You can make a fabulous FB page with all sorts of Apps and Tabs and interactive tools.  But that takes some technical savvy and a lot of time.  This blog post is for those non-profits who have just begun or would like to begin an FB page, who don’t have much free time, and are not particularly techy.

I want to give you a few simple non-tech-type ways to make your FB page more attractive and some proven strategies for interacting with your fan community.  However, even if you have an awesome, tricked out FB page – take a look at “Impactful Posts” below for some data-proven best posting practices.

Let’s start with a basic checklist.  These are some of the easiest things you can do to increase visits to your page and shares of your posts:

1)      Fan Permissions: Encourage participation by ensuring that your fans have permission to post photos, videos and links on your wall.  You can do this within your “Wall Settings”.

2)      Custom URL: Once you reach 25 likes you can make a custom URL that is easy for fans to remember.

3)      Embed Buttons:  ensure that you have FB “like” and “share” buttons wherever possible (website pages, blog posts, even for different parts/tabs of your FB page).  In addition to these two buttons FB offers a few other “social plug-ins” that connect FB to other parts of your online presence including comment boxes, activity feeds, etc.  Without little effort on your part these plug-ins and buttons can help ramp up the number of FB fans and the level of their involvement. 

4)      Use Causes: If you only use one FB app it should be this one set up a Cause page for yourself.  It is user friendly, gives you another method for managing you fan community and an additional route to finding fans, as well as allows fans to donate to your org (or one of your choosing) without leaving FB.

5)      Quiz: In my opinion Quiz Creator is the second best app a non-profit could use for fan engagement.  It is also user friendly, and a well conceptualized quiz will be shared among friends many times over, greatly increasing your visibility.  Make a quiz that tells fans something fun or silly about themselves (think IQ or personality tests, or relationship quizzes – people eat these up!).  It only has to be slightly related to your org – the point is for it to spread, carrying your org’s name and increasing brand awareness.

Now let’s take a moment to consider how to cultivate an online personality for your org that your fans want to interact with and will share with their friends.  Start by considering the framework your fans are operating under when they are on FB.  It is a social network: people are there to connect with their friends and family.  What would you want to see on the page of an organization when you’re indulging in down time or social hour?  I would want to laugh, be intrigued, be inspired, or find something useful.

Post: number one rule for FB is to make your content “shareable”.  Post updates on and results of your work, lots of photos, emotional anecdotes, relevant news or resources – things you’d want to share with your friends.  Post industry related news articles, or comment on current news.  Ask your fans for help!  Need opinions on a decision you’re making?  Or ask them to be part of promoting your org or an event and offer a raffle prize for participating fans.  Reuse old pictures, videos, or event descriptions – past work can be as fun to share as the cutting edge.  Find quotes (Check out Brainy Quote) and have “Quotable Tuesday”.  Be creative, have fun with it!  If it’s not fun for you, it won’t be fun for your fans.

Respond: Being responsive is very important, ignoring wall posts from fans can create an uncaring impression.  Check your wall fairly regularly, or make sure you get an email about new posts by going to “Edit Page” then “Your Settings” and turning on email notifications.  Responding to posts on your wall encourages conversation and takes advantage of the viral nature of FB.  More posts from your fans means you show up more in the news feeds of their friends.  So have a chat, thank them for their comment, or “like” a fan’s post.

Impactful Posts: What kinds of posts get higher interaction rates?  Not surprisingly, timing is important.  People interact on FB more often during their non-work hours.  This makes the best posting times after 2pm but before 5am and weekends.  Those times may be a bit inaccessible, but they’re good to keep in mind if you’re after high interaction rates.  Post tons of photos, they do better with fans than any other kind of post.  Post throughout the day, not all at once.  The more post, the you show up on news feeds, the more often fans will come to your page – but don’t overwhelm fans.  They can “hide” your news feed if your posts get annoying, so stay engaging and spread out posts.  Put “calls to action” in posts where you directly ask fans to “like,” “share,” or comment on a post.  Again, it doesn’t hurt; it only increases your chances of interaction.

In terms of generating content it may help to ask others in your org to interact with your page.  Approach your colleagues and share with them your ideas for a fun and engaging fan community.  Then ask for contributions when they have time: wall posts, commenting on the page’s status updates, sharing their own photos, etc.  Maybe make it part of an internal newsletter, or send out emails once in a while encouraging participation.

If you’ve worked on all this and you have time to do more, check out Facebook’s page for non-profits.  They have an excellent Non-Profit Guide, and helpful introductions to FB applications and features you may wish to add to your page.

The post Facebook Tips for Non-Profits appeared first on Media Cause.

Sorin is currently based in Uganda, doing volunteer work on the field to see the other side of promoting NGOs. Since signing up to volunteer with Media Cause in spring of 2011, Sorin has successfully completed challenges for over 8 nonprofits, helping them make the most of their Google grants. We have asked Sorin to share a few of his experiences and insights about volunteering with Media Cause to show what our community is all about and inspire others to join in!

How did you find out about Media Cause and why were you interested in volunteering?

I love being connected to the online industry world (mainly Google AdWords, actively reading blogs, searching for resources, and joining different online groups on LinkedIn. Media Cause founder Eric Facas posted a message in one of the groups I belong to on LinkedIn – an AdWords account of an NGO needed optimization. I contacted him, registered with mediacause.org, and began applying to different Google AdWords projects available in the platform that needed support in optimizing their accounts.

