The Math and Science of Social and Mobile Media: A Spreadsheet to Track Your Fundraising Success
There absolutely is a math to social and mobile media. If your nonprofit has a good content strategy in place and understands the power of integrating all your nonprofit’s communications channels (website, email, Facebook, texting, etc.), then as your numbers grow on social networks so will your e-newsletter and mobile lists which in turn significantly increases your fundraising success. It’s a strategy that I have been using, testing, and adapting since @NonprofitOrgs first launched on Myspace in 2006 and now there’s an ever-increasing flow of data being released that proves that social and mobile media are, in fact, powerful fundraising tools.
There is also a science to social and mobile media. After 10 years of experimentation, nonprofits are learning that there are correct (and incorrect) ways to post on Facebook, format a tweet, upload a photo, and send a text alert, but if your nonprofit doesn’t know the science, then math isn’t going to work.
For those of you who have read Social Media for Social Good and have taken my webinar on how to launch a social and mobile media strategy for your nonprofit, you know that the core of the strategy that I advocate for is tracking and proving your success. This is most easily done through a Social and Mobile Media Fundraising Success Spreadsheet.
[Download Spreadsheet Template]
Of course, a lot of factors can affect your success such as staff capacity and budget, the design of your online and mobile campaigns, and the skill set of your social and mobile media manager, but if your nonprofit has yet to start tracking your success (or lack thereof), download the spreadsheet, pick one day a month to enter your data, and begin to track your metrics. If your numbers do not grow from month to month, then something is terribly wrong with your content strategy (posting/sharing/sending the wrong content) and fundraising campaigns (not publishing an e-newsletter or using the wrong “Donate Now” service). That said, below is selection of metrics to track and a brief explanation as to why.
1. Website Unique Visitors
The foundation upon which all successful social and mobile campaigns are built is a well-designed, mobile compatible website.
2. eNewsletter Subscribers
Email is still a very powerful tool for fundraising and the likely reason why donor conversion rates dropped in 2012 is because nonprofit e-newsletters are still formatted to primarily be read on desktop and laptop computers. The number one activity on smartphones is reading email, so for your nonprofit to continue to be successful using email fundraising, a mobile compatible redesign of your e-newsletter should be at the top of your to do list.
3. Online Donations
Track the number of monthly donations and the total given. Understand that giving is higher in some months than others. November and December are the highest months and thus you will have to compare November 2013 to November to 2014, for example, to get the full picture of your fundraising success. As far as selecting the right “Donate Now” service, if the donation process occurs inside of your website and doesn’t send your donors to a third-party website, then you’re likely on the right path.
4. Blog Unique Visitors
Nonprofits that blog have a great advantage on social and mobile media because blogging allows your nonprofit to easily create a constant stream of fresh content that can be shared on social networks, incorporated into your e-newsletter, and texted to your mobile subscribers.
5. Social Network Followers
The brutal truth is that if your nonprofit posts boring content that does not inspire activity on social networks i.e., likes, shares, retweets, repins, and +1s, then your communities will grow very slowly. If you post too often or at the wrong times, then you’ll likely lose as many followers as you gain and your social networks will stagnate. This is especially true for small to medium-sized nonprofits.
As social media science clearly indicates, there is a right way to post and share content on social networks and a wrong way to post and share content on social networks. Silence speaks volumes on the Social Web and if your followers are saying little to nothing and are not liking, sharing, retweeting, repinning, or +1ing your content, then you’re are most likely doing it wrong. Rather than waste your time, get some good training and learn how to do it right.
6. Text Alerts Subscribers
Very few nonprofits are utilizing text alerts. Texting can be a powerful tool if it is done well, but annoying to supporters if it is not. However, unlike social media, pioneering mobile communications and fundraising is not “free” and over the last five years nonprofits have become very accustomed to free services. For those nonprofits wisely investing in the future, using social media and your website, e-newsletter, and print materials to build your mobile list is crucial.
7. Text-to-Give and/or Mobile Wallet Donors
Mobile fundraising is in its infancy and we’ve yet to see which tool will go mainstream, but my bet is on mobile wallet apps that are also web-based, such as Google Wallet. Google Wallet is currently only available to Android users, but if Apple launches an iOS wallet app that is also web-based, then that is the day that fundraising as the nonprofit sector has known it for 20 years instantly changes. Those nonprofits that pioneer mobile now will of course be in the best position to reap the benefits when mobile giving goes mainstream.
8. Other Metrics
Again, if your nonprofit has a good content strategy in place and understands the power of integrating all your nonprofit’s communications channels, then social and mobile media will also increase your success at recruiting volunteers, downloads of annual reports and case studies, online store sales, and online petitions.
