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Five Ways to Integrate Email Marketing and Facebook

john-haydon-headshotwebA big welcome to our new guest blogger John Haydon, who advises nonprofits on new media marketing strategy. John is the author of Facebook Marketing for Dummies, a contributor to the Huffington Post and an instructor for MarketingProfs University.

Growing an email list in addition to building a Facebook fan base can sometimes feel overwhelming. Especially if these two endeavors are not well integrated. Note from Nancy: Your messages should be consistent across all channels!

To help make things easier, following are five ways you can integrate your organization’s email list with social media.

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Guest Blogger on February 5, 2013 in Social Media | 0 comments
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Social Media Road Map—20% Off

Noland Hoshino, Zan McColloch-Lussier and Ash Shepherd teamed up to produce the Social Media Road Map, an all-you-need-but-not more mini-guide to help nonprofits like yours plan, implement and measure your social media engagement.

Even better, they’re offering a free copy to the first 5 of you who share your hopes for your social media work here.  20% discount on the Road Map to the Getting Attention community. Just use the discount code “Aha!” when you order here!
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Nancy Schwartz on June 27, 2012 in Social Media | 29 comments
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Get Past Paralysis:
101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits

(Watch author interview video: Social media experts Melanie Mathos and Chad Norman share their recommendations to power your social media activities, especially useful for small- and medium-sized organizations.)

There are two major paralysis points that detour orgs from putting social media tools to work most productively. Either you have:

  1. Been experimenting (sometimes for a few years at this point) with what you think are the right tools—with some successes and some flat lines—but haven’t integrated this work with the balance of your marketing or found a useful way to prioritize your focus and time; OR you have…
  2. A  social media plan  (goals, audiences, integration with other communications channels, content focus), have dabbled with a range of social media tools, but haven’t been able to put the right combo of tactics into play to support your plan.

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Nancy Schwartz on May 22, 2012 in Social Media | 3 comments
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Revise Your .Org Facebook Page Now: Deadline March 30

Take charge of your nonprofit’s Facebook future, right now.  If your organization uses Facebook to any degree beyond having a page with nothing on it, you have just 24 more days until your page is converted to the new timeline design. Here’s what you need to know and do to work these changes to your organization’s advantage:
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Nancy Schwartz on March 6, 2012 in Social Media | 0 comments
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Strengthen Your Nonprofit Social Media Impact

We would like to welcome guest blogger, Laura Quinn. Laura is the executive director of Idealware, and a frequent speaker and writer on nonprofit technology topics.

With the new year upon us, it’s a good time to make resolutions for both yourself and your organization. Why not resolve to improve your social media efforts? More than 800 million people are using Facebook alone, and chances are good your constituents are among them.

Planning is vital to success with social media, and thinking ahead can ensure the best return for your efforts regardless of the channel you’re using. We created our free Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide specifically to help organizations like yours strategize their approach to social media.
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Guest Blogger on January 25, 2012 in Social Media | 2 comments
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6 Ways to Tame the Social Media Monster — Communications Network Report

I recently returned from Boston, where I co-presented a session titled “How to Tame the Social Media Monster” at the Communications Network conference.

Just two years ago, I moderated a similar session at the same conference. And although the focus was a bit difference (back then we recommended listening as the almost-always way to start, and talked mostly on that), the motivation for most participants to join our session was the same — fear of social media. READ MORE

Nancy Schwartz on September 27, 2011 in Social Media | 2 comments
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Think Conversation, Not Megaphone, for Social Media Success (NTEN Case Study)

I’m thrilled to welcome Holly Ross, our newest guest blogger. Holly has spent seven+ years at the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), working with community members to identify technology trends –  from ubiquitous access to technology leadership — that will reshape the nonprofit sector. Full Disclosure: I’m an NTEN board member and a huge fan.

“Social media is not a megaphone, it’s a conversation.” You’ve doubtlessly heard this phrase uttered at dozens of conference sessions and read it in many blog posts. Although that’s the first lesson most of us learned about social media, it’s been the hardest to implement. Having a “conversation” with people you may not know very well, on a platform you’re not entirely comfortable with, isn’t easy to pull off. It’s a skill that has to be developed.
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Guest Blogger on September 1, 2011 in Social Media | 2 comments
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7 Ways to Use Social Media for Social Good

I’m pleased to welcome back guest blogger Kimberlee Roth. Kim usually blogs on annual reports (one of her specialties) or effective writing for nonprofits, but steps outside the norm today to cover this very compelling webinar on social media.