Experience was the first reason I became interested in joining Media Cause. I already had 3 years of experience in optimizing AdWords accounts, but needed bigger accounts and more experience. Volunteering was a real opportunity for me to develop other skills along with gaining access to other industries rather than the usual ones (travel, it &c, bank system etc). The NGO industry can be very competitive and if you succeed in driving results in that sector, you are an excellent specialist.

My second reason was helping NGOs first gain awareness of their cause, then taking it to the next stage in optimizing and targeting keywords for donations. Thirdly, I was interested in building an online portfolio. On a national stage, I already had an image and clients and was looking for the next step to go international. With so many good experts emerging in the field, this was a unique opportunity for me to expand worldwide.

Can you tell us about some of the AdWords challenges you have worked on?

My passion lies with NGOs that are helping people; the ones in need are the most vulnerable to all the changes (climate, economic) and we must help them first. Animals and other causes must come second. A real challenge for me in the beginning was to make the accounts functional; they were in very bad “shape”, had very low quality scores, and the traffic overall was very poor. I managed to raise the limit for all 5 Google grants accounts from $10,000 to $40,000 a month in less then 3 months.

Google grants accounts are different and limited at the same time. You cannot bid more than $1*, you cannot go on the display network and the competition is huge on many keywords. So you have to be very creative in creating the ads, looking for long tail keywords and so forth.

* Sorin contributed this blog post prior to Google’s bid increase announcement. Read more about that here: Google Grants Maximum CPC Moving from $1 to $2.

What is your most memorable Media Cause moment?

The joy in waking up every morning and checking the overall conversation rate for the accounts I manage, knowing that one conversion may mean helping or feeding 10 people! Another memorable moment was the kind words written by the Tiba Foundation in their blog post Volunteering Behind the Scenes.

What advice would you give others about volunteering with Media Cause?

It’s a great place to start a career in the online field. Experience means everything and Media Cause provides the opportunity to gain more while helping others. Don’t waste your time, join Media Cause, it’s worth it!

What tip(s) would you give to nonprofits looking to make the most out of their online marketing strategy?

Go professional. If you want to have results, seek out an online specialist, whether paid or pro-bono, in any field of marketing online: webpage creation, email marketing, SEO, Google AdWords, and so forth. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s important to understand how things are functioning in SEO or Adwords, even at the very basic level.

To find out more about Sorin Vlaicu, check out his Media Cause profile, look for him on LinkedIn, or follow his African Volunteering Adventures on www.kikijourney.com.

The post A Volunteer’s Perspective: Taking AdWords Global appeared first on Media Cause.

This was met with great fanfare from the non-profit organizations that are taking advantage of this tremendous marketing opportunity. The previous $1.00 CPC maximum bid has been in place since the beginning of the Google Grants program in the mid-2000s.

A lot has changed in paid search marketing since then. Thankfully, Google has stepped up and helped out non-profits by allowing them to remain competitive on Adwords with this adjustment.

In that same email Google also announced that it would be placing Google Grant ads below that of paid advertisers. The chatter among PPC world was that this could potentially nullify the bid increase and effectively punish those non-profits that were expertly managing their Google Grant.

The Data

Over the past month we have monitored both of these changes in the accounts that Media Cause manages. Media Cause offers paid management services by Google Certified professionals and also free services through our volunteer platform.

We manage over 65 Google Grant accounts. All of our Premium Accounts are managed by a Google Certified professional.

Our Strategy

On January 28th, we changed every keyword bid in both the professionally managed accounts and on the volunteer platform. We were not exactly sure what the result was going to be, namely because we didn’t truly know how Google was implementing the “Grant ads will appear below paid ads” policy. We figured it was better to err on the side of caution and shoot for at least the #2 ad placement position. Also, on some of our GrantsPro accounts we have no been spending our entire $40,000 a month budget and we hate leaving free money on the table, so we hypothesized that this would allow us to get into more expensive keyword auctions.

The Result

Mixed bag. We took a look at seven key performance indicators:

• Account Spend
• Impressions
• Clicks
• Click-Through-Rate
• Cost Per Click
• Conversions
• Conversion Rate
• Average Position

Premium Accounts – Grantspro

With Premium GrantsPro accounts we saw an average increase of 54% in total spend and a 93% increase in CPC ($.65 to $1.27).  Some accounts saw an increase in impressions, others didn’t. Some saw an increase in conversions, others didn’t. There were no big “Ah Ha!” moments when looking at the premium accounts data at first glance – except for one – average position remained flat (2.89 versus 2.97).

Media Cause Data on Google GrantsPro accounts

Volunteer platform Accounts – standard Google Grant accounts

Accounts on our volunteer platform had a much more significant benefit from the $2.00 CPC bid raise. Results below are from 50 standard Google Grant Accounts.

• Clicks rose 3.93%
• Impressions rose 37.97%
• CTR declined (expectantly) 24.67%
• Avg CPC increased 52.64%
• Spend increased 58.64%
• Avg position went from 3.2 to 3.63
• Conversions increased 8.59%

Media Cause data on Google Grants accounts managed on our volunteer platform

Bottom Line

Increasing the bid to $2.00 won’t necessarily increase your effectiveness with the Google Grant program. We wish it were that easy. Truth of the matter is Google Adwords is a sophisticated marketing tool. Our data shows on accounts that were professional managed we didn’t see any significant positive effects. In fact, we saw a drop in conversions by 15%, which can be attributed to the fact we were paying more for clicks than in the previous month and that reduced the amount of clicks we received overall – this stymied our conversion numbers. Our approach of raising all of the keyword bids in the account was incorrect, and we will need to take a closer look at individual keyword bids based on conversion numbers and cost-per-conversion to see which keyword bids are actually worth raising. An important note to make is our professionally managed accounts have been managed by an Adwords certified professional and are continually optimized for conversion. These account were already performing at very high standards previous to the CPC bid change.

