yfu and social media

YFU International Conference 2009

YFU and Social Media

Showcase session

Kattis (YFU Sweden) Kirsi (IS)


YFU and Social Media

• Why should YFU care?– Benefits for a nonprofit such as YFU– Traditional marketing vs. Social Media

• What is Social Media? – What is out there?– What can Social Media be used for

• How to get started: Simple ABC – Measuring success

• Potential for YFU


To get started…

Social Media and Networking is a fundamental shift in the way we

communicate!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRB1nMRtO3I&feature=related


The Goal for Engaging in Social Media is to **

ENABLEINSPIRE

INFLUENCEENGAGE!

Create opportunities for people to feel ownership of our brand!

And give them something to talk about.

**Marta Z. Kagan, 2008


Why should YFU care!?

We already have:

• Strong word of mouth• Program participants because of

recommendations from former alumni• Many GOOD stories• Mission that engages people

The new tools are based on these attributes…


Why should YFU care!?

“It’s about conversations, and the best communicators start as the best listeners.”

Brian Solis, Social Media Manifesto

• People are talking about us! Conversations, opinions, questions, potential ‘customers’ are everywhere! It’s just a matter of you finding them – and vice versa.

• Social networking is also about following conversations – and giving your followers, fans, friends something to talk about…



What is out there?


What is out there?• Blogs• Facebook• Podcasts• Twitter• Wiki• Delicious

• Flickr• YouTube• SlideShare• Scribd• Ning• And more


• “In 2008, if you are not on a social networking site, you are not on the Internet.”

• IAB Platform Status Report, April 2008• Wikipedia has almost 4 000 000 articles

• 7 articles about YFU • YouTube has over 10 000 000 videos

• 920 have the word ‘YFU’ in the title• There are 200 000 000 blogs

• 20 000 Blog search hits on ‘YFU’• Facebook has over 300 million users.

• Over 500 YFU-related groups; 13 business pages

What is out there?


What can YOU use it for?• Branding• Engage in relations• Recruitment• Campaigns• Tell your story• Create a community• “scanning”• Your own channel for publicity• Instructions, inspiration and advise



What can YOU use it for?

• ...Potential Program Participants? • … Potential Host Families?• … Potential Volunteers?• … Current program participants

(students, families, volunteers)• … Opportunities to network? Fundraise?

Gain a wider audience for our message?

“The sky is the limit”


Benefits for YFU• Increased participation• Expand our reach• Tell our stories• Increase awareness of YFU• Engage in the conversations about YFU

• Enhanced web presence; increase web traffic to our sites


Tomorrow’s Consumers…• … are today’s digital natives!• By 2010, the Generation Y will outnumber the

baby boomers!• Millenials spend over 16 hours/week online.*• 96% of them has joined a social network.*• They have an average of 53 online friends (38%

of their network).*

.. they don’t care about your paper ad or slick brochures.

THEY CARE OF WHAT THEIR FRIENDS THINK!*Marta Z. Kagan, 2008


Traditional marketing vs Social Media

Traditional marketing is to send a message to the customer – push. The sender is in control, formulates and sends the message. One-way communication. “Old fashion” marketing was expensive and not always affordable to YFU organizations. For PR we had to rely on News papers and journalists.

Something is changing..Today customers want to choose when, where and

how. We have reached a pull marketing, the message is there if and when the receiver wants it.



Traditional marketing vs Social Media

• There is a difference between “old” fashion ads and commercials and Social Media

• Marketing is more than just commercials and ads• PR is not just communication with media and

journalists• People want real engagement and participate, not

just “propaganda”• With good content online – you will receive

customers



• It’s no longer about push that will interrupt people, instead it’s all about deliver a custom made content in the right moment when it’s wanted

• Internet made Public Relations public again.. • Blogs, podcasts, newsroom and other kind of

online content makes it possible for businesses to communicate directly with customers

• On the web the line between commercial and PR is deleted

(The new Rules of Marketing and PR)



To work with Social Media will cost you time, but not so much

money. You need to be devoted to spend the

time – make sure more than one person is involved!



Getting Started

• Define Audience• Research• Listen• Set goals• Engage in conversations• Measure results


Research Social Media Sites• Define your target audience• Once you know who your target audience to determine

which social media/ networking site to invest time in.– Do Your Research: Different sites may be more

popular in some countries than others. The user demographics differ from site to site.

– Listen: Join the site, do key word searches, listen to the conversations.

– Participate: Answer questions– Engage: Share information, ask questions, connect

people and stories

It takes time, you don’t have to be everywhere but where you are you need to participate…


Identifying Your Goals• Engage participants• Share the YFU Story• Recruit new families• Recruit new students• Recruit new volunteers• Reconnect returnees• Support new students/families/volunteers

When creating goals make sure you have metrics to measure success


Make a strategyIt’s important to make a strategy – this strategy should fit with your overall Marketing strategy.

Easy explanation – set goals and draw the map onhow to reach them. In this case draw the map on how to get an effective and goal oriented use of Social Media. But the strategy won’t solve your“problems” it’s when it’s put into practice that it’suseful.



Measuring Success– Facebook insight data

• Demographics• Rate of fan addition• Response to questions (what inspires action)

– Using URL shortening sites (bit.ly or tr.im) that give statistical information on click through rates


Preparation↓

Goals↓

Target group/users↓

Content↓

Channels & activities↓

Implementing↓

Follow up & evaluation↓

New or revised Goals..



Seven Golden Rules1. Base it on feelings2. Do something unexpected3. Traditional commercial thinking won’t

work4. Make a follow up – if you did it good

don’t leave the audience empty handed

5. Make it easy to spread6. Make it possible to comment7. Never limit the access



Potential for YFU


YFU on Facebook• Every YFU country should have a Fan

(business) page on Facebook.– A fan page

• Official page represents YFU in your country• Updates appear in newsfeed; allows for

interactivity and gets people back to your page

• Paid, targeted advertising opportunities• Customizable tabs, applications• Gives statistics on visitors and interaction


Facebook Insights


What’s Your Facebook?• While we’ve talked a lot about Facebook today,

Facebook may not be where your students and families are. Research and find out where YFU should be in your country.– Research – Training – Listen– Participate– Engage– Evaluate– Repeat periodically: things change rapidly


Suggestion to keep in mind…• Let go of ‘control’ – be open, provoke

conversation and build community through vibrant (even controversial) opinions

• Social Media audience expects personality – they want to be inspired & impressed.

• They do not want rules – they do not want to be told how they can participate!!


Final Thoughts – Have Fun!• Social media is a conversation, it is a way for

YFU and our volunteers, families and students to share our stories, ask questions, get answers and more.

• Know your target audience , know your purpose. Different sites may have different audiences/strategies.

• Don’t be afraid; there is a lot of trial and error• Find your voice; it takes time – developing the

skill set of a good ‘community builder’ and social networker is learned thru trial and error!

• Be real, responsive and engaged.

yfu and social media

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