As a writer who often works with nonprofits, I’ve become increasingly interested in how social media can support an organization’s other communications efforts and, on the flip side, how it can detract.

That’s why I was excited to learn about “Using Social Media for Social Good,” a live discussion (a.k.a. online chat) with Allison Fine, presented by The Chronicle of Philanthropy in late March. Fine is co-author of The Networked Nonprofit and she presents a weekly podcast for The Chronicle, called “Social Good.”

What ensued was an informative and lively virtual discussion with participants candidly sharing challenges, advice and experiences.

At the end of the chat, I closed my browser window with a list of takeaway messages worth sharing. My summary doesn’t do the whole event justice, though, so make sure you check out the full transcript here.

  1. When it comes to social media, strategy should trump tools.
  2. Think about social media in terms of your audience(s) and goals–and how it fits into your overall communications plan. You may detract from your org’s overall communications if you’re putting mixed messages out there. (I would add that you’re also undermining your organization’s branding and positioning, something you’ve likely worked extremely hard to establish.)
  3. Content should reflect your organization’s personality; be open and honest.
  4. To translate an engaged social media following into donors, focus on building relationships first. Listen to supporters, learn what they’re interested in, then share information about your org and cause.
  5. Broaden your definition of ‘involvement’ from donations to include participation. Young adults in particular may be enthusiastic about devoting time to your org but unable to make monetary donations.
  6. Think about social media in terms of conversations with individuals. Interact. Be generous. Celebrate others’ successes. Grow your network by deepening existing connections. (Quality over quantity.)
  7. Don’t let fear of losing control of the conversation about your org keep you from using social media. If you encounter negative feedback, admit mistakes. Being open about shortcomings can win you long-term fans.

What has your org learned about using social media to communicate with your target audiences? Please share your experiences here.

Guest Blogger on June 29, 2011 in Social Media | 1 comment
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The Social Media ROI Argument: Fighting Back With a Simple Survey

Welcome back to guest blogger, Susie Bowie, Communications Manager at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Over reliance on numbers—particularly when it comes to measuring the impact of social media—is getting pretty annoying. The problem isn’t a new one, so why do I find it especially bothersome?

I hear a lot of frustration from nonprofit communicators about leaders and board members who still insist on measuring social media success solely by the number of fans or followers. To be fair, it’s probably the only way they know how to justify the investment of precious staff time.

We have to move our leadership past a social media question of “should we?” to the question of “how do we do it best?” And it’s our responsibility to provide them with more guidance and a supplement—not substitution—for numerical metrics.

We’ve moved from a culture that receives information to a culture that begs to participate in information. Our organizations have to figure out which stakeholders we’d like to engage online and set some goals about what we’d like to accomplish through that engagement. After that, we do have a big, ugly ROI question staring us in the face.

Social media has worked well for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. And I feel fortunate that our organization embraces a culture of innovation and technology. What do I think it’s done for us?

  • Broadening Our Knowledge:

We can easily follow our grantees in quick updates on Facebook, track philanthropic trends using Twitter, and see what foundation work our colleagues are doing in other areas.

  • Shedding Light on What We Do and Who We Are: We’re better able to showcase the personality of our staff and convey that we’re real people here. We truly care. Social media has provided a vehicle to share stories and quick updates of our donors, grantees and the impact of both.
  • Participate in High-Value Conversations: Asking open-ended questions has provided insights into our stakeholders’ thoughts about philanthropic and community issues. And now that we can comment on other Facebook pages (as a page), we can congratulate our local nonprofits for a job well done on a frequent and informal basis, sending the message that we support their impact and their work.

Most small to mid-sized organizations just don’t have the budget or the staff time to spend on heavy metric analysis, but there is a really simple way to test whether your social marketing is effective.

We recently decided to ask our followers to answer a quick online survey to test our suppositions—that our social media goals up to this point are being met. I’m excited about what we’re discovering.

More than 90% of our current respondents have said our Facebook page has helped them to better understand what we do. This is huge, considering how mysterious and complex the community foundation world often seems to those who aren’t on the “inside”. Comments like “your page has helped me connect the dots”, “I feel like there’s a more personal connection to the Foundation”, “serves to humanize the work of the foundation” have been so affirming.

Nearly 70% of respondents at this time have indicated that our Facebook page has helped them feel like they better know our staff. That’s important for us. Our success is based on relationships.