How the Spreadsheet Works:
1. Create 13 columns of which 12 are for the 12 months of your fiscal year.
2. In the far left column, add the metrics you want to track. Under the green row, add your fundraising metrics.
3. At the beginning of each month, plot your metrics.
4. SUM your totals for monthly columns and annual rows.
5. On the far right hand column, plot your annual goals based on the first month’s metrics. A 25% increase is recommended for your first year.
6. If your social and mobile strategy is sound, then you should see an increase in your totals from month-to-month for website and blog traffic, e-newsletter and text alerts subscribers, and social network followers. However, because fundraising is seasonal, you won’t get a full picture of your fundraising success until you have tracked two years of metrics.
7. At the end of each year, revise your metrics and your goals. It’s that simple. 🙂
Related Links:
12 Must-Know Stats About Social Media, Fundraising, and Cause Awareness
11 Obvious Signs Your Nonprofit Needs Social Media Training
Social and Mobile Media Webinars for Nonprofits
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Must-Read Online Fundraising, Social Media and Mobile Communications Reports for Nonprofits
The reports listed below are just a small sampling of the research available to nonprofits about online communications and fundraising, social media, and mobile technology. These reports are, however, some of the most valuable in terms of insight, useful and practical data, and how-to advice.
If you would like to suggest a report be added to the list, please post the name and a link to the report in a comment below. Most of the reports listed are based on U.S. nonprofit research, but I would also like to add similar reports from other countries. Thanks. 🙂
For Nonprofits in the United States:
1) 2013 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study :: Download
Published by M&R Research Labs
View: All M&R Reseach Labs Reports
2) 2013 Digital Persuasion Report :: Download
Published by Waggener Edstrom
3) 2013 Charitable Giving Report :: Download
Published by Blackbaud
View: All Blackbaud Reports
4) 2013 Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark™ Study :: Download
Published by Convio
View: All Blackbaud Reports
5) 2013 Visual Storytelling Best Practices Guide :: Download
Published by Resource Media
6) 2013 Benchmarks for Nonprofit Video :: Download
Published by See3 Communications
7) 2013 Checklist for Launching a New Website for Your Nonprofit :: Download
Published by Bureau for Good
8) Giving USA 2012: Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2011 :: Download
Published by the Giving USA Foundation
View: All Giving USA Foundation Reports
9) 2012 mGive Text Giving Study :: Download
Published by mGive
View: All mGive Reports
10) 2012 Effect of the Economy on the Nonprofit Sector Report :: Download
Published by GuideStar
View: All GuideStar Reports
11) 2012 Millennial Impact Report :: Download
Published by the Millennial Impact Project
View: All Millennial Impact Reports
12) 2012 State of the Nonprofit Industry Report :: Download
Published by Blackbaud
View: All Blackbaud Reports
13) 2012 Nonprofit Technology Staffing & Investments Survey :: Download
Published by NTEN
View: All NTEN Reports
14) Social Networking: An Ongoing Series of Reports :: Download
Published by the Pew Internet & American Life Project
View: All Pew Internet & American Life Project Reports
15) The Future of the Internet: An Ongoing Series of Reports :: Download
Published by the Pew Internet & American Life Project
View: All Pew Internet & American Life Project Reports
For Nonprofits in Europe:
1) 2012 Charity Social 100 List :: Download
Published by Visceral Business and JustGiving
View: All Visceral Giving Reports
For Nonprofits in Australia:
1) 2012 State of Social Media Use in Australian Nonprofits :: Download
Published by Australian Policy Online
View: All Australian Policy Online Reports
2) 2011 Nonprofit e-Business in Australia Report :: Download
Published by Connecting Up
View: All Connecting Up Reports
For Nonprofits in Canada:
If you know of any similar reports from Canada, please let us know.
Related Links:
Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits
Social and Mobile Media Webinars for Nonprofits
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October 29 Webinar: 12 Steps to Launching a Successful Social Media Strategy for Your Nonprofit
Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Time: 1pm-2:30 EDT
Cost: $50 or Webinar Special
How to Register: Sign up!
Presented By: Heather Mansfield
View: All Webinars for Nonprofits
This webinar demonstrates how nonprofits can implement a successful social media strategy in twelve steps. Topics include understanding how much time social and mobile media requires, how to track return on investment (ROI), and how to craft a social media policy for your nonprofit. Attendees will also learn the importance of integrating all their communications channels to maximize awareness of their cause and online donations, as well as gain a realistic understanding of how much financial resources are required to be successful on the Social Web.
Related Links:
On-Demand: Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Webinar Series for Nonprofits
Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits
11 Obvious Signs Your Nonprofit Needs Social Media Training
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October 15 Webinar: How to Launch a Mobile Communications and Fundraising Campaign for Your Nonprofit
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Time: 1pm-2:30 EDT
Cost: $50 or Spring Webinar Special
How to Register: Sign up!
