
www.CFSarasota.org
35
Content is King.• Use a variety of post types: video, links, photos, status updates
• Be diverse in your content, but never go off mission, brand.
www.CFSarasota.org
36
Straight from the horse’s mouth.
www.CFSarasota.org
“It bothers me when an excellent nonprofit asks for feedback and does not respond. Makes me nuts, and it tells me that at the end of the day they are really just trying to fill the page."
37
Straight from the horse’s mouth.
www.CFSarasota.org
“I want something that touches me in some way.
…Then, after I click - don't inundate me with crap.”
38
Straight from the horse’s mouth.
www.CFSarasota.org
“Some organizations are SO serious all the time Facebook is a de-stressor, social activity.”
39 www.CFSarasota.org
40 www.CFSarasota.org
41
“Value Added” Posts
• Quotes, Tips, & Did You Know’s
• Questions (Informal polling)
• Fun links to videos & multi-media (yours or not)
Even if it’s not directly about your nonprofit, keep it relevantto your mission/brand.
www.CFSarasota.org
42
Tone, frequency & oversight.
• Don’t talk like a text book. Formal = lame= people don’t care.
• Overkill is easy to achieve possible. Don’t over-post.
• Don’t disappear off the radar with fleeting appearances.
• One person should oversee SM plan, encouraging others to participate.
www.CFSarasota.org
43
Example
Who is Our Audience?• Future boomer & next generation donors
• Nonprofit staff & board that may or may not be existing users of Nonprofit Resource Center
• Community and business leaders.
• Scholarship recipients & applicants
www.CFSarasota.org
44
Example
What are our goals?• Brand ourselves as a friend of nonprofits, causes. Caring. Compassionate. Responsive.
• Drive traffic to our website for more information on events, scholarships, grants, etc.
• Provide a national awareness for our Nonprofit Resource Center
www.CFSarasota.org
45
Example
How does this translate to content?• Links to advocacy info for the arts & human services.
• Tips/news/best practices for nonprofits.
• Spotlights of nonprofits in our area & their work.
• Research/ questions to show we’re listening.
• Inspirational quotes about community, giving.
www.CFSarasota.org
Nonprofit social media isn’t one size fits all.
www.CFSarasota.org
2 approaches1. Establish your brand with your nonprofit’s
own Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr accounts/ pages.
2.Talk about your nonprofit on your own individual profile.
www.CFSarasota.org
www.CFSarasota.org
Why Facebook?
• More than 103 million US-based.
• Average user spends nearly 1 hour on FB daily.
• Pages have created more than 5.3 billion likes.
• IF your audience is living there. I bet they are.
Words We Hate to Like
• Friend = Someone who elects to receive updates from your personal profile
• Like = Electing to receive updates from your organization’s Facebook page
Basic Tips• You want a Page (for an agency), not a Profile (for individuals).
• Make multiple (trusted) staff or volunteers administrators. Encourage them to use the “Suggest to Friends” when appropriate.
• Create a Facebook badge for your website/blog.
• Stop the insanity! Do not blast invites to events. And use updates (sent to FB message boxes) sparingly.
Privacy Settings• You can specify ages of users (13+, over 17, etc.).
• You can prevent people from commenting or posting on your wall. Hmmm…..good idea?
Suggest to Friends
www.CFSarasota.org
Why Twitter?
• Great way to get information FAST.
• Free and effective way to access a network of like-minded colleagues around the country or potential supporters.
• Ultra viral: easy to get others to share your message—3rd party credibility!
• IF your audience is living there.
Basic Tips• Create an account name that makes sense & brand your page.
• Re-tweet valuable content from others.
• Use HootSuite or another tool to automate & track clicks.
• Think research, trends.
Who should you follow?
• News media
• National orgs with your mission focus.
• Local orgs with similar mission focuses: think partners/ potential partners.
• Your competitors.
• Funders, nonprofit think tanks.
www.CFSarasota.org
Tips• Apply for a free nonprofit account & take advantage of its features.
• Post short videos—no more than a few minutes.
• Invest in a FLIP camera. Inexpensive & effective.
• Use your Facebook page, website, Twitter pages to make your videos more viral.
• Make sure there’s an emotional component.
www.CFSarasota.org
Is it actually interesting to people outside of your organization?
Interview with your CEO?
Or interview with a client who has been helped by your agency?
Clip of a speech given at a special event?
Or several donors saying why they care?
www.CFSarasota.org
www.CFSarasota.org
www.CFSarasota.org
Tips
• Quick answers & updates about your cause that don’t “fit” on your website.
• Provides content for e-news, print news, etc.
• Increase search ranking of your website.
• Facilitate conversations & showcase your expertise.
www.CFSarasota.org
www.CFSarasota.org
Raising Money Using Social Media
What About Fundraising Using Social Media?
www.CFSarasota.org
• Most nonprofits consider Facebook as the best social networking tool for fundraising
• 78% of organizations that fundraise using
Facebook raised $1,000 or less in 2009.
• 93% use social networks for marketing; 46% for fundraising
Cause Announcement from ASPCA - the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
“Hooray! Thanks to everyone who recruited and to all those who donated! Every $ and bit of awareness helps!!! We finally broke our $3,000 donations goal! Let's see how long it takes us to reach $4,000!”
Over 35,000 members in this cause.
www.CFSarasota.org
What About Fundraising Using Social Media?
www.CFSarasota.org
BUT, do you measure dollars raised from…
• a first luncheon with a potential donor?
• a press release?
• a volunteer appreciation luncheon?
If you insist…[and you can be successful]
www.CFSarasota.org
Use 3 steps to answer “why now?”
1.Create a sense of urgency and immediacy.
2.Discuss visible results that make people want to take action.
3.Set a deadline & a goal.
Source: Network for Good, 2010
Promoting Your Social Media Presence
• Link everywhere- badges & tweet streams: website, e-newsletters, between SM platforms
• Include “become a fan” on all printed material— business cards, newsletters, rack cards, etc.
• Make other (trusted) employees administrators
• Encourage others to visit you with special contests & discounts
www.CFSarasota.org
Do You Need to Purchase Ads on Facebook?
• ASK: What’s your goal? Brandraising? Friendraising? Education?
• 1% or less of survey respondents received ANY revenue from social networks.
www.CFSarasota.org
Source: 2010 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report
77
Measuring • Hootsuite Excellent tracking & posting of links
• Track referrals to your website Google analytics is free.
• Observe activity Comments, Likes, Re-tweets, (+)(-) in Followers, Fans
• Survey your clients, members, customers “How did you hear about us?” and Special discounts
www.CFSarasota.org
78
79 www.CFSarasota.org
80 www.CFSarasota.org
81
“What Specifically Is SM Doing for Us?”
• Driving traffic to our website/ blog. More traffic to our blog & events. +200/month.
• Building our brand. We care about people. We care about nonprofits.
• Providing a new way to connect. Old & new constituents are contacting us w/ questions.
• Excellent, free peer to peer research. Nonprofit, foundation trends.
www.CFSarasota.org
82
Take a Plunge: Next Steps
• Try just one social media tool.
• Do you have 20 minutes a day?
• Follow others.
“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” − Seth Godin
www.CFSarasota.org
We connect people who care with causes that
matter.
Let’s ConnectSusie Bowie, Communications Manager
On Twitter: @NonprofitSRQOn Facebook: Community Foundation of Sarasota County
www.CFSarasota.org