Start with a strategy to expand your reach to potential supporters

Guest post by Cassie Bair and Jenifer Snyder

The U.S. is going mobile. Even as people increase their number of mobile devices, many nonprofits are still hesitant about adding mobile to their organization’s initiatives. Misconceptions such as which tools are available through mobile for data collection, engagement and fundraising cause nonprofits to incorrectly believe that mobile can be a lot of work with little return.

The fact is, mobile is no longer just an exciting new addition to fundraising or engagement, but a tool that supporters expect you to have. The data around mobile proves it is a worthwhile venture for many nonprofits – beyond times of disaster. More than 20 percent of a typical organization’s web traffic comes from a mobile device. (Do you know your number?) Those users are generally more engaged online, through SMS, and donate via text as well as in other ways.

Before the thought of adding yet another piece to your fundraising puzzle becomes too daunting, here are a few important points about mobile from the mGive Foundation.

Mobile brings the world right to your donor

1You become a part of your donors’ world. Mobile phones are the centralizing point for many people’s day-to-day activities including social media, photo sharing, email, phone calls and text. People determine what information they want to receive via mobile – and how – and because of this, are very likely to stay engaged with a cause to take action when prompted. The power of how that technology can be used to benefit your nonprofit is truly just starting to evolve.

In order to reach the potential supporters you have at your fingertips, you need to have a fully integrated strategy – and mobile tools that can effectively do the job. Mobile technology is evolving, empowering supporters to cross communication channels and ultimately bring offline experiences online. With the power to post to social media from a text message or link to the mobile web from an email, to a multitude of other options—mobile is expanding the reach you have with both prospective and current supporters at all times.

Engage your next live audience through mobile

2Capture donor information and then add the info to your database. Asking people to fill out a form or to take an online poll still works in the traditional sense, but what if you could capture the information via mobile? Even better, what if you could collect the data shared in the heat of the moment vs. only when someone is online? Then use that data to drive awareness, giving and more when you combine it with information you already have about your supporters?

Organizations can use mobile to conduct polls, receive live feedback at events, track open rates of text campaigns, generate ROI for social media through giving apps and social sharing options, plus so much more.

In addition, nonprofits can gain a broader and deeper understanding of their supporters when combining mobile behaviors with more traditional information probably already housed in your CRM system.

Mobile is a pivot point for influencing supporter behavior

3The mobile device is a hub of activity for many people in the U.S. If your supporters own a mobile phone, they likely have a smartphone or will soon. Most probably use it for text, to visit websites, to post to social media sites, to email, to share photos and videos – and occasionally actually use it for phone calls.

If you could determine what supporters are doing, how they are doing it, when they are doing it and then ask for them to take action through mobile, you may be surprised at the results. So collect what you can, when you can about mobile behavior to run more robust reports and drive additional engagement.

It’s easy to find out how much a mobile donor likes you

4Mobile engagement creates a more personal relationship between you and your donor, but it’s also a relationship that you can measure. When your organization sends out a mobile call-to-action, the feedback you receive is more immediate and complete, allowing you to tailor your fundraising strategy for better results. By measuring opt-ins, click through to links, donations, and even opt-out numbers, you can more closely monitor the temperature of your donor pool, to create tactics that resonate.

Capitalizing on this mobile revolution is not just about increasing mobile databases or building more robust donor profiles, it’s about finding better ways to change the world. It has never been easier for donors to help those in need with just a few clicks on their mobile phone. Mobile allows everyone to become an everyday philanthropist and for your organization to benefit from the results.

Not sure where to get started with a mobile strategy? First, start by changing every form (online and offline) to capture a mobile number. Chances are, that’s the information you are collecting anyway but you may not have it labeled correctly in your system. If your data is only as good as what you put into your system, you sure want to make sure you are putting it in correctly!

Once you start collecting mobile data, start reviewing the profiles of donors and supporters with mobile numbers flagged in your system. You may be surprised at the trends around age ranges, giving rates, volunteer hours and more. That valuable information will guide you down the path of an effective mobile strategy for your organization.

The post How nonprofits should capitalize on the mobile revolution appeared first on Socialbrite.

Expand your organization’s reach by embracing the basics of mobile technology

By Tamara Schweitzer
Socialbrite staff

I attended the Social Media for Nonprofits conference in New York last week, an event series curated by Darian Rodriquez Heyman and Ritu Sharma, to help nonprofits make better use of social media and discover new ways to use social networking platforms to promote their cause. The lineup of speakers was stellar, including Farra Trompeter, VP of communications firm Big Duck, who already put together a great recap of the day that you should definitely check out if you want a quick rundown of the main takeaways. When I was thinking about what I wanted to bring back to Socialbrite readers, one of the standout presentations for me was by Andy Steggles, the chief operating officer of Higher Logic, who spoke about the basics of crafting a mobile strategy.

