NonProfit MissionCast

Digital & Social Media Tools for NonProfits Today

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Host Lisa Cole and guest Sandra Remey explore typical objections to social media and how to address the issues. Are you considering dipping your toes into social media? What is your entry strategy, and who is going to be actually doing the posting? Do you have a solid idea of what your organization’s digital “voice” will be and how it aligns with your traditional outreach?

See the transcript from this podcast below, and visit us on our company website at www.colecomm.biz for free resources for nonprofits.

MissionCast 01, Oct. 22, 2009

Exploring Social Media & Usual Objections

TRANSCRIPT, Epidsode #1:

“Greetings, and welcome to MissionCast, a bi-weekly podcast where we explore digital & social media tools for today’s nonprofit. Today is October 22^nd and I’m your host, Lisa Cole. With me on today’s show is Sandra Remey, of Remey Communications. Sandra, welcome….

Since this is our very first podcast, let’s talk a little bit about three things: 1) what listeners can expect on an ongoing basis; 2)  who we think might really benefit from this podcast; and 3)  what kinds of information we’ll be discussing in these shows.

First of all, I guess we should introduce ourselves a bit and talk about why are we doing this. We are both seasoned communications and PR pros with (gulp) over 40 years of combined experience helping both nonprofits and forprofits to get their story and message out to the public.  We are now both solo practitioners, and I know I really feel strongly about working with values-based organizations who have  philanthropic missions, and I want to help them help themselves by learning how to take advantage of the new digital and social resources available to them.

SO WHAT CAN LISTENERS EXPECT FROM THIS PODCAST? A focused, discussion (no rambling here!), 10 minutes or less, that brings together a mix of social marketing theory; current issues; relevant breaking tech news; and practical tips and tricks for applying social media to your nonprofit marketing mix. AND, we deliver this information to you in a portable, and time-shifted format: the audio podcast. In other words, you don’t have to consume it sitting at your computer at a specific set time. It’s available through iTunes as a subscription, and once you hit the “subscribe” button, it appears in your iTunes podcast library automatically, whenever a new episode is released. You can then listen to it whenever and wherever you want: in the gym, while you do your daily walk or jog, while you grocery shop, in the car, or waiting in the doctor’s office! How great is that! And If you don’t have an ipod or other mp3 player, YOU MUST GO GET ONE IMMEDIATELY to increase your personal efficiency and tackle the learning curve of Web 2.0 technology and social media. Our pledge to you is to be relevant, authentic, NEVER BORING, and ALWAYS respectful of your time.

Ok, so back to the basics:   WHO IS OUR AUDIENCE?

Basically, any nonprofit staff member who wants to learn how to use social media tools to get their message and story out can benefit from this information. Because once the organization decides to dip its toes into this media, it must be consistently fed and nurtured, which requires human capital.  Many organizations are using their volunteers or even interns, to help them keep their social networks going, but anyone and everyone in the organization can and should have a basic knowledge about these tools.

The bottom line is it’s really all about telling our story, isn’t…. in a compelling and transparent way, to be the Pied Piper for our causes, and to be tell our story with one consistent and compelling voice or brand. And any kind of technology that we think can help nonprofits do that will be fair game.

OKAY – SO – Enough with the background stuff already, what is our

Useful and practical information for today?

Well, we want to give listeners  some cannon fodder to use when trying to convince their board, CEO, or other stakeholder group that the organization should engage in social media and marketing. This is sort of a change management technique.

So, most CEO-types want to know, “Who else is doing this, and what has their experience been?”  SANDRA, What’s your take on that?

Well, here’s the statistical nugget:  recent research shows that in 2008 over 89 percent of all nonprofits had engaged in at least one form of social media, and usage had increased year-over-year compared to 2007. Online video and social networking represented the largest percentage increases in activity. And in terms of blogs,  this research shows the Fortune 500 with the least amount of corporate blogs (16%), the Inc. 500 with 39%, colleges and universities blogging at 41%, and charities now reporting 57% with blogs. By the way, if you go to our show notes at www.wordpress.missioncast.com, we have links to where you can download this research if you want to use it for a presentation or other purpose.

Overall, more than 80 percent of those studied feel that social media is at least “somewhat important” to their future strategy; and 45 percent responded that social media is very important to their fundraising strategy.

Ok, so nonprofits are getting their feet wet with social media; however, it may be that while nonprofits are dipping their toes into the social media waters, they are not going too deep yet. Seth Godin, the online marketing guru and author, published a recent rant that called out nonprofits for allegedly being overly resistant to change and not exhibiting enough risk-taking behavior. Here’s a quote from the rant:

“Take a look at the top 100 twitter users in terms of followers. Remember, this is a free tool, one that people use to focus attention and galvanize action. What? None of them are non-profits. Not one as far as I can tell. 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? Is there too much bureaucracy or too much fear to tell a compelling story in a transparent way?”