On the other hand the Volunteer platform accounts are not managed as heavily and showed immediate positive effects. Namely, these accounts were able to get more impressions, thus more clicks. The $2.00 CPC change allowed these accounts to spend more money out of their budget, but the jumps in spend didn’t have a reciprocating effect on conversion.

When thinking about your approach for your Google Grant, be sure to look at what you overall goals are with Adwords. It shouldn’t be getting more clicks and traffic. Ultimately, that doesn’t mean much if you are not doing anything with the traffic. While raising your bids across the board to $2.00 will give short-term gains, it is best to have an effective conversion strategy in place and then start spending your budget wisely as it effects those conversions.

To learn more about Media Cause’s Google Grant management program, please click over or shoot us a line. We are always happy to share our knowledge.

The post Google Grants $2 CPC Bid Change – A month after appeared first on Media Cause.

A landing page is “a standalone web page distinct from your main website, that has been designed with a single focused objective in mind.” For example, the goal may be to get users to sign up for a free trial or download a free Ebook in exchange for providing information, such as their name and email address.

Why are landing pages important?

Landing pages are an essential element of your Google Grants strategy and lead to its overall success by increasing your conversion rates. For example, San Francisco-based Futures Without Violence (FWV) wasn’t having any difficulty using Google Grants to get users to their website -the issue was that most visitors to their site only stayed for a few minutes and didn’t return. They needed to form a long-term relationship with these visitors in order to create true value from their Google Grant.

The solution? Landing pages. We created a strategy to build custom landing pages that collected email addressed from FWV supporters. To implement the strategy we used resources that FWV already had available. We discovered through Google Analytics the top downloaded fact sheets and created landing pages that offered these fact sheets to supporters in exchange for their email address. Fast-forward to a couple months later, and FWV was now adding 1,000+ emails per a month and growing. Adding a few best-practice landing pages made a huge impact on the value of Google Grants for FWV.

So, how can you create effective landing pages?

There are 7 main elements that make up the anatomy of a landing page. Below you will find brief descriptions, examples and tips on how to create a successful landing page.

1) Headline

Attention spans are short and there is a plethora of content competing for your eyes’ gaze, especially when surfing the black hole that is the interwebs – therefore, your goal is to attract the attention of your viewer and “communicate your core value proposition” as clearly and concisely as possible. The headline is often the first thing the reader sees, and you want to make sure they can understand what you are offering before they can even think about clicking to another page.

*TIPS:

• Use simple, concise language that gets straight to the point
• Write in the second person and using action-oriented language to help capture the reader’s attention.
• Be consistent! Make sure the headline matches your ad copy and call-to action text. For example, if your visitors click on an ad telling them to download a fact sheet, they are expecting to be directed to a page where they can do just that. Make it obvious that they’re in the right place when they arrive on your landing page by keeping your ad copy, headline and copy consistent. (And keep in mind that your headline is important for your Google AdWords quality score too)

Example: The ad copy the viewer sees matches the landing page copy.

2) Copy & Format

The body of your landing page should further describe what your offer is and why visitors should download or sign up for it – therefore, your goal is to make clear the benefits of completing the form and answer the question “What’s in it for me?” You need to not only create and deliver value in the offer itself, but also convey that value on your landing page.

*TIPS:

• Content should never be longer than 5 lines
• Proofread – Make sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors
• Write in a way that tells the viewer how the product or service will benefit them or their organization by writing benefit-based sentences

The format of your landing page is equally to the success of your landing page as the content. Format your page in a way that makes it easy for viewers to understand the offer, the value, and the action they need to day. Your goal should be to convey the top 3 or 4 most important pieces of information almost immediately. Your formatting style should draw your viewers’ attention to the key components of your page very quickly, allowing them to take in and process the information in a shorter amount of time.

*TIPS:

• Use bullet points and numbering to simplify the visual layout of the text
• Use bold or italicized text to highlight main focus points

3) Image

Images catch a viewer’s attention instantly – your goal is to use a relevant and captivating image that reinforces the benefits of your offer. This serves as a way to further engage and entice the visitor to complete the form.

 *TIPS:

• You can also use videos to explain the offer or give additional information as another fun way to convince your visitors to fill out the form.
• When possible, it’s better to create an original photo or video demo rather than using a stock photo.

4) Form

The form is a crucial element of your landing page, since this is where the conversion takes place. The main questions to answer are what to include and how long to make it – Your goal should be to collect enough information through your form to enable you to both contact and qualify the lead. Or as Unbounce puts it:

To entice someone to complete your form you need to match the perceived effort involved in completing it (the length and personal nature of the form and it’s questions), with the ‘size of the prize’ (the item you offer in return, such as a discount, an ebook or a webinar registration).

*TIPS:

• Make sure the form appears above the fold – You don’t want the viewer to have to scroll down the page in order to see it.
• Form Headline – Clearly state what action the viewer can execute on this page.
• Make the form stand out on the page – Surrounding it with a colored box helps isolate it from the rest of the content.
• Privacy and Security – Many people are hesitant when asked to provide sensitive information. You need to show your visitors that they can trust you with their information; a simple way to do this is by including a link to your privacy policy.

5) Call-To-Action (CTA)

Your CTA is the action you are asking the user to complete (such as download a fact sheet). You want your CTA button to be engaging and relevant to your offer – Your goal is to create an effective CTA button that grabs the user’s attention and entices them to click. 

