Sue’s Muse

Like most fundraisers, I stay on the lookout for the next “BIG” thing.  Something that will give me an edge to raise those dollars. 

We continue to hear statements like … Direct Mail is DEAD … eMail is DEAD … TV is DEAD. 

R-I-G-H-T.

Reams, both real and virtual, have been written on blogs and industry publications to debunk these myths such as:

1- Direct mail still raises more than any other direct response vehicle (The Agitator);

2- eMail is still the #1 form of reaching people online (yes, even young people - eMail Insider ); and

3- TV viewership is up 1.5% over 2008 - great news for DRTV - nielsenwire).

So what is the next “BIG” thing?  Who knows … after all, were you participating in social networking sites five years ago? 

One thing that did catch my eye recently was a piece on the Today Show talking about Augmented Reality.  (Yea, I still watch Meredith, Matt, Ann and Al.) 

David Granger - editor of Esquire Magazine - unveiled their December issue (due out next week) that, when held up to a web cam, will play a video on your screen of Robert Downy Jr. and other celebrities on inside pages.  Mr. Granger explains that this technology isn’t designed to change the essence of the magazine, rather it is there to enhance the user experience.

Kind of reminds me of the newspapers in the ‘Harry Potter’ movies, where photos move around as the reader scans the pages.

The technology is not simple (and I would surmise not cheap)  … it requires layers of data … but thinking about how far online communications technology has progressed since I first tried e-mail fundraising in 1996, imagine this becoming accessible to the masses … it could bring a whole new meaning to interactive marketing.

Regards,

Sue

No flies on you … you’ve invested time and organizational resources on your social networking sites.  You can now be found on all the biggies … Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, and YouTube.  But is all this effort really paying off?  

I have always viewed social media sites as marketing tools … a way to share information about organizations, causes and programs.  It was simply a bonus when sites created opportunities to support nonprofits through such programs as TwitCause, Twitgiftly, Facebook Causes, and YouTube Nonprofit.

According to a recent article in eMarketer, … enhanced relationships, building a brand and lead generation are also benefits of investing in social networking.  Even though the article is focused on commercial use … it is not hard to see how these same tactics and strategies can be used to promote nonprofits.

So - is it all paying off?  Well let’s check some numbers … Twitter is estimated to currently have 18 million users in the USA (a 200% increase from 2008), and Facebook now reaches over 300 million world wide.  Yeah, I would say that that kind of outreach could really pay off.

Regards,

Sue

I have been an avid reader of Seth Godin’s (author of Permission Marketing) blog ever since I first heard him speak at a Get Active Conference several years ago.  Ideas such as “Small is the new big because big has gone from a huge advantage to a liability” and “The ability to change fast is the single best asset for any person or organization” really resonated.

In Seth’s latest blog he chides nonprofits for not being the top 100 followers on Twitter.  Is the work you’re doing not important enough to follow, or is it (and I’m betting it is) paralysis in decision making in the face of change?

I have to admit that I can’t buy in 100% to his theory that nonprofits are paralyzed by fear … oh yes there is resistance at some nonprofits when the word CHANGE is mentioned … but that is also true in many commercial businesses? (Need I mention the term bailout?)

So I decided to look at the top 10 charities listed in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.  Leaving out two which are gift funds, of the remaining eight –  four have prominent social network links on their homepages, one you have to click through to join our community which then has links, leaving three with no social media mentions. (Two of these are affiliate-based, and many their local chapters use a variety of social networking tools.) 

The top 100 Twitter followers – well let’s see. There are numerous celebrities, political bloggers, national media outlets and, oh yeah … “The World Economic Forum” ranked at #76, a Swiss international not-for-profit foundation.  We progress!

Regards,

Sue

Get your Twitter accounts ready … Twestival begins today!   Folks in over 40 US communities and 90 other cities worldwide are using their Twitter accounts to invite their friends and family to attend events and support local charities.  

Are you surprised?  A very clever idea that taps into one of the top four reasons people give, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive and Virilion. 1- Personal connection to an issue, 2- good reputation, 3- national disaster and 4- attending a benefit or event.

Hats off to Amanda Rose from England who thought of the concept that raised about a thousand UK Pounds in 2008 for one charity - to numerous events around the globe that raised over $250,000 in February 09 and is anticipating well over $400,000 this time round.  To find out about Twestival venues, simply go to www.twestival.com.  Enjoy your weekend tweeting!