What really struck me about Steggles’s presentation is how powerful – and relatively simple — it can be to incorporate a mobile strategy into your organization. When you think about a social media strategy, nonprofits tend to focus a lot on the two big players – Twitter and Facebook – and making sure that they have established a presence on both. But, despite the enormous reach that these platforms have, many people (including your supporters) are still not regular users, and some may not have engaged with you through those channels to the extent that you want yet. But contrast that with the stats for mobile usage that Steggles shared on stage, and you will see how much reach you can have simply by embracing some aspect of mobile technology.

According to research by Morgan Stanley that Steggles presented (see image below), there are about 670 million people around the world who have a smartphone, and that number is growing at an annual rate of 37 percent. That means people are no longer just discovering you through the Web on their home or work computer. All those smartphone users are constantly connected and the more you give them opportunities to connect with you on the go, the more growth, engagement and success you’ll have.

Slide depicting 3G mobile usage globally from Andy Steggles’ SM4NP presentation.

Here are some easy ways you can get started with mobile.

It’s not just about the apps

You don’t have to develop an app to be a player in the mobile market. In fact, SMS text messaging and QR codes are two ways that you can work with mobile technology without breaking the bank.

A QR code, or quick response code, is like a barcode that can easily be scanned by smartphones to relay all kinds of information. You’ve probably seen them all over the place now, from the side of the bus stop station to the back of a menu at a restaurant. They’re used to lead you to a new piece of information about that company or service, whether that’s taking you to the website to see the bus schedule, or the restaurant is giving a 10 percent off coupon for the next time you eat there. With QR codes, there are endless ways to make use of them and all you need is a URL to create one.

What you need to know about QR codes

• To create one, Steggles says just Google “QR creator” and there are a number of free services that you can use. Just plop in your URL and it will automatically generate the code for you.
• Don’t place a QR code in an email or on your website. The point of QR codes is to be a call to action, says Steggles. You want people to take action by scanning the code, and that will lead them to your website or a video, for example. If they’re already at your website, no need to direct them to it with a bar code – that’s just gratuitous.
• It’s best to use short URLs. If you have a long URL, shorten it via a shortening website such as bit.ly or tinyurl. That way, you can also easily track the number of times that URL was visited.
• Get creative! Steggles used the example of incorporating QR codes into a big conference or event. You could place QR codes on the back of attendees badges, and when they scan it, that would lead to the attendee’s online profile with a prompt to connect with the person on the conference network.

Here’s a real-life example of the effective use of a QR code by a nonprofit:

DoSomething.org recently launched a mobile campaign involving QR codes with Macy’s as its partner. They placed QR codes in Macy’s mStyle Lab departments and any time someone scans the QR code, that triggers a $1 donation to DoSomething. Macy’s pledged up to $250,000 to donate for the campaign. Participants then receive a text message to fill out a quiz for DoSomething about causes they are passionate about. Once that’s submitted, they are entered into a sweepstakes to win a $250 Macy’s shopping spree. Find out more about DoSomething’s “Do Good, Look Good” campaign.

How to incorporate text messaging

According to Steggles, SMS (short message service, or text messaging) should be a core part of your mobile strategy because it’s accessible by 97 percent of the mobile population. Fun fact: More than 7 billion texts are sent each day. These days, people are using text messaging to do everything from voting for their favorite reality show competitor to making charitable donations. There’s been a lot written about how to start a mobile giving campaign, but SMS doesn’t have to be limited to eliciting donations for your organization.

Last summer, the MOMA in New York used SMS as a way to generate more interest in the museum as well as get new membership leads. Those who saw the campaign and texted MOMA received a message back to submit their email, where they received a special offer for a membership deal.

Incorporating SMS marketing into your strategy is as simple as getting a five or six digit short code that is used as your contact number throughout the campaign. Visit these websites to register a shortcode and get set up with your campaign:

• USshortCodes.com
• textmarks.com
• mobilegiving.org

Should you develop an app?