*TIPS:

• Text such as “Click Here” and “Go” perform better than “Submit”.
• Use negative space effectively – Make your CTA button stand out from surrounding content and command attention by incorporating blank space between your content and your CTA button.
• Size - Make your button large enough to stand out without overwhelming the design.
• Color - Make sure the color you use sets the button apart without clashing with the page’s overall design. Contrasting colors are a good way to make your CTA stand out more.
• Language - Use simple and direct language. You want visitors to know exactly what they’ll get when they click.

6) Logo and Hidden Navigation Bar

DO: Add your logo to your landing page – this makes it look more credible and helps garner the viewer’s trust.

DON’T: Include a navigation bar along the top or bottom of the site – this increases the likelihood that the visitor will get distracted and click away to another part of the site before filling out the form. You can bring back your navigation and keep the visitor moving through the site with other offers on the thank you page after the form has been completed.

7) Thank You Page

This is the page that users are directed to after completing the form. Take advantage of the viewer’s attention by asking them to do something else after the conversion. For example, this is an ideal time to ask them to sign up for your newsletter or join you on social networks.

Looking for a platform to create best-practice landing pages for your organization? Media Cause is a big supporter of Unbounce, a cloud-based software that makes it easy to create, publish and test landing pages. And the best part? They offer a SERIOUSLY GENEROUS discount price for non-profits.

You’re armed and ready to create compelling and effective landing pages – So get out there and start getting the most value out of Google Grants by turning visitors into active supporters.

The post How to Create Effective Landing Pages for Your Non-Profit appeared first on Media Cause.

Why should your nonprofit use Google Grants?

Google Grants is an in-kind grant of $10,000 every month for advertising on Google.com available for nonprofits who qualify.  That’s free money to promote your nonprofit online! Google Grants ads will show up at the top of search results and in the side bar. With over 400 million Google searches performed each day you can make a huge impact in the visibility of your nonprofit online by utilizing Google Grants.

Don’t over think it, just sign up today!

Step 1: Apply to Google for Nonprofits

Signing up for Google for Nonprofits is easy. It is not a typically grant application, it will literally take less than 10 minutes. Go to the sign up page (pictured above), review the eligibility requirements to make sure your nonprofit qualifies, and click the “Apply to Google for Nonprofits” button. The next page which will prompt you to login with your Google email account or create a new one to use for Google for Nonprofits. Once you have entered your EIN and email the next step is the application (pictured below), which asks for only 8 fields of information.

After submitting the application set yourself a reminders to check back in 1-2 months incase you miss the follow up email from Google for Nonprofits. According to Google the process of accepting a nonprofit can take up to several months.

Step 2: Once Approved, Register for Google Grants

Google Grants is the nonprofit edition of AdWords. As soon as you receive an approval email from Google for Nonprofits you have to log into the interface and register by selecting the Google Grants option (pictured below). Follow the step by step instructions from Google and make sure you do not enter payment info, as this will disqualify your account from Google Grants. Ignore the notifications prompting you to enter payment info. Once the Google Grants team processes your grant the notifications will disappear.

In addition to Google Grants, Google for Nonprofits gives you access to a host of useful tools including Google Apps for Nonprofits, YouTube for Nonprofits, and Google Earth Outreach. Register for other programs if you think they will be helpful to your organization.

Step 3: Get Help Setting Up and Managing Google Grants

Congratulations! Now that you are enrolled for Google Grants it is finally time to use that $10,000 a month to benefit your nonprofit. Media Cause offers Google Grants solutions for all nonprofits regardless of budget. Our agency services focus on maximizing real value from Google Grants. We align Google Grants with our clients’ organizational goals to make sure that we’re not just sending traffic to a webpage but also achieving a positive return on investment (ROI). Check out this Google Grants Case Study to learn more and contact us if you would like to learn more.

For smaller nonprofits our volunteer marketing community is the perfect fit. Sign up with us here and let our search marketing volunteers help you launch your first Google Grants campaigns.

If you have any questions along the way don’t hesitate to ask us. We are always here to help: email us at connect@mediacause.org or connect with us on Twitter & Facebook.

The post Getting Started with Google Grants appeared first on Media Cause.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to grow our advertising program for nonprofits, we are making two changes to the Grants program. First, as of January 28, 2013, Google Grantees may bid up to $2.00 USD on keywords. This is an increase from the previous CPC bid cap of $1.00 USD and may allow your ads to enter auctions previously unavailable at the $1.00 bid cap. Second, to balance the interests of businesses who pay to advertise on Google search, your ads will now appear below the ads of traditional AdWords advertisers.”

THANK YOU GOOGLE!

NOT SO FAST

The second half of the announcement isn’t as exciting. It’s premature to freakout over the consequences of dropping Google Grants ads below paid advertisers but we’ll be keeping a close eye on how this affects performance.

What do you think?

The post Google Grants Maximum CPC Moving From $1 to $2 appeared first on Media Cause.

Pinterest was 2012’s social super star – exploding into the digital world and adding over 11 million users in less than a year. But the true potential here is not the expanding number of users, but the demographics of these individuals. Pinterest is being used predominantly by women between the ages of 25 and 44. This demographic is especially beneficial for non-profits; these are the women and moms who are not only making most of the household buying decisions, but also the ones that do the most giving.

In addition, Pinterest now offers accounts for non-profits and business to further take advantage of this social network. These accounts allow you verify your Web sites and easily add “follow” and “pin it” buttons to your site.

*Psst: Check out Pinterest for Business page to find additional tools and guidelines, as well as examples of how a variety of organization’s are using Pinterest.