OK, so what do these two pieces of information have to do with our listeners? We’re sharing this information with you because it is sometimes hard to convince the powers that be inside our organizations that Twitter, for example, should be taken seriously as the business/marketing tool that it can be. The research shows that the NONE of the TOP 100 TWITTER USERS ARE NONPROFITS. (They tend to be celebrities, journalists, magazines, etc.)  FaceBook is not just for teens anymore but is being used by all ages, with businesses being the largest growth sector.  But when you talk to your boss or your board, you usually need cold hard facts, to help move the conversation off dead center and not lose the opportunities these tools represent. The truth is that nonprofits are leading the charge into social media, at least at the most basic level, and the early adopters will tend to reap more of the benefits then those who wait to jump on the band wagon until they think it’s safe. Let’s face it, the opportunity cost of not using these tools for fundraising, advocacy, and marketing purposes is growing by leaps and bounds.

So, just how DO you sell your senior management on getting a social media program up and running? Here are six reasons most organizations give for NOT doing social media, so we’re going to list them here and give you some good strategies for answering them.

Six Reasons Organizations Might Have for NOT Doing Social Media (be prepared to address these with your boss or board!)

1- Employees will waste time with social media.
Many large corporations block their employees from accessing the Internet altogether. Others try to block employees from accessing personal email or social networks like Facebook during work hours.

In May, 2009, according to emarketer, there were 29 million smartphones in the United States. That’s a lot of Internet access available to workers everywhere – and employers can’t stop us from accessing the Internet – on breaks, at lunch, in the bathroom, you name it.

The value to workers of having Internet access – in terms of research, communication, and speed – is far greater than the threat of lost productivity. Companies have a right to make policies and rules about personal use of the Internet, but blocking it during work just doesn’t make sense.

2- Haters will damage our brand. “What about the haters?” is the first question that comes up at my corporate and conference social media workshops. “What if people say bad, mean, nasty things about our brand?”

Well, there may be things you need to change about your brand, and in that case, you should thank them for letting you know what they are. Then you should make changes.

If you have built an online community that includes people who don’t hate you, that community will rise to your defense and they will handle the problem for you.
3- We’ll lose control of the brand.
Listen up: every person with a computer and even a tiny skill level has the tools to make their opinion about your brand heard by other people. They’re already talking about you.

Message control is an illusion. Give it up.

Your workers are talking about you in closed Facebook groups designed to keep you out so they can talk about you in peace. Your customers are emailing, Tweeting, Facebooking, and that old standby – calling – their friends about their experience with your brand. You don’t have control. You might as well join the conversation. At least that way you can influence what is being said.

4- Social media requires a real budget! It’s not really cheap, or free.
While many social media tools are free, knowing how to use them takes experience and perspective.

The boss’ friend’s high school or college kid can’t integrate social media into the company’s overall marketing. That requires experience and perspective. Having a large social network and a stellar online reputation helps too.

Just as there are carpenters who can knock together a book shelf and master carpenters who can create objects of genuine and lasting beauty, there are thousands of social media gurus (of all ages) who’ve never worked for an actual client. Hire them at your own peril.
5- They’re scared they’ll be sued.
Oh puh-lese. Isn’t that the Legal Dept talking? Lawsuits are a way of life in our litigious world, and social media is not appreciably increasing the liability exposure of those who engage in it. If anything, having established a strong social media network can actually work in your favor in the event of the need for a true crisis communication type of campaign. In a future post, we’ll be exploring how to structure an effective internal approval process for your social media posting activities.

6- They’re scared of giving away corporate secrets or that information on social networks will affect the stock price.
Since most of our listeners are nonprofits, this one isn’t really relevant as far as the stock price issue. However, If you don’t already have a social media policy, you need to create one, but things can and do happen over social media networks, and a social media policy helps all your constituents understand where you stand on participating in social media and how you expect it to be done in your organization.

If you don’t trust your employees to talk to customers, or to represent the brand, you need to look at 1) your hiring practices, 2) your training practices,

Well, that’s all we have time for today. Join us again next time, when our topic will be “The Naked CEO: To Blog Or Not To Blog.” This is Lisa Cole and Sandra Remey, bringing you “MissionCast,” the podcast that explores digital and social media tools for nonprofits that bring their voice and their brand to life.”

Bonus Link: Starbucks Social Media Monitoring & Community Help It Survive Brand Attack
Bonus links:

Brand Week: Kraft Shells Out $12 million for a Trumped up Double-Stuffed Oreo Campaign
David Berkowitz: The New Pricing Model for Social Media
How much does a social media campaign cost?

Bonus links: Everything you need to know about corporate social media policies Does your company have a corporate social media policy? IBM and Sun Do Jeremiah Owyang The Variance of Corporate Social Media Policies

All content copyright B.L. Ochman, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, with the attribution: By B.L. Ochman,

Nonprofit Organizations Lead the Way in Social Media Adoption – from Beth Kantor’s Blog

According to Society for New Communications Research Chair Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes and Eric Mattson of Financial Insite

Palo Alto, Calif., – June 29, 2009 – The nation’s largest nonprofit organizations have outpaced corporations and academic institutions in their adoption of social media, for the second year in a row, according to a new research study, “Still Setting the Pace in Social Media: The First Longitudinal Study of Usage by the Largest US Charities.” The study was conducted by Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes, Ph.D., Senior Fellow and Research Chair of the Society for New Communications Research and Chancellor Professor of Marketing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Eric Mattson, CEO of Financial Insite Inc., a Seattle-based research firm.