Regards,

Sue

Recently while listening to one of my favorite TV talk shows … a guest possed the question ”Why would anybody blog - it’s so yesterday!”  The speaker seemed to feel that everyone should communicate in 140 characters or less. 

I will admit that sometimes folks do drone on … I mean “Why use 4 to 5 words when 10 will do?  Where can one go to share thoughts and ideas with oodles more characters? 

You could try Woofer.  It is a micro-blogging site set up initially as a gag by a couple of friends (Peter Martin and Portman Wills) in around three hours.  The main difference?  Woofer requires a minimum of 1,400 characters.  So much for the gag … the site has over 11,000 users and 13,000 woofs.  We will have to wait to see if it really does become a Twitter competitor.

For those real Twitter fans who simply don’t have time to go through all the palaver of finding just the right Tweet or multiple Tweets to stay current … then Tweetmix just might be for you.  Tweetmixx will match your interests, while ensuring that you don’t receive multiple Tweets on a common subject.  Very clever software -  just tell them your pursuits and specially selected Tweets will soon be coming your way!

How does this relate to your constituents?  Social net-workers are like donors … some Tweet, some use Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and, yes, even good old blogs. They have a preferred channel … just like donors prefer to give through mail, online, phone, face to face, or participating in an event.   

Don’t try and make the choice for them … use every channel available. Your donors will use their preferred way, so make sure your message is there.

Lastly - this business changes constantly. Stay awake, learn about any new channels and make sure you appear on the new ones that last, say, a couple of months - they could be the next New Big Thing.

Regards,

Sue

Imagine that you are in a foreign country … you want to go for a bike ride … you send out a Twitter saying where you will be in around 6 hours and hope some folks can join you.  You figure around 50 - 60 people will show up.  You get there and there are over 1,000 people waiting to ride with you!

That is what happened to Lance Armstrong recently in Dublin, Ireland.  Yeah okay I hear you … that was Lance Armstrong … but it shows how quickly a Twitter message can spread … especially from the right messenger.

To Tweet or not to Tweet … it has to be the easiest decision for a nonprofit to make if you are wanting to either get into the social network space or add to your tool kit.  Unlike other social networks that require significant time and resource to update pages and pictures … Twitter can provide a quick snapshot on programs, promote an event, ask for support or provide 3rd party endorsement in less then 140 characters. 

You can:  Share images (Flickr2Twitter), Share video (Tweetube), Raise Money (Twitpay), Lobby (Tweet your Senator), Start a petition (Twitition) … there is also TwitCause and Twitgiftly just to name a few possible uses.  

Why are so many Twittering?  Simplicity.

If you aren’t already doing so … why not start Twittering … and if you are … keep up the outreach … who knows - your 50 - 60 followers may also turn into thousands!

Regards,

Sue

Once again, we find ourselves discussing the effectiveness of communicating through emails vs. social networks.  Just yesterday, I led a roundtable discussion on this very topic at the DMANF Conference in Washington, DC.  

According to a new report released by Epsilon, deliverability rates were almost exactly the same in Q3 2008 as they were in Q3 2006.  Open rates and click-through rates dipped during the same period, but only slightly.   Good news indeed for folks who use this type of communication to build constituent relationships, share information and appeal to donors. 

“Despite concerns about the declining effectiveness of advertising and the challenging economy, e-mail continued to perform consistently in 2008,” said Kevin Mabley, senior vice president at Epsilon, in a statement. “We anticipate increased reliance on this highly measurable and engaging method of customer interaction [in 2009].”

In my October 17th Blog “Email or Social Networks - How do you Communicate?” I shared some of the latest statistical reporting on the use of Social Networks as a communication tool.  Social Networks continue to show a gain as the communication preference of choice for younger audiences.  53% of those aged 18 to 24 and 42% of those aged 25 to 34.

Why? The most mentioned reasons are:  More messages in email boxes are viewed as irrelevant and Social Media Sites empower users to interact with the brand on their terms.

So, for now, this report reinforces the notion that in order to be effective, marketers need to use all lines of communication available to them … to build, engage, excite and evangelize their constituent file!

Have a great weekend!

Sue

This election, like no other in my lifetime, not only excited folks, but invited people to participate … it engaged and empowered everyday citizens to get involved and determine the direction of this great country. 

Freedom can’t get much sweeter then that! 

But this campaign went beyond what we saw in 2004, and the large sums raised by Howard Dean … where they just asked for money … this year, the campaigns had more of a grassroots appearance in a tech savvy world.

