October 28, 2009
As a nonprofit, in today’s economy, does it make sense to do some free market research? Social media can make it happen.
Survey Monkey is a free tool that allows you to ask questions to your supporters. You can give them quizzes, let them vote of the time of your events, and asked them what they’d like to know more about. A basic account is free and includes:
- 100 responses per survey
- 10 questions per survey
- 15 question types to choose from
- Ability to collect emails via weblink or email
If you’re concerned about people not responding to your survey, then offer some sort of prize to a selected entry. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Just enough to move people to action.
You can put the link to the survey on your blog, your electronic newsletter, your facebook page, and even on Twitter.
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Posted by Ken Okel
October 26, 2009
Should you allow your social media contributions to be open to comments? It may feel like you’re giving up control of your post. After all, some wacko could put up some really disturbing stuff.
But if you’re too conservative when it comes to allowing posts, you could lose the opportunity to create a community among your supporters. Here are some things to keep in mind about comments:
- With things like blogs, YouTube, and Facebook, you are able to set up rules for comments. You have it so that no comment is posted until it is approved by you. You’ll receive an email notification when it’s time to review a comment.
- Sometimes a critical (but not nasty) comment can be good to allow to be posted. It can result in others being motivated to jump on your keyboard and defend your agency. Build that relationship.
- Respond to the comments. Try to say more than just, “Thanks,” and continue the discussion. People like to know that they’re being heard and you’re response will make them more likely to post in the future.
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Posted by Ken Okel
October 21, 2009
Are you happy with the media coverage your nonprofit receives after a great event? With the continued downsizing of the media, you’re going to have a harder and harder time getting the word out. In today’s economy, that could translate into losing some dollars.
Why not control the coverage of your event with social media tools like YouTube. Bring a video camera to it. You’re not there to shoot the event as that can be tough in terms of controlling the lighting and sound. Instead you want to capture testimonials from people who as they prepare to leave the event. These are the kind of kudos you receive but until now you haven’t been able to capture them. A simple question you can ask is, “What will you remember most about this event?”
Later edit together a few responses and upload the video to YouTube. From there you can link it to your blog, Facebook page, and website. Voila! You’ve got a nice takeaway from your event for those who attended (and will want to see themselves and forward the clip to their friends) and those who couldn’t make it.
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Posted by Ken Okel
October 19, 2009
In our past few posts we’ve been discussing electronic or e-newsletters. They can be a great way to quickly pass on information to your supporters. And in today’s economy, they can be a lot less expensive then mailing a printed newsletter. Plus you can also share your newsletter through a blog or even your nonprofit’s Facebook page.
The biggest mistake that nonprofits make when it comes to sending out an electronic newsletter is not keeping to a regular schedule of publication. Most of the time the agency is very excited about having an e-newsletter and sends out an issue or two. But then things like the daily grind, vacations, and unexpected work derail the process. Before long, the idea is collecting dust.
This is a major turnoff to your supporters. When they give you their email address, think of it as a contract between them your nonprofit. You’ve made a commitment to electronically send information and updates to them. You need to make sure that the project can be fulfilled by multiple people and won’t be affected by any “distractions.”
Still not convinced? Think of it like this: A man and a woman meet and have an immediate connection. The man asks for the woman’s phone number which she eagerly provides. But then the man never calls the woman, leaving her confusing and angry. No matter the reason why he didn’t call, do you think she would ever want anything to do with him again?
The same rules apply to your nonprofit and a donor. Much like the woman in my example, who’s to say that another nonprofit won’t win her friendship and financial support simply by keeping a promise to stay in touch.
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Posted by Ken Okel
October 14, 2009
The biggest threat to a nonprofit electronic newsletter is the spam filter. Nowadays there is so much junk floating around the Internet that any kind of mass mailing could result in your newsletter being mistaken for spam. And some email providers might then blacklist you, making it impossible for your nonprofit to send to anyone else who uses email services like Yahoo! or AOL.
There are a couple of ways for your group to avoid the spam challenge:
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Use an email marketing system. Two that immediately come to mind are iContact and Constant Contact. With both a subscriber to your newsletter has to confirm that they do want to receive the electronic communication. These plans aren’t free (Some run about $12-15 per month for up to 500 subscribers.) but they do come with some nice design templates that can make your communication look very professional.
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The other option is to distribute your newsletter through social media. Post the info on a blog or even better, on Facebook. Many people check Facebook even more than their email. If someone becomes a fan of your nonprofit’s page, then they’ll automatically get your latest news as soon as you post it. It’s also much easier to forward a newsletter through social media.
In the final post of this series, we’ll look at another mistake that can doom your e-newsletter no matter how you distribute it.
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Posted by Ken Okel
October 12, 2009
Some nonprofits treat email communication with donors as if it’s fine china. They don’t use it very often and when they do, it’s usually for something big like a fundraising crunch.
You should think of email as part of an ongoing relationship between your agency and your supporters. But when it comes to the frequency of the communication, many nonprofits do too little. This can be frustrating to those who gave you their email addresses, thinking they would receive more information about your organization.
I like sending out a biweekly newsletter. So that means that in a year, your subscribers will hear from you 26 times. That may seem like a lot but I find it’s a good balance between too much communication and not enough. Also, try to send the newsletter out on the same day of the week.
You’re not writing a novel for those newsletters. Keep them around 300-350 words. You’re sharing a few points that informs people about the work you’re doing, lets them know how their support is making a difference in the community, or showcases your expertise in articles that give people useful tips (Ex: 3 things you should know if you have an aging parent.)
Don’t fall into the trap of only using your e-newsletter only as a way to ask people for money. When this happens, people rapidly unsubscribe or delete your message without reading it.
You also want to let people know that it’s okay for them to forward the message to other people
Next time, we’ll talk about one of the biggest challenges that electronic newsletters face and how you can use social media tools to overcome this obstacle.
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Posted by Ken Okel
October 7, 2009
Maybe you’re still on the fence about whether social media can help your nonprofit. Then I encourage you to follow this link and read a thought provoking blog post by Seth Godin.
Godin is not shy about sharing his opinion of how noprofits have dropped the ball in not fully embracing social media tools. Do you think that the nonprofit world has been too slow to use these techniques? Or is the problem not a resistance to new things but rather a shortage of staff time.
I enjoy articles that make you think and I like the fact that Godin echoes my feeling that an agency’s volunteers should play an active role in a social media strategy.
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Posted by Ken Okel
October 5, 2009
To get the most out of your social media strategy, your nonprofit would be wise to get some feedback on your efforts. Consider forming a small committee to review your progress. Try to find a diverse group of people who will share their opinions.
Find out what social media platforms they use and whether they follow you on places like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Have them tell you what they like and don’t like about your posts. Some questions to consider asking are:
- Are your posts too long or short?
- Does it seem like you have the right balance of informing your supporters and asking them for money?
- Would they recommend any of your sites to their friends? Why or why not?
- What aren’t you doing that they would like to see you achieve online?
Perhaps you’re not able to do something because of a lack of staff time. If someone is critical of this, see if they can volunteer to help make it happen.
While I like doing a lot of things online, I think this gathering needs to be in person. You’ll receive some great market research for the cost of a few refreshments. It’s all about making sure that you’re maximizing your social media efforts.
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Posted by Ken Okel
