Why Nonprofits Must EmbraceSocial Media

AFP Northeast INRobert Croft, CFRE

I didn’t know they did that?

Hey, my friend

donated $50!

I can rally my friends on Facebook I heard

their CEO took ….

First a Quick Survey @ You

This Session is NOT

OR

How to Make $1 Million with Your First Viral Video

But Rather• Review the Fundamental Shift in Communications• How this Impacts Nonprofits• Why You Better Care• What You Can Do

THE INTERNET HAS CHANGED

THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE

Always “Online” and “Connected”

News

Information

And…. Other Cool Stuff

Old marketing continued into Web 1.0

• Brochures• Print Newsletters• Direct Mail• Annual Reports

• Advertising• Static Websites• E-Newsletters

Mass Communication was One Way:

Then There Was Social Media…

And Web 2.0 Was Born

According to…

• Social Media is technology that “supports the human need for social interactions.”

• “Social media use web-based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues.”

• “A blending of technology and social interaction for the co-creation of value.”

What Are We Talking About?

• Social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, Ning, Meetup…)

• Professional networking sites (LinkedIn, Plaxo…)

• Blogs (WordPress, Blogger, TypePad…) • Microblogging (Twitter, FriendFeed, Foursquare, Facebook statuses…)

• Social bookmarking (Delicious, Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon…)

• Photo and video sharing (Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, Qlipso …)

• Share reviews (ePinions, Yelp…)

• And more…

It’s Unleashed a Revolution

(Video “Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh) by Erik Qualman , Socialnomics.com)

FOUR MAJOR IMPACTS ON NONPROFITS

2. 1. Empowered Consumers/Donors

• Social media gives everyone a voice

• The masses now produce content and can affect change

• Self organize around causes

1. Empowered Consumers/Donors

Empowered Consumers…

• Rate products & services

• 78% trust peer recommendations

• “Socialnomics” = “Donornomics”

• They also Rate Nonprofits - Guidestar.com InsideGood.com

Why You Should Care

• Significant Loss of Control Over Image– “The internet doesn’t tell you when you get a bad

review.”

Negative:

Positive:

• You WILL have Advocates– Empower them and watch your support grow

exponentially– Crowdsourcing

2. Visibility and Relevance are Paramount

– Information overload– 100s of ads per day, – Flying Ninja Cat videos,– Hundreds of friend updates

– Peers asking for support of their favorite International charity

– Do we even read “snail” mail appeals and newsletters anymore?

Vying for Your Donors’ Attention:

The Silence of Nonprofits Stuck in Web 1.0 is Deafening…err Deathening.

Why You Should Care

• With inaction, NPO will FADE from Relevance and younger donors will migrate away…

Negative:

Positive:

• With increased visibility on Social Media, you MAY attract new donors, but will most certainly deepen relationship with current donors

• Consumers (donors) have more giving choices• Organizational mediocrity is no longer an option• Micro-transparency – once a year “annual

report” may not suffice• Consumers want voice in Governance• A good thing to be accountable

3. Forced Transparency

Why You Should Care

• Empowered consumers may point out real shortcomings

Negative:

Positive:

• Micro-transparency via Social Media will accelerate trust building

• Majority of donations will occur online by 2020 (if not sooner)

• Advocacy and “retweeting” are considered “doing my part”

• Texting gifts, Facebook Causes, Twestival• Corporate giving contests and crowdsourcing

4. Ways of Supporting Are Changing

Millennials also want to be physically involved…

Why You Should Care

• Waiting for the “check in the mail” will get longer and longer…

Negative:

Positive:

• Engaging people in their place of social activity, whether giving online, spreading your story, advocacy, or volunteering will lead to support.

One Response

“You’ll never find me Twittering or find me on MyFaceSpaceBook. If you want to socialize with me ring me up on the telly and lets have a cup of coffee together (real coffee, really together, not cyber-coffee in a cyber-cafe).

Where is building relationships across the coffee or kitchen table going?”

“We don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media,

the question is

how well we DO it.”

–Erik Qualman, “Socialnomics”

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS

SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T A NEW THING.

IT’S A NEW WAY OF DOING OLD THINGS.

Fundraising Has Always Been About Building Relationship

Social Media is ALL @ Relationship

Best Fundraisers are Volunteers

Social Media is a toolbox to empower Advocates

You’ll Still Have Coffee With Donors

You may just find them via Social Media

Social Media is Free

But not easy…requires major investment of time

Rules of the Social Media Road

• Listen Intently

• Be Authentic

• Participate Consistently

• Collaborate with Others

Getting Started

1. Understand they “Why”2. Be the culture shift at your organization3. Connect with social media resources to learn4. Create a plan

1. Start with a fan page2. Consider a page

a) Video is the “Currency” of the internet3. Consider a blog for your nonprofit

a) Rotate Staff – CEO should have significant role4. Create a profile5. Jump IN and participate

Getting Started

• Beth Kanter – www.bethkanter.org, Twitter: @kanter, Facebook: Beth.Kanter.Blog– Book with Allison Fine: “The Networked Nonprofit”

• Mashable.com – Everything Social Media and Technology, News and Great Articles– Twitter: @mashable, Facebook: Mashable

• Smart Blog on Social Media – http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia– Sign up for Smart Brief on Social Media email brief, Twitter: @SBoSM

• Nonprofit Technology Network – www.nten.org • “Social Good” section on Chronicle of Philanthropy Website, Allison Fine –

– http://philanthropy.com/section/Social-Good/365/ • Common Knowledge – www.commonknow.com

– Offers free monthly webinars on social media topics and email campaigns• Just Get on Twitter, follow others and you will discover the experts• Fort Wayne Social Media Breakfast – Meets monthly(?) on the third Tuesday, free

– www.facebook.com/smbftw• Video used in presentation: “Social Media Revolution 2” – www.socialnomics.com

• Robert Croft, 260-568-0731– Twitter: @RobertNCroft, LinkedIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertncroft– www.CrandallCroft.com, FB: CrandallCroft– Presentation slides can be found at www.slideshare.net/rncroft

Some Resources

Questions/Discussion

How would Steve Urkel do Social Media?