How is this any different from Facebook/Twitter/other Social Networks?

I’ll admit, when I heard the buzz around Pinterest, my first instinct was “Great, another social media platform I have to learn and feel obligated to be a part of.” Fast-forward to three days and a hundred pins later, and I realized that I had quickly become a pinning addict (at this rate I’ll be attending Pinners Anonymous in the very near future).

So what makes it so different from Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc…? Three things: the content, the interaction and the experience.

The first is the most obvious, unlike Facebook or Twitter, Pinterest is all about the images. It is like being able to look through 50 magazines at once, tear out all the pictures you like, and avoid any guilt about how you skipped all of the actual writing. It’s pretty much a picture book for grown-ups, which is not only awesome, but also makes Pinterest less work than Facebook and Twitter. You don’t have to scroll through posts or tweets, or click on links to read the article being referenced.

Secondly, while you can comment on other people’s pins, the most common form of interaction is through re-pinning or liking. This low-maintenance is definitely a big part of the appeal; it is less demanding or involved as Facebook or Twitter and doesn’t have the same “real-time” urgency.

Lastly, Pinterest also has a very different vibe from Facebook or Twitter. Facebook seems to be all about “me, me, me” – look at these pictures from this super cool party I went to and read my status about how I’m having more fun than you right now – whereas Pinterest has a unique DIY, hip and inspirational vibe. Users on Pinterest are seeking a creative and fun outlet to share images of their virtual bucket list and looking for new things to try and ways to improve life.

This is where it could fit right in with non-profits – “while big brands may struggle to tap into the cool, organic culture, nonprofits have a real opportunity to connect with people’s hearts.” They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; well this is the female equivalent – tasty visual treats that tap right into the soul. “Few things evoke human empathy and emotions more than pictures” and done right, Pinterest can help non-profits build awareness for their cause by providing a visual layout to connect with their followers.

So, should your non-profit be on it?

Of course, just because Pinterest is the new hot thing, doesn’t mean that everyone should jump on the bandwagon. Before joining, Mike Duerksen outlines a couple key questions to ask your self: 

• Do you have rich, captivating images to share? Just because content comes in the form of visuals, doesn’t mean that it isn’t any less important.
• Are you already on other social platforms? Pinterest is a nice complement and easy to integrate with your Facebook, Twitter, and/or blog account, but I wouldn’t recommend it the platform to start building an online presence.
• Do you have the resources to do it well? While Pinterest doesn’t involve the same kind of user-interaction, it will still require time and attention to do it right. Make sure you have someone who can devote the adequate energy into another media outlet, and that this individual has a creative eye. Pinterest users are “cool, trendy and savvy” and will “sniff you out quickly if you’re not” – so doing it just because everyone else is won’t hold any benefit for your organization.  
• Do you place value on SEO? The pins you post are also linked back to the original source, so if you post engaging pictures and videos that link back to your website you will have the added bonus of increased traffic to your site – both a SEO bonus and an additional way to gain new members and buzz around your cause.

I answered “yes,” now what?

Well before you go pin-crazy, it’s important to establish a strategy to increase followers and a set of goals you want Pinterest to accomplish for your organization.

Getting Started – Strategy For Building Followers

      I. Promote through other channels. The fastest way to get your Pinterest presence off the ground is by promoting it through other digital platforms. This can be done through the following ways:

• Add the Pinterest follow button to your website
• Promote your presence on Pinterest through your other social networks by encouraging your supporters on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ to follow your pins
• Write blog posts to promote Pinterest account
• Follow like-minded Pinterest users you would want to follow you back

     II. Make the best boards on a specific topic. Become the expert for a certain subject or topic relating to your non-profit’s mission/cause. This will set you apart from other pinners and create a compelling reason for users to want to follow you.

  III. Engage with other pins. Don’t just pin, re-pin. Follower users you admire and re-pin images that resonate with your organization’s mission and overall story. This will enhance your engagement with users. You can also get your present supporters involved by adding a “pin it” button to your website or blog which will make it easy for visitors to highlight your cause.

Keep in mind that you can also pin videos. This could be a way to give more information on your cause or as a powerful call to action. For example, an inspiring video could share a story of an individual whose life has been changed because of your help and how it also changed your life to volunteer and be part of your organization. You can pin videos right from YouTube, so if you already have a YouTube channel you can pin those in a simple click.

Your Pinterest Goal – Pin for A Reason

While these steps will help you build your presence on Pinterest, the type of boards you create should be determined by the goals you set. These goals will not only help you establish a content strategy, but also help you evaluate your progress on the platform.

The secret is all about “figuring out who you really are, and allowing your supporters to find the many ways that your work connects, inspires, and engages them”. Keep in mind that your audience is looking for ideas and inspirations and the visual content you share should speak to that desire.

The following are a variety of ways you can utilize Pinterest to support your marketing goals:

• Inspire – Focus on compiling a collection of boards that are in alignment with your mission statement, and create multiple opportunities for followers to find inspiration. For example, NRDC BioGems has created boards that share a variety of images and information, which provides interesting content for its wide range of supporters – whether they’re crafters, outdoor lovers, parents, children, or friends of animals.

• Strengthen Brand Identity – Reinforce your organization’s branding throughout your Pinterest page and boards by pinning images that incorporate your organization’s colors, and by creating boards with images of your non-profits events and people. For example, Jumpstart highlights it’s employees through the board Our People, which helps Pinterest users gain a more personal connection to the individuals behind the organization.

