Digital marketing has a profound effect on any business, but it becomes extremely beneficial for nonprofit organizations because it is free or inexpensive to market and advertise. For nonprofits, free is most definitely a word we all love to hear. There are many ways for nonprofits to take advantage of social media, etc.
First, a blog platform is crucial. We are all well aware of the impact a blog can do for your business, but which one is best? Personally, I like Google’s Blogspot and Wordpress. Both are prevalent, flexible, and inexpensive blogging platforms. Visit wpbeginner.com for more information on how to set up your site. I came across this great article - "Five Reasons Why WordPress is Ideal for Small Nonprofits." Link: http://www.johnhaydon.com/2010/08/5-reasons-wordpress-ideal-platform-small-nonprofits/. Also, meet blogging enthusiasts via Meetup.com.
Second, setting up a PayPal account for your nonprofit can be extremely helpful because it allows you to use ‘donation’ buttons. First things first though, your nonprofit needs to get a validated nonprofit checking account and a tax-exempt letter from the IRS to verify the PayPal account. If your nonprofit is putting on a fundraising event, as I plan to do, you need to have a portal to purchase tickets and receive donations. PayPal is great, but the only problem I have with it is the fact that donors must already have a PayPal account set up to donate. So, try this link if that is a concern of yours: EventBrite.com. Through this site, you can post events, sell tickets, raise funds, print tickets, and track activities online. I believe there is a small fee, but it’s worth it to have a strong fundraising platform. I also hear that give.fm is another great platform that offers donations via credit card.
Third, I recently found a great resource called Nonprofit Tech 2.0: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits. Here, favorite nonprofits are featured, webinars are posted, and book research and interviews are great tools. I found this article to be of particular importance: 10 Essential Tools for the Nonprofit New Media Manager on the Go. It offers advice that nonprofits can follow in order to keep up to date with mobile technology such as iPhone/Smartphone apps, mobile websites, social media, and mobile fundraising. It is helpful if you want to transform your nonprofit and spread your message to as wide of an audience as possible.
Fourth, a nonprofits goal is to promote community rather than competition. So, I decided to research ways in which to make this possible. A great way to do this would be to use Facebook to reflect the mission of community building. A nonprofit could obtain a corporate sponsor to donate a certain amount of money based on how many “likes” the Facebook page receives. This would create a sense of community because people are working together to get the word out. I would also give regular updates on the Facebook page in order to keep people engaged. We all know Facebook is all about sharing, so I would be sure to make it personal and engaging by adding personal stories and event photos. This would bring a sense of community because it encourages each other in this difficult economic time.
Fifth, I figured there had to be some way for nonprofits to use YouTube as a platform. I found my answer in the article titled, “5 YouTube Projects That Are Making a Difference.” YouTube can be a very powerful tool for creating change because it connects people and communities in amazing ways. Videos on YouTube can connect people visually and orally, so I would recommend getting on board because it can be very beneficial to social good. http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=216601765&gid=1172477&type=member&item=31513237&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable%2Ecom%2F2010%2F10%2F05%2Fyoutube-projects-social-good%2F&urlhash=0RTS.
Sixth, video conferencing tools such as Skype are great to use when you need to be interactive with others. Skype allows you to mentor, coach, and administer your team when you aren’t able to meet face-to-face. But, I found a couple of other options as well: UStream, LiveStream, and JustinTV. These allow free live broadcasting, recording, and sharing of your videos through social media. Here is how to record with Skype so that people can watch even after the event is over: http://www.extralabs.net/skype-recorder.htm. Here is how to record using UStream: http://helpcenter.ustream.tv/content/how-record-your-broadcast.
Seventh, I found an archive of 11 different interviews each explaining how their nonprofit created successful social media campaigns. I find it very important to look at how nonprofits excel in their use of social media. Learning from others that have already done a lot of the work could teach you how to raise money for your nonprofit. http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/book/.
Eighth, I always find social media webinars extremely useful because they offer comprehensive training on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, WordPress, Foursquare, etc. The webinars do cost money to watch, but 10% of the proceeds are donated to nonprofit organizations. The webinars are throughout May and June, 2011. http://www.diosacommunications.com/services/webinars.htm.
Lastly, if you are thinking about creating an e-Newsletter, read the article titled “Five Ways Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Build Their e-Newsletter List.” It offers great advice that is fairly easy to execute, but oftentimes we miss. http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=371296417&gid=1172477&type=member&item=43680488&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fnonprofitorgs%2Ewordpress%2Ecom%2F2011%2F02%2F14%2Ffive-ways-to-use-social-media-to-build-your-e-newsletter list%2F&urlhash=GB_P&goback=%2Egde_1172477_member_43680488.
I hope this blog post offered some great advice on how to get your name out there, and great social media tactics that nonprofits (or any other business for that matter) can use.
I would like to leave you with a quote that I like from Carie Lewis, Director of Emerging Media, The Humane Society of the United States.
“Don’t be afraid to fail! We’ve done so many things in social media that flopped. We didn’t get discouraged; we learned from our mistakes and next time came back even stronger.”
References:
Haydon, John (2011). Five Reasons Why WordPress Is Ideal For Small Nonprofits. Retrieved May 8, 2011 from http://www.johnhaydon.com/2010/08/5-reasons-wordpress-ideal-platform-small-nonprofits/.
Kessler, Sarah (2010). 5 YouTube Projects That Are Making a Difference. Retrieved May 7, 2011 from http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=216601765&gid=1172477&type=member&item=31513237&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2010%2F10%2F05%2Fyoutube-projects-social-good%2F&urlhash=0RTS.
Nonprofitorgs (2010). 10 Essential Tools for the Nonprofit New Media Manager on the Go. Nonprofit Tech 2.0: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits. Retrieved Wednesday, May 4 from http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/10-essential-tools-for-the-nonprofit-new-media-manager-on-the-go/.
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