This landmark study compares organizational adoption of social media in 2007 and 2008 by the 200 largest charities in the United States as compiled annually by Forbes magazine. The study provides the first longitudinal look at social media adoption among the nonprofit sector, and demonstrates that social media has become an extremely important component of the communications strategy for US charities.

While Barnes’ and Mattson’s prior research has confirmed that the Fortune 500, the Inc. 500, US colleges and universities and charities have all increased their adoption of blogging between 2007 and 2008, charities are “out-blogging” them all for the second year in a row. Their latest research shows the Fortune 500 with the least amount of corporate blogs (16%), the Inc. 500 with 39%, colleges and universities blogging at 41%, and charities now reporting 57% with blogs.

Other key findings in this study include:

• In 2007, 75 percent of the respondents reported using at least one form of social media. One year later, 89 percent of these organizations are using at least one form of social media. Usage increased for every tool studied.
• Social networking and video blogging are now the most common tools used, with 79% of charities using each of them. Use of online video increased by 38 percent; social networking increased by 47 percent in the one-year period studied.
• In addition, the charities reported that they have begun to use Twitter.
• When asked if they felt their blogs were successful, approximately 90% of charities with blogs said yes. This finding is consistent with studies in business and academia that have consistently shown those using social media are satisfied and feel it provides positive results.
• Sixty-six percent of respondents in 2007 and 75% in 2008 report they monitor the Internet for buzz, posts, conversations and news about their institution. This compares with 54 percent of colleges and universities and 60 percent of the Inc. 500.
• More than 80 percent of those studied feel that social media is at least “somewhat important” to their future strategy; 45 percent responded that social media is very important to their fundraising strategy.

Godin’ Rant:

The problem with non

Non as in non-profit.

The first issue is the way you describe yourself. I know what you’re not but what are you?

Did you start or join this non-profit because of the non part? I doubt it. It’s because you want to make change. The way the world is just isn’t right or good enough for you… there’s an emergency or an injustice or an opportunity and you want to make change.

These organizations exist solely to make change. That’s why you joined, isn’t it?

The problem facing your group, ironically, is the resistance to the very thing you are setting out to do. Non-profits, in my experience, abhor change.

Take a look at the top 100 twitter users in terms of followers. Remember, this is a free tool, one that people use to focus attention and galvanize action. What? None of them are non-profits. Not one as far as I can tell. 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? Is there too much bureaucracy or too much fear to tell a compelling story in a transparent way?

Beth has a great post about the feeling of vertigo that non-profits get when they move from the firm ground of the tried and true to the anti-gravity that comes from leaping into change.

Where are the big charities, the urgent charities, the famous charities that face such timely needs and are in a hurry to make change? Very few of them have bothered to show up in a big way. The problem is same as the twitter resistance: The internet represents a change. It’s easy to buy more stamps and do more direct mail, scary to use a new technique.

Of course, some folks, like charity: water are stepping into the void and raising millions of dollars as a result. They’re not necessarily a better cause, they’re just more passionate about making change.

A few years ago I met with two (very famous) non-profits to discuss permission marketing and online fundraising and how they might have an impact. Each time, the president of the group was in the room. After about forty five minutes, the meetings devolved into endless lists of why any change at all in the way things were was absolutely impossible. Everyone looked to the president of the group for leadership, and when he didn’t say anything, they dissembled, stalled and evaded. Every barrier was insurmountable, every element of the status quo was cast in stone.  The president of the group was (he thought) helpless.

When was the last time you had an interaction with a non-profit (there’s that word again) that blew you away?

Please don’t tell me it’s about a lack of resources. The opportunities online are basically free, and if you don’t have a ton of volunteers happy to help you, then you’re not working on something important enough. The only reason not to turn this over to hordes of crowds eager to help you is that it means giving up total control and bureaucracy. Which is scary because it leads to change.

If you spend any time reading marketing blogs, you’ll find thousands of case studies of small (and large)  innovative businesses that are shaking things up and making things happen. And not enough of these stories are about non-profits. If your non-profit isn’t acting with as much energy and guts as it takes to get funded in Silicon Valley or featured on Digg, then you’re failing in your duty to make change.

The marketing world has changed completely. So has the environment for philanthropic giving. So have the attitudes of a new generation of philanthropists. But if you look at the biggest charities in the country, you couldn’t tell. Because they’re ‘non’ first, change second.

Sorry if I sound upset, but I am. The work these groups do is too important (and the people who work for them are too talented) to waste this opportunity because you are paralyzed in fear.