We asked other questions about our blog, our Twitter presence, what kinds of posts our respondents like best, and what they would like to see less of, but the main message for you is this:

If you’re immersed in the world of social media fairly regularly for your organization, consider a simple survey. Although it’s not the absolute answer—it’s only part of this constantly evolving ROI challenge—it will facilitate a better understanding of what your followers have gotten out of your social media presence. It’s powerful and may take you far away from the Count von Count Sesame Street method of social media evaluation.

P.S. Get more in-depth case studies, templates and tools, and guidance for nonprofit marketing success — all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update. Subscribe today.

Guest Blogger on June 6, 2011 in Social Media | 3 comments
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Getting Started with Location-Based Services Requires Foresight, Practicality

We’re excited to welcome our newest guest blogger, Joe Waters. Joe blogs on cause marketing and how social media, location-based services and mobile technology are revolutionizing the field at Selfishgiving.com. He’s also the co-author of Cause Marketing for Dummies (July 2011).

One of the most frequent questions I get from nonprofits is on how they can use location-based services (LBS) like Foursquare for marketing and fundraising. It’s a good question, because while I’m convinced that LBS will play a major role in cause and company partnerships in the years ahead, location-based services are in their infancy.

Foursquare, the dominate location based service currently has eight million users. Impressive, for sure, but tiny compared to the 600 million users Facebook has. In short, LBS has a long way to go before it’s mainstream.

But that doesn’t mean you should ignore LBS or wait until it’s more popular.

Disregarding LBS is not a smart strategy for causes. A driving feature behind LBS will be offers and discounts from retailers to smartphone-toting consumers. It won’t be long before two key demographics, moms and Millennials, embrace this new technology. As these two audiences are the two major audiences for nonprofits, it makes sense for causes to get busy with LBS now.

Waiting for LBS to become the next Facebook isn’t a good move either. Smaller nonprofits in particular have a history of ignoring important trends and then playing catch up after larger, savvier nonprofits have pulled far ahead. This is one movement that nonprofits of all sizes shouldn’t sit out.

Getting started with location-based services is similar to starting any other type of cause partnership. First, you need a willing business partner. This is probably the most difficult thing to accomplish, but once you have one you’re more than halfway there.

The second step is pick your location-based service. There are many to choose from. My two favorites are Foursquare and Facebook. How do you choose which one is right for you? Always keep your audience in mind. Choose the platform on which you think your partner’s customers and your supporters are most active.

Third, choose a promotion that focuses on awareness or fundraising, or both. A promotion centered on awareness might have you using Foursquare to add tips about your nonprofit to venues in your community. For example, if you’re a nonprofit that provides wigs to women in cancer treatment you might leave tips at local hair salons, with whom you could partner for additional exposure. When Foursquare users check into these locations they’ll learn about your nonprofit’s efforts and what they can do to help.

A promotion focused on fundraising might have you working with Facebook Places. When users check-in to a location–like a Barnes & Noble, Borders or even your favorite independent bookstore–the business donates five dollars to a nonprofit that is working to improve childhood literacy.

Whether you use location-based services for awareness or fundraising, remember these tips.

Use LBS as an Enhancer. Most fundraising is still offline. Look for ways to add LBS to these programs. Using LBS for a standalone program is a wonderful way to better understand how specific services like Foursquare and Facebook Places work. But the small return-on-investment that will follow the program won’t offset the time and effort you gave the promotion. By itself, LBS seems small and maybe not worth the effort. But combined with more traditional fundraising, like cause marketing and special events, it will make a good program look even better.

Use LBS as Is. We have to work with location-based services as is and not get distracted with the things they don’t offer, or aren’t easily accessed, like badges on Foursquare. Stick with built-in features like check-ins, tips, offers and mayorships, which you can control. Check out my Drive Thru Guide to Fundraising on Foursquare.

Use LBS with the Right Demo. Not every location is right for LBS. For example, if you live in a rural area and/or serve an older audience it may not be the right tool for you. But if you’re focused on urban areas and young hipsters, LBS may be the right tool. You have to do your homework. And while it’s alright to lead your supporters with a new idea, you should confirm there’s a good chance they will follow.

Use LBS to Build Credibility. This may be one of the most undervalued benefits of LBS. Businesses get pitched all the time on marketing ideas. A lot fewer of those pitches include any talk of social media. Even fewer discussions include LBS.
Distinguish yourself from your competition by knowing all about the thing everyone is buzzing but few can talk about.

Guest Blogger on May 18, 2011 in Social Media | 3 comments
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