That is the question. If you have the budget for it, you might want to consider developing an app that would offer something to your supporters beyond your standard website. Before delving into what is considered the most complicated aspect of mobile strategy, here are some things to consider:

• Explore the cost options. A build-it-yourself app can cost anywhere from $10k for a simple app to $100k for a more advanced app. There are also off-the-shelf apps that are less expensive if you wanted to create it for a one-time event like a conference.
• What are your goals? Think about what you could achieve with an app that will make it worthwhile for the cost. An app should highlight a specific service or benefit of your organization. Some effective apps include: a member directory, an event calendar, or a news feed.
• Think about what device you want to develop your app for. It’s easiest to build apps for the iPhone because there’s only one piece of hardware to contend with and that gives you a greater degree of control. The Android market is open source software, and all kinds of devices run its operating system, so it’s more work to test the app on various types of phones. Same thing with the BlackBerry because it has a lot of different devices to contend with (i.e. the BlackBerry Bold has a touch screen).
• Get outside help from vendors. Ideally, Steggles recommends hiring a mobile strategy consultant, someone who can put together a mobile business plan for you and help you integrate it into your overall organizational strategy. However, this is not feasible for many organizations. If you are a smaller organization with a limited budget, you can look for vendors that will do the development work for you and they would take a percentage of the profits that you make from the app.
• Think about potential partnerships. Who are your big donors and how can you leverage them for your mobile strategy? One example Steggles gave is if you have a conference or an event that you want to develop an app for, you could find a sponsor for that event and then use the money from the sponsorship to develop the app.

Bottom line: You need to be thinking about mobile in a big way. It’s a significant part of your social media strategy, and it’s time to embrace it!

How have you incorporated mobile technology into your organization’s strategy? Please share your success stories!

Image at top by Dominik Syka

Related

• A beginner’s guide to mobile fundraising (Socialbrite)

• How nonprofits can get started with mobile (Socialbrite)

• How to set up an SMS campaign system (Socialbrite)

• 7 ways for nonprofits to raise funds with mobile (Socialbrite)

• 10 mobile apps for social good (Socialbrite)

• A user’s guide to mobile activism (& handout) (Socialbrite)

• How mobile media can serve the public good (Socialmedia.biz)

• More resources on mobile action (Socialbrite)

The post Why your nonprofit should have a mobile strategy appeared first on Socialbrite.

And how nonprofits need to adjust to the new mobile marketplace

Guest post by Tonia Zampieri
Director of Marketing, Smart Online

Last week I presented at the NCTech4Good conference here in North Carolina. Our session, “Mobile for Today’s Nonprofits,” was a combination of recent discussions held at last month’s NTEN conference on the big four of mobile as well as an overview of findings from our recently published whitepaper on consumers’ use of smartphones titled, “A Mobile World: How supporters are using their smartphones, and why you should care.”

The first thing many people think when they hear mobile is text2give. But that’s only one of the four pillars of mobile. Here’s a rundown:

Mobile websites

Nonprofits need to embrace this as a necessary piece of their overall marketing strategy. An early first step is creating mobile optimized landing pages for their most critical calls to action. I chose to highlight the organization Soles4Souls (“recycling shoes for people in need”). In the presentation above, notice how their site looks on a desktop vs. a mobile device. This example shows clearly how critical it is to select the most important calls to action – or risk losing the mobile visitor.  Do you study your site analytics to track how many visitors are connecting via a mobile browser?  I’d recommend starting to do so – Google Analytics has this feature.

SMS & text2give

Next we highlighted SMS – text2give is a subset of this. I felt it was important to differentiate between the two to further educate nonprofits on the importance of not just raising money with mobile but also delivering programs. A great example of this was the Text4Baby campaign, a free mobile information service from National Healthy Mothers designed to promote maternal and children’s health.

Mobile applications

Should nonprofits venture into the world of mobile apps? Some thought leaders go so far as to suggest there’s no need to do so. My answer? It depends: Do you have a brand to uphold? Is your target audience using smartphones – or will they be soon?. In the presentation I spotlight the National Parks Conservation Association and how they created their app – not with the explicit intent to get more donations right away but to grow a new engaged audience that will eventually be cultivated into supporters.

Mobile giving

Ahhh, yes. You can raise money through mobile, even if you aren’t the American Red Cross.  While they paved the way for showing us how powerful mobile giving and mobile fundraising can be, I highlighted how important it is to begin with the basics before you consider text2give. Look first at how your Web donation page looks on a smartphone. It’s time to ask why you should make it mobile optimized – and soon!

Incorporating mobile into your communications plan

The second part of our presentation focused specifically on smartphone usage. With sales continuing to skyrocket, user adoption could be as high as 50 percent of all mobile phones by the end of 2011, experts say. When you look at some of the latest sales and usage statistics, like ComScore’s recent market share report, it’s probable that this could happen even sooner.

My associate Anusha shared with the group the highlights from our whitepaper.  We asked consumers how and when on their smartphones vs. desktops do they a) open emails? b) engage with websites? c) use applications? We found the results compelling – and hope you find it helpful in setting a strategy for incorporating mobile into your organizations’ marketing, communications and fundraising plans.

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