• Position your non-profit as a thought leader and expert – Create boards dedicated to providing information specific to your industry. For example, AARP has positioned itself as the leader in life after 50 by creating boards “dedicated to information on Social Security and How to Save for Retirement.”
  

• Drive Traffic to your website – Drive traffic back to your website, thus increasing your visitors and improving SEO. Mother Nature Network has done a nice job of this by creating boards with pins that bring users back to their website. Keep in mind, you need to strike a balance between self-promotion and including other’s content in order to keep your followers – MNN has done this through their Save the Climate! board that features pins from a variety of users that focus on the issue of climate change and clean energy.

• Foster relationships – Pinterest can help foster multiple kinds of relationships. One option is to promote companies whose ideals are in alignment with your non-profit through a board such as Products We Love or Wish List, where you could pin companies you admire for their philanthropy. Furthermore, you can also use Pinterest in this way to support corporate partners as part of a larger cause marketing campaign.  Unicef USA has done this through its boards Gifts that Give Back and Inspired Gifts.

Pinterest can also be used as a way to publicly thank your dedicated        volunteers and supporters. Abroaderview has done a great job doing this through creating boards that spotlight their volunteers around the world.  This not only allows your organization to give a special “shout out” to volunteers, but also allows your constituency as a whole to see their support and donations at work. 

• Educate – Pinterest can be used to promote causes and to inform people about your non-profits mission. For example, Amnesty International USA includes boards to both promote fair trade goods, as well as inform people about human rights violations. This is done through pinning must-reads under their Human Rights Reading List board, infographics pinned to a Facts board, and teaching guides for elementary age children under their Little Activists board.

• Call to Action - For example, the Humane Society of New York pins adorable images of fluffy critters needing a home, a board sharing photos of animals that have been adopted, and a Wish List of items needed at pet shelters.

Remember, like other social networks, Pinterest isn’t an outlet to just blatantly promote your organization. Users are drawn to the organic nature of the sharing on this network and will definitely be turned off if you are constantly shoving your cause down their throat (or eyes). Instead, have fun with it and be creative – pin images that capture the core values and lifestyle of your non-profit and you’ll attract the attention of potential donors and volunteers who share those same interests. Images are a powerful form of communication, and the right kind of picture really can be worth 1000 words (which is a whole heck of a lot of tweets).

The post Pinterest for Non-Profits: Pin for a Reason appeared first on Media Cause.

When I first began hearing about the platform, I have to admit that I didn’t “get” it. I really didn’t understand how it worked, let alone the value in broadcasting random thoughts – why do I care what Justin Bieber ate for breakfast? As the platform has developed (and I put a little more effort into understanding it), it has continually evolved into a news and networking source – a place to send short, specific information to supporters, partners, and like-minded organizations while reaching out to potential new connections. Your organization may be toying with the idea of getting Twitter up and running, but are you intimidated by the platform? Here are a few explanations of the aspects of Twitter that might seem a little scary:

1. Twitter moves pretty fast.

If you “follow” more than 20 people, the home feed can seem fairly daunting if you’re trying to keep up with what everyone is saying. One great way to make retaining information more approachable is Twitter’s “List” feature. Almost like a digital filing cabinet of information stored on Twitter, you can organize those you follow into categories. Lists can be either public or private, which allows you to also peruse who others are following and what they find important. For more on lists, check out tadahsocialmedia.com’s Twitter Lists: What they are and how to use them. Hashtags are also a great way to sift through Twitter.

2. #Hashtags.

At first glance, hashtags can confuse, irritate, distract, and amuse you as you peruse through Twitter. Hashtags can help you seek out important information, follow conversations you care about, or participate in chats with like-minded individuals or organizations.

The best way to think about hashtags is the organization of keywords or topics. It’s another great way to utilize Twitter as a digital filing cabinet. Once you approach them as a way to seek out the content your looking for or for others to find your content, they become much more approachable. Popular hashtags often times appear as trending topics, so utilizing these in your tweets can help include your organization when people search for a particular topic and is an easy way to connect with new users. Sometimes it’s important to remember to #keep #your #hashtag use in #check. Pick the most important topics and try to limit yourself to no more than 2 relevant hashtags per tweet.

Looking for some info on social media for nonprofits? Here are a few hashtags to get you started: #sm4np, #sm4sg, #nptech.

3. The @ symbol (AKA a mention).

Included in front of user names / handles, this symbol can also be a bit distracting and confusing if you are new to Twitter-land. It is used to tag other Twitter users in your messages, reply to individual tweets, and start/join conversations. Often times, users will include a mention to encourage others to share information, but it can also be used as a conversational tool. You can also utilize this feature to give props to organizations you love or site content sources.

Want to spark a conversation with Media Cause? Check us out: @mediacause.

4. What do you mean I only have 140 characters?!

Members of the nonprofit sector are definitely not short on passion. The best (and worst) part about Twitter for many users is the limited amount of space to get your message across. One benefit of the character limit is that it forces you to get rid of unnecessary ”fluff”, allowing you to communicate precise information and pick out the essential points you’d like to communicate. For your supporters, it’s a great way to keep tabs on organizations they care about and an easy way for them to aid in promotion. Stressed about shortening your latest blog post to fit the character limit? Don’t forget that you can always include a link!

5. Time management.

Many nonprofits avoid Twitter because they feel they don’t have the time or resources to manage a presence on the platform. While there may need to be a few adjustments to daily schedules and a some extra time added on to your organization’s marketing strategy, there are tools available to help make the platform more approachable and less time consuming. The best place to get started (and easiest way to get organized) is to formulate a social media content calendar that coincides with your overall strategy. Hubspot provides a great template to get started or model after.

