May 21, 2013

Create exclusive events to reward key supporters

space&air

How the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum uses exclusive tweet-ups to engage supporters

Guest post by Annie Lynsen
SmallAct

AnnieLynsenI‘ve written before about the importance of engaging key supporters (heck, we wrote a white paper with Blackbaud and the National Wildlife Federation on that very subject last year). The other day I got to experience a fantastic event geared toward doing just that.

Earlier this month, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum posted an invitation to an event built around the new movie “Star Trek Into Darkness.” But this wasn’t an ordinary tweet-up. This was designed to be an intimate, behind-the-scenes event for only 10 people. Continue reading

May 20, 2013

3 Facebook page tweaks that maximize reach

Maximize Reach

Allow posting, tagging and replies to increase engagement

Target audience: Nonprofits, cause organizations, foundations, NGOs, social enterprises, businesses, marketers, Facebook page administrators.

John HaydonMost of what you read about creating more reach for your Facebook page either has to do with Facebook ads or optimizing content.

But there are three little settings for your Page that can also dramatically increase reach.

Turn on posting ability

Allow posting

1Allowing Facebook users to post photos and videos to your page increases exposure to their friends.

For example, the friends of the Facebook users who’ve posted these photos of rabbits will see a story in their news feed, exposing them to the National Wildlife Federation.

To allow others to post photos, videos, text updates and links to your page, click “Edit Settings” under the edit page menu item in your admin panel. Continue reading

May 15, 2013

Infographics: Not your grandmother’s pie chart

infographics1 M+R

Infographics & data visualization turn data into stories

Guest post by Julia Reich
Principal & Creative Director, Julia Reich Design

JuliaReichMost organizations have important data to present to their clients, members, boards of directors and other constituencies. Yet who has time to read or understand the reports, charts and diagrams created by your overworked staff?

Infographics are a communication trend that’s all about displaying data in an attractive, easily digestible format. With their unique combination of images and words, infographics are a powerful storytelling tool. It’s a way to take all that data you’ve collected about the great things your organization does and use it for social good purposes – to illustrate timelines, histories, relationships, the impact of a program and much more. Continue reading

May 14, 2013

Five creative ways to thank your Facebook fans

Thank you

Sincerity & technology help express gratitude to supporters

Target audience: Nonprofits, cause organizations, foundations, NGOs, social enterprises, businesses, marketers, Facebook administrators.

John HaydonIt’s easy to think about thanking your Facebook fans as something that’s nice to do – if you have the time and are in the mood. But saying thanks is a vital part of your success on Facebook, and everywhere else.

How do you thank your Facebook fans in ways that are sincere and meaningful? Below are five ways to say thanks that they’ll notice.

With cover photos

Thank you cover

1Check out the Facebook cover Dogs Trust created to thank their supports. You can also switch things up by thanking specific fans in a cover photo and even tell them why you appreciate them (a la charity:water)! Continue reading

May 13, 2013

How to establish thought leadership for your nonprofit

Tedx
Photo by TEDxMonterey (Creative Commons)

Start with content marketing, activate intellectual capital & go from there

Target audience: Nonprofits, cause organizations, foundations, NGOs, social enterprises, businesses, educators, journalists, general public.

Caroline AvakianContent marketing has risen to the forefront in recent years as an important tool in the nonprofit communication toolbox. It’s about creating great content: on your blog, through social media messaging, your newsletter, annual reports, case studies, whitepapers, etc.

At its core, content marketing is about communicating with your supporters without selling and asking for a donation at the end. The nonprofit, social enterprise or organization is providing value by creating and sharing information, innovative ideas and insights that makes your supporter smarter and in the know. You become a resource. The result, much of the time, is that you earn the trust and loyalty of your supporters and donors. You no longer interrupt them with “messaging” but invite them into a conversation they find value in, that they deem worthy of sharing, that makes them come back and ultimately invest in you with their minds and wallets. Continue reading