Comments and Social Media…

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Additional Resources:

• Remind Your Donors Who You Are
• Easy Blog Template
• Convincing a Non-Believer About Social Media

How to Kill Your Electronic Newsletter…

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.

Additional Resources:

• How often should I send my E-Newsletter
• A Common Mistake
• Define Your Importance to the Community

Get a Focus Group

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.

Additional Resources:

• Treat Social Media Like a Basket of Fried Chicken
• Before You Get Started
• Convincing A Social Media Non-Believer

How Much Is Too Much Begging for Cash?

As a nonprofit, you understand the importance of fundraising. And in today’s economy, raising money may be harder than ever. So should you use social media primarily as a means to bring in the bucks?

In my opinion, that’s a recipe for disaster and before long no one will be following your blog, your Facebook page, or your YouTube account. Imagine if you saw a friend at a party. How would you feel if every time you talked, he was always saying the same thing (or hitting you up for cash). Before long, you’d be trying to get away from that person.

Think of social media as less of a way to bring in donations and more of a way to build the relationship between you and your agency. The stronger ties are what can lead to first time gifts and larger donations. Mostly you want to pass on information about your nonprofit, in bite sized chunks, to your supporters. Tell them about your successes, your goals, and how they can become more involved with your agency. Train your readers to expect to learn something new about you every time you post something new. This trust will assure them that you’re not just after their wallets.

You can do things like make a case for funding for a specific need and then end the message asking for cash.  So at least the message is still informative.  But I would say out of every 12 messages you post, only have one of them asking for money.

If you’re sharing good information and engaging your supporters, you may find that you’ll need to do less asking for gifts than you ever imagined.

Additional Resources:

• Create Anticipation Through Social Media
• Define Your Importance to the Community
• Use Your Volunteers

Another Easy Blog Post

Stumped for ideas about your nonprofit blog? Why not use a post to discuss your organization’s mission. Tell me why you do what you do.

So many organizations have a mission statement but they never share it with their donors or explain it in depth. Let your supporters know how you play an important role in your community. How are you different than all of the other nonprofits?

While it may seem a bit like bragging, it’s very important to share these things with your donors. It will make them feel good to support your mission. In today’s economy, you can’t be shy about showing that your agency is making a difference in your community.

Additional Resources:

• Don’t mess with a musician who uses YouTube
• YouTube Tips
• Video Testimonials

Just Say, “No.”

I love social media and for me it’s the coolest thing since sliced bread. But for some nonprofits, their experiences with Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube tastes more like moldy bread. What went wrong? Usually the organization tried to use social networking, didn’t know what it was doing, and gave it up after a few frustrating weeks.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you start your online existence. If you can’t make these commitments, then I think you may want to rethink your social media strategy.

Time: Do you have a staff person who can make a regular contribution to your social media plans? Do they have a backup for when they’re out of town and sick?  Really consider how much staff time you can afford to designate toward this project.

Vision: Do you have a clear idea of what you want to get out of social media? Define your goals and then make sure that you’re working toward achieving them. It’s possible to stay very busy but not achieve anything.

Commitment:  In the nonprofit world, a lot of unexpected curve balls can be thrown your way. If things get busy, will social media take a backseat? If you’re going to start using social media, you need to stick with it. Simply doing it for a week and then not touching it for a month will not help you build stronger relationships with your donors.

Additional Resources:

• Social Media Is Not An ATM for Nonprofits
• Convincing a NonBeliever about Social Media
• YouTube Tips

One Step At a Time

If you’ve decided to take the social media plunge, then give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve taken a big step toward your goal of having a stronger relationship with your donors. It’s an inexpensive, yet highly effective way to market your organization.

But before you start blogging as well as posting items on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, you should take some time to get everything set up. You need to do a few things while creating each account before you start sharing. Here’s your to-do list:

1. Pick your username. You may want to go with your organization’s name or you may want use more of a branded slogan. I would use the same username for all of your social media sites as it will make it easy for people to look you up.
2. Pick a picture or logo to represent your nonprofit. Again, use it across all social media platforms.
3. Post your mission statement as well as links to your website, if you have one.
4. Post your contact information. Make it easy for people to find you.

None of these steps are all that complicated but together they will take a few minutes to set up. The time will be well invested as they’ll help make your organization look more professional online.

Additional Resources:

• Before You Get Started
• Writing for Twitter
• YouTube Tips

Remind Your Donors Who You Are

As a nonprofit, it can be easy to forget that your donors don’t know everything about you. Think of them as occasional visitors to your world. Social media can be a great way to remind them about your mission and your accomplishments.

Imagine if you took a friend, who is an out of town visitor, to a party. As you go around the room, you make sure your guest is comfortable in every situation and receives any necessary background information so they feel a part of any conversation.

To achieve the same outcome online, use YouTube, Facebook, blogs, and Twitter to maintain a constant flow of information to your donors. In today’s economy, it can be one of the most cost effective moves you can make. Remind them of your mission, what you’ve been able to accomplish, and what still needs to be done. You want to make your supporters proud to stand behind you and feel that they’ve made a wise choice in getting behind you.

Look at everyday events for topics for updates.  Has someone recently attended or spoken at a conference? Tell your donors the most interesting thing that happened there. Has your organization received any certifications lately? While this may seem dull, it lets people know that others rate you highly.  And how has the economic slowdown impacted your clients?

Silence is bad news for a nonprofit so keep the dialogue going through social media.

Additional Resources:

• Do You Need Blog Ideas?
• Easy Blog Template
• Convincing a Non-Believer About Social Media

YouTube Tip: Second Takes

Pat yourself on the back for using video as a social media tool. It’s a great way to increase the relationship between your organization and your supporters. You can post your clips on YouTube and then distribute them through your blog and Facebook page.  But sometimes video can create some challenges.  n segments where someone from your team talks directly to the camera, do you notice that they may seem a a bit stiff?

Here’s a suggestion to make them seem a bit more normal and appealing to your viewers: After you’ve got a good take on your camera, do another. In most cases I bet it will be better than your last one.  The reason is that you get to do a take knowing that you’ve already got a useable one “in the can.” This knowledge takes away some of the pressure to perform. You’ll relax and be less worried about being perfect.

It’s a trick movie directors and actors have done for years. First you cover your bases with a usable take. Then you try something new. Maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t. But it give you options, so you’re not stuck with something that doesn’t represent your organization very well.

Video is a great social media tool in that it doesn’t cost you any more to try something different.  Let me know if this strategy works for you.  I’d love to showcase some before and after examples.

Additional Resources:

• YouTube Made Easy
• YouTube and Soundbites
• Before You Shoot Your 1st YouTube Video

Do You Need Blog Ideas?

Why not use social media to answer some of your organization’s frequently asked questions. Write the answers as a separate posts on your blog. Voila, you’ve got some really good content online. And remember you can also link your blog to your Facebook page to increase your exposure.

This not only strengthens your blog but also provides you with an additional resource. You can now direct people to go to your blog for answers to questions like, “How do I find your building,” “What population do you serve,” and “How much of my donation pays for the cost of administration?”

The beauty is that you get to control the discussion. You’ll keep your supporters from going off on tangents that can waste staff time and lead to misunderstandings.

Additional Resources:

• Easy Blog Template
• Convincing a Non-Believer About Social Media
• Writing For Twitter
• Define Your Importance In Your Community