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1 good example of nonprofit social media

January 27, 2011 By Sandy

Seems like lots of nonprofits are talking about social media these days, but not many are doing it well.  If you are thinking about uing Facebook or Twitter or email campaigns or any other tools, here are some tips for success.

  • Know your purpose.  Be very clear about what you want to achieve by using social media.  Too many nonprofits jump into it without clear goals then get frustrated when they don’t raise boatloads of money.  It’s not a “build it and they will come” situation.
  • Be warm and friendly in your communications.  Social media is about building relationships and the key to good ones is communication.
  • Communicate from one person on staff, not from the organization itself.  We know that there’s a real person actually writing the blog posts or the tweets, so let us see who they are.
  • Share interesting stuff.  Leave the boring junk out. 
  • Share photos and video.  A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

I’m a big believer in finding a good example to go by and I have a good one to share with you. One nonprofit organization that I think is doing a great job of communicating with social media is the Asheville Humane Society.  Now, it’s a given that kittens and puppies are cute and guaranteed to be interesting.  But the folks there do a great job of sharing photos of adoptable animals, animals being adopted, and updates on animals that have passed through their care.  They always have something interesting going on and I just love the photos they share.  Check them out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Asheville-Humane-Society/48648647067.

I’d love to hear if you have other examples of nonprofits doing socal media or other online communications well.  Leave a comment and share your favorites.

Filed Under: Communications/Public Relations, Marketing, Social Media

Raise money online this year

October 20, 2010 By Sandy

As we approach the deep fundraising season, many folks are asking about online fundraising, so I wanted to share a few things.

Remember that the internet is a tool you can use to raise money.  Just like any other tool, it’s the your skill in using the tool that will determine success – not the tool itself.

It’s definitely NOT a “build it and they will come” model.  Just because you have a website or a Facebook page does not mean people will flock to it and give you money.

Lots of people have asked me how to raise money online and I get the sense that they think it’s something hard or mystical. Actually, it’s not anything magical at all.  It’s simply fundraising using the Internet as a tool.

To make it really easy, I’ve got seven simple steps you can take to get started or crank up your online fundraising efforts.

  1. Collect email addresses at every opportunity. Since email will be your primary communications mechanism, ask every chance you get, both online and off.  Make sure you have a sign-up box on your website for people to enter their name and email.
  2. Communicate. Send regular, consistent newsletters and updates. You can send a once-monthly newsletter or a twice-monthly update. The key is to send regular information that your audience will be interested in.
  3. Have a big, easy-to-see “Donate Now” button on your website. Put it toward the top of the page and make sure it shows up on every page. Make it easy for your website visitors to find the button and respond to it.
  4. Tell your story on your website. Make sure your website clearly states who your organization is and the need your organization is working to fill. Don’t make your website visitors wonder who you are or what you’re trying to do. Be sure to include some compelling photos to illustrate your work.
  5. Be concise. People are impatient online so keep the text short and to the point. This is not the time to share everything you know!
  6. Thank donors electronically. Be prepared to thank people via email when they give online. You’ll likely want to invest in a software or service that can do this for you.
  7. Leverage your social media. Use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to encourage people to visit your website and sign up for your email newsletter. This is known as “driving traffic” and helps build awareness for your cause.

Implement these simple tips and your online fundraising efforts will pay off in dollars and time.

Filed Under: Social Media, Website/Internet

7 simple steps to online fundraising

August 8, 2010 By Sandy

Lots of people have asked me how to raise money online and I get the sense that they think it’s something hard or mystical. Actually, it’s not anything magical at all.  It’s simply fundraising using the internet as a tool.

To make it really easy, I’ve got 7 simple steps you can take to get started or crank up your online fundraising efforts.

1.  Collect email addresses at every opportunity. Since email will be your primary communications mechanism, focus on collecting them.  Ask every chance you get, both online and off.  Make sure you have a sign-up box on your website for people to enter their name and email.

2.  Communicate. Send regular, consistent newsletters and updates.  You can send a once-monthly newsletter or a twice-monthly update.  The key is to send regular information that your audience will be interested in.

3.  Have a big, easy-to-see “Donate” button on your website. Put it toward the top of the page and make sure it shows up on every page.  Make it easy for your website visitors to find the button and respond to it.

4.  Tell your story on your website. Make sure your website clearly states who your organization is and the need your organization is working to fill.  Don’t make your web visitors wonder who you are or what you’re trying to do.  be sure to include some compelling photos to illustrate your work.

5.  Be concise. People are impatient online so keep the text short and to the point.  This is not the time to share everything you know!

6. Thank donors electronically. Be prepared to thank people via email when they give online.  You’ll likely want to invest in a software or service that can do this for you.

7. Leverage your social media. Use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to encourage people to visit your website and sign up for your email newsletter.  This is known as “driving traffic” and helps build awareness for your cause.

Filed Under: Social Media, Website/Internet Tagged With:
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