As far as tweeting, there are several tools available to nonprofits of all shapes and sizes. Hootsuite is a great free (up to 5 profiles) social media management tool that allows you to schedule tweets in advance and keep tabs on the lists and hashtags you care about. Sprout Social is also one of my favorite social media management tools. It’s relatively inexpensive and allows for easy collaboration between multiple managers as well as scheduling and detailed engagement reports. Here at Media Cause, we also offer a variety of search and social media services to help your nonprofit make the most out of digital marketing.

Feeling a little less intimidated? Jump right in! If your still looking for a little more insight, feel free to ask questions below or on the Media Cause Facebook wall.

#HappyTweeting

The post 5 Reasons #Nonprofits are #Intimidated by @Twitter appeared first on Media Cause.

We have all Googled it before, “What is the value of a Facebook Like?” There are many answers to the question and most of them are completely wrong. Even worse, most “answers” actually set such a bad expectation for non-profits that they lose sight on the tremendous value Facebook can have for an organization’s mission.

When I set out to write this post I thought I would present some resounding evidence that would debunk all of the myths associated with calculating the worth of a Facebook like. I realized in my research that there are some folks smarter and more articulate than me that have already done the leg-work. I am going to try and whittle it down to some digestible chunks that prove the point and let each of you go on the same voyage I did in discovering the value of a Facebook like.

Spoiler Alert: There is no measurable value in an individual Facebook Like. But there is measurable value to Facebook when approaching it as a platform, rather than a collection of individuals. This means we can’t think about Facebook Likes the same way we think about email or direct mail or any other vertical donor model. The power, dare I say, the beauty of Facebook or any social media platform, is that you are able to reach users that you were not previously connected. Social Media allows for people to share your organizations content, your mission well beyond you own broadcast capabilities – often out of your control and measure. For this reason we need new ways of thinking and modeling our return on investment and new strategies on how to get the most out of them.

What does the research say?

Starting Point Zero

Almost three years ago Forrester Research wrote a blog about the value of a Facebook Fan (Can we also start calling them “Fans” again in 2013?). While we rely on Forrester for providing great research this blog post catered to our more philosophical side stating simply – Facebook Fans have no value unless you do something with them.

If you find it concerning to think of Facebook fans as valueless, perhaps you might consider the difference between potential value and realized value.  There is an appropriate and interesting corollary in the world of high school physics:  If you lift a ball off the ground and hold it stationary, it has no kinetic energy but it does have potential energy; drop the ball, and the potential energy becomes kinetic energy.  Facebook fans are like that — all potential energy until you introduce something that creates kinetic energy.  As such, the operative question isn’t, “What is the value of a Facebook Fan?”  but “How do I make my Facebook fans valuable?”

 

Mathematical Savants And Self-professed Digital Alchemists

This maybe one of the funnier lines to come out of digital marketing nerdom (of which Media Cause is a proud member). Olivier Blanchard wrote the book on calculating Social Media ROI (literally). His blog takes to task the absurd valuation people (read section heading again) make about the value of a Facebook like: $1.07 (Source: WSJ), $3.60 (source: Vitrue), $136.38 (source: Syncapse). Oliver lays out his 5 rules to keep in mind when trying to calculate the value of a Facebook Like:

• A Facebook fan’s value is not the same as the cost of that fan’s acquisition.
• A Facebook fan’s value is relative to his or her purchasing habits (and/or influence on others’ purchasing habits).
• Each Facebook fan’s value is unique.
• A Facebook fan’s value is likely to be elastic.
• A Facebook fan’s value varies from brand to brand and from product to product.

This is great advice for brands who have a singular mission on social media – drive sales. For non-profits we need to nuance our understanding of Oliver’s rules just a bit. For that, let us jump to the next reading.

The Vortex Model

In November last year, Julie Dixon and Denise Keyes of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication wrote an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review entitled, The Permanent Disruption of Social Media. In the article they introduce the vortex model of fundraising. While we don’t believe that the primary role of social media for non-profits is fundraising, there are three interesting points the authors make to help us better understand how to measure the impact of Facebook.

• Diversifying calls-to-action - The emphasis can no longer be just about donation. Social media audiences require more actions to take and these should vary depending on the level of commitment (read slacktivism to activism).
• Redefining contribution - The diversifying of calls-to-action means that we need to establish a monetary value to these other actions. This is where non-profits have a challenge and need to start thinking like for-profits to be able to gain efficiencies by establishing how to get more value out of their outreach.
• Sustaining Continuous Communication – Non-profits struggle to keep up with the speed and resources needed to be effective on social media. It requires continuous output and engagement that is far from traditional models of one-way communication implemented by non-profits for decades.

What does this all mean?

What do we know at this point? Facebook Fans (that’s right I said it in 2013) have no inherent value unless you do something with them. Calculating the value of a Facebook Like is not a simple task, if possible at all. We can’t apply learning from brands directly to non-profits without taking into consideration the multiple ways Facebook users can get involved with a non-profit. And finally that we need to assign values to these additional calls-to-action if we want to truly value the return on investment non-profits makes on Facebook.

For non-profits it means stop trying to figure out the value of a Facebook like and start figuring out the value of Facebook as a platform. It means looking at everything you are putting into operating successfully on Facebook and measure what you are getting out of it. Hard data. Real numbers. Below we take what we hope is just a first pass at an equation to help non-profits figure this out. It is by no means definitive, but a starting block that can be morphed to fit your organization’s unique communications plan.