Both campaigns utilized the Internet … when the McCain campaign became cash strapped … it turned to the use of online videos on YouTube and Search Engine Marketing to reach a broader audience. 

But I think everyone will admit that when it came to interactive marketing … the Obama Campaign won hands down.

Online donations were at levels we hadn’t seen since hurricane Katrina. (Don’t underestimate the free media coverage this campaign received - it certainly drove traffic, and hard.)  You could go online to donate or volunteer on a grassroots level … when you went to the site … you simply put in your name and address (info that allowed for more targeted messaging)  … checked boxes of what you were willing to do … and if you said you would make calls - up popped phone numbers in your neighborhood to contact as an Obama supporter. 

They used Facebook to allow voters to build their own Campaign site … texted the VP selection to those that gave their cell numbers, encouraged the use of Twitter and other social networking sites to get out the message and encouraged folks to either vote early or get out and vote on the day of the elections.  Each email message sent built on the previous … with one final push using the video below to encourage and motivate constituents to fight on for one more day. 

Watch a short video about how far we’ve come, and how close we are. Then find or confirm your polling location and make sure your friends and family do the same:

But for all the use of technology and creative ideas … I don’t think you can overlook the inspiring and powerful message, given by an extremely charismatic speaker … together … together we share a hope for tomorrow … together we can bring about change … yes we can. 

It is hard to evaluate the exact impact that each of these tactics and strategies had on both campaigns.  But I do see a lesson for nonprofit organizations … by using all the marketing tools at your disposal … online, mail, telemarketing, face to face … by staying on message and building a “case for support” that excites and invites participation, that also empowers and engages … when you combine grassroots and technology … you can’t help but have a winning combination!

Regards,

Sue

Take one jolly old man with a long white beard … hundreds, nay, thousands of children who have come to visit him at North Virginia’s Tysons Corner Center shopping mall for the last 18 years … and you have a Christmas tradition! 

And a tradition like this one is something we Americans dearly love! 

So when the ‘powers that be’ at Tysons Corner arbitrarily decided to change Santas after 18 years … you can just imagine the hue and the cry that arose from parents across the Washington metro area.

This is a great example of how, by using the power of the Internet, a determined group of people began a campaign to reinstate ‘their’ Santa … and how the 6th largest mall in America eventually bowed to public opinion and public pressure.

When word got out that the mall was NOT going to feature its favorite beloved Santa this year … a viral campaign began to rally supporters. Shoppers threatened to boycott the mall.  Mall executives soon took this threat seriously when they received thousands of emails, phones calls and an online petition.

For a happy ending, everyone’s favourite Santa was reinstated … parents will again bring their children to see him - and shop at Tyson’s Corner … and another great holiday tradition has been preserved.

“I think it is interesting that Tysons Corner Center totally underestimated the importance of family traditions and was totally disconnected from their customers,” Tina Rodell, from nearby Reston, was quoted in the Washington Post.

Isn’t this a lesson for us all?

Regards,

Sue

For the past couple of years, I usually try and put some reference in my nonprofit presentations that older Americans are staying in touch with family, banking, becoming more engaged during election cycles … and they are doing it all online!

This blog has shared numerous examples of surveys, reports and studies that show a growing number of 55+ online constituents.

I could tell you why I think this is becoming more the norm over the past several years. (I speak from an in-depth discussion conducted with my “marketing survey of one” demographic who shares my office)! 

1-  Ease of use - online has been demystified - no longer do you have to have a technology degree to understand how to use basic interactive communications.

2-  Staying up on the latest trends and gadgets- just look at recent TV commercials (particularly during the evening news) “Remember the generation that promised never to get old!?”  Social networks, IPods, IPhones, Web-cams, Texting, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) etc. are all being used by the over 50s.

3-  Using technology to make life easier - anything that makes my life easier is tops on the list of ‘must haves’ - particularly online banking, registrations, dinner reservations, catching up on the daily news, etc. 

Need more convincing?  I suggest you read one of my favorite fundraising blogs “The Agitator”  where Tom Belford shares his views regarding a recent DMNews article … Nonprofits Adopt Social Media … which looks at two organizations AARP and The Arthritis Foundation … and how they are offering more tools that can be custom­ized by members.  AARP Members can also invite friends to view their profile, send and receive messages and join or create special interest groups.

Yep, I would definitely say “The generation that promised never to get old!” is adapting, utilizing, and making the “wide wide world of technology” their own!

Regards,

Sue