Doing The Math

OUTPUT (emails, donations, actions, page views (sponsorship)) – INPUT (time/money/agency/software/content/advertising) = ROI

First, we need to assess all of the inputs (costs) that go into the equation:

• Time - How much staff time goes into your social media efforts? What is the value of that time?
• Agency Costs – Are you working with an agency to assist or run your social media? How much are you paying them? Monthly retainer? Project basis?
• Media Costs – Are you spending money to advertise on social media platforms?
• Content Production Costs - Are there costs associated with purchasing images, producing videos, creating infographics? Is there more staff time devoted to modifying this content before posting?
• Software Costs – Do you use social media monitoring/publishing tools? Or custom tab creators?

Every organizations inputs are going to vary, but the exercise is an important one. Some of these variables might not be exclusive for social media. For example, you might produce a video that is being used for a presentation to board members and have repurposed it for Facebook use. You will have to make percentage estimates on costs like these.

Next, we need to assess all of the outputs (value) for the equation:

• Donations - How many donations can your track as originating from Facebook? This is much more difficult than it sounds and requires a tool like Google Analytics integrated with your payment processing platform. If you can’t tell where your donations are coming from online, then how do you know where to focus your efforts?
• Website Traffic – Have you assigned a value to visitors to your site? Do you have sponsorship placements on your site that make it easier to determine these values?
• Email capture – Are you capturing new emails through Facebook? What value have you assigned to email?
• Actions – What is the value of an advocacy action? A new volunteer signup? What ever the calls-to-actions are on your site need to have a value to your organization. This might be a lot of leg work, but there is tremendous benefit beyond Facebook for know the answer to these questions
• Brand Awareness – This is always a difficult thing to measure, because it varies for every organization.

What you put in during one quarter might not payoff right away. It might take until the end of the year to payoff, so it is important to constantly track this equation and looking at trending over time to anticipate when Facebook because a revenue positive platform.

Bottom Line

There is no value in a Facebook Like, only in Facebook as a platform. Measure your ROI on Facebook by calculating the resources needed to run your efforts against what you are accomplishing. Having a better understanding of the ROI your organization has on Facebook will help you plan and allocate resources better in the future. This will become increasingly more important as digital natives become a larger chunk of your supporters and expect to engage with your organization on these mediums.

The post Value of a Facebook Like for Non-profits in 2013 appeared first on Media Cause.

Himanshu, based in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, is an Analytics Manager at Euro RSCG and also Google Analytics Certified. Since signing up to volunteer with Media Cause over a year ago, Himanshu has successfully completed challenges for over 16 nonprofits, tracking with Google Analytics, websites optimization, Google Grants, and SEO audits. We have asked Himanshu to share a few of his experiences and insights about volunteering with Media Cause to show what our community is all about and inspire others to join in!

How did you find out about Media Cause and why were you interested in volunteering?

Himanshu: Well, it’s an interesting story. I was searching for some information regarding NGOs here in India and was trying to research ways to get involved in volunteering and I ended up on the Media Cause website. What a perfect journey, I found exactly what I was looking for. Though it is not based in India, volunteer work and NGO/NPO are not limited by boundaries, which is the same message I got  from Media Cause where everything was built to help organizations worldwide. I registered the same day and have been volunteering with Media Cause for 1 year and 4 months!

It gives me immense pleasure to work as a volunteer, I feel volunteering comes more out of love and a desire to help others. I really feel joy when I am able to use my knowledge to help organizations solve problems.

Can you tell us about some of the challenges you have worked on?

Himanshu: It’s been more than a year since I began my relationship with Media Cause and I have worked on challenges that range from web analytics and SEO to auditing a website and optimizing Google Grants. I have given feedback, suggestions, and tips to optimize websites and use of social media. For me each challenge was unique and I really enjoyed volunteering, and look forward to continuing to do so in future.

What is your most memorable Media Cause moment?

Himanshu: I really enjoyed being a part of the Media Cause community, each and every interaction excites me, whether it’s a “Thumbs Up”, Awards, or just a new project. I love participating in the community and it really sparks me to boost my volunteer instinct.

What advice would you give others about volunteering with Media Cause?

Himanshu:  I would strongly recommend others join Media Cause as it is the perfect platform where you get a chance to excel your skills, from online marketing skills to social media marketing to SEO. The best part about Media Cause is the community and the people. Everyone is so kind and dedicated to help you get going, be it the management or the other community members.

You’ll get really exciting opportunities to showcase your skills, participate in Job Auditions, a chance to work with Google Grants (which will help you gain expertise in PPC) and social media, etc. You will not be disappointed!

What tip(s) would you give to nonprofits looking to make the most out of their online marketing strategy?

Himanshu: First of all, I would like to welcome them to Media Cause! It is a great place and one stop solution where they can rely on volunteers and their skills. A perfect place to make things happen in a social way.

The other tip I would like to give them is to educate themselves about the current technologies and the process involved before taking it to a next level. I know that a person from non-technical background might find it a bit difficult at first, but being aware of what is going to be done matters a lot. Check other volunteers’ Media Cause profiles and other social profiles to get more background on the person volunteering for your organization.

If you post a Google Grant challenge, please schedule your dates carefully and always give a room of 30 to 45 days if you are planning an event or promotions with fixed deadlines. Google Grants take manual verification and activation can take some time. You may end up in a mess if you haven’t planned ahead.

To find out more about Himanshu Dadhich, check out his Media Cause profile, look for him on LinkedIn, or follow him on Twitter: @18thTweet

The post A Volunteer’s Perspective: Worldwide Community appeared first on Media Cause.