Presented By: Heather Mansfield
View: All Webinars for Nonprofits
This webinar begins with an introduction to the Mobile Web and its rapidly increasing role in nonprofit communications and fundraising. Next the webinar covers in-detail how to launch a new responsively designed website (or mobilize your current website), a texting campaign, and then moves on to explore current trends mobile fundraising, such as text-to-give, text-to-pledge, mobile wallets, and NFC technology. The webinar features numerous vendors, highlights best practices in launching, maintaining, and promoting your organization’s mobile campaigns and features nonprofits that excel in their use mobile technology.
Related Links:
On-Demand: Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Webinar Series for Nonprofits
Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits
11 Obvious Signs Your Nonprofit Needs Social Media Training
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Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Time: 1pm-2:30 EDT
Cost: $50 or Spring Webinar Special
How to Register: Sign up!
Presented By: Heather Mansfield
View: All Webinars for Nonprofits
This webinar begins with a general introduction to Google+ and then quickly moves on to a brief demonstration on how to create a Google+ Page for your nonprofit. Next, an in-depth tour of the Admin Dashboard, Circles, and the Google+ Stream is presented as well as an exploration of what kind of content works best on Google+. The webinar will also highlight the difference between Google+ Hangouts and Google+ Hangouts on Air and demonstrate how to use Hangout Events. Throughout the Google+ training, a heavy focus is placed on how Google+ is integrated with other Google Products, such as YouTube, Search, Gmail, Images, Places, and Google Mobile.
Related Links:
Spring Webinar Special for Nonprofits
Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits
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Over the last two months I have opened more than 200 pieces of nonprofit print materials and 95% of them are in the same format and structure of those that I was writing and publishing in the late 1990’s. Like press releases, print fundraising appeals and newsletters seem to be taking little account for the rise of social and mobile media and it’s effect upon how donors and supporters consume information. Information overload is real and 2-page front and back 12 point font fundraising appeals and text heavy newsletters just can’t can’t be making the same impact that they were a decade ago.
That said, I am years removed from publishing nonprofit print materials, but all communications and fundraising are evolving in response to the rapid rise of social and mobile media, so why not print materials? For those eager to experiment with new ideas, below are six examples of nonprofits pioneering new ideas in nonprofit print material design and formatting:
1) Less text and larger font.
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare
Fundraising Appeal [16 point font]
2. Large photos – and more of them.
Doctors Without Borders :: Fundraising Appeal [18 point font]
3. Use infographics.
Doctors Without Borders :: Fundraising Appeal [18-30 point font]
4. Integrate social media.
SOS Children’s Villages :: Newsletter
Only 3% of nonprofits incorporate social media into their print materials.
5. Integrate mobile media.
FINCA :: Newsletter
Only 2% of nonprofits incorporate social media into their print materials.
If your nonprofit accepts text donations, add your short code and keyword pitch.
6. Incorporate video.
The Nature Conservancy :: Magazine
Related Link:
Social and Mobile Media Webinars for Nonprofits
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Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Time: 1pm-2:30 EDT
Cost: $50 or Spring Webinar Special
How to Register: Sign up!
Presented By: Heather Mansfield
View: All Webinars for Nonprofits
This webinar covers how to successfully launch and maintain a blog for your nonprofit on WordPress.com. Click-by-click, attendees will learn how to use themes, widgets, and basic HTML to design a blog that matches your website and helps recruit new e-newsletter subscribers, online donors, and supporters on Facebook, Twitter, etc. From basic to advanced, this webinar thoroughly explores the WordPress.com tool set. Attendees learn how to insert images and videos into blog Posts, monitor stats and comments, and strategically create Pages. Blogging best practices in terms of post frequency, tone, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are also covered in detail. The webinar then closes with a discussion of 15 blog content ideas so you’ll never struggle from writer’s block, thus enabling you to maintain a consistent and effective blog for your nonprofit.
Related Links:
Spring Webinar Special for Nonprofits
Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits
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Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits was released in August 2011 and despite the rapid change occurring on the Social and Mobile Web, 90% of the content still rings true. The functionality of the tools discussedhave changed slightly (see the Table of Contents for a compete list), dimensions have been tweaked, and Google+ Pages, Pinterest and Instagram have since become relevant when launching a successful social media campaign for your nonprofit, but the vast majority of the best practices in the book have stood the test of time.
That said, for those of you that have bought the book [Thank you!], below are 33 of must-read updates to Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits. You may also want to listen to a 30-minute radio interview I did about the book on May 17 which also discusses how social and mobile media has changed since the release of the book.
1. Introduction :: Integrating Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0
Replace the “Web 1.0: The Static Web” with “Web 1.0: The Broadcast Web.”
Social Media for Social Good is written as a how-to, step-by-step strategic plan for nonprofits in three parts: Web 1.0: The Static Web, Web 2.0: The Social Web, and Web 3.0: The Mobile Web. Readers understand that one era compliments and empowers the previous one and that the set of tools associated with each era are not meant to be replaced by the tools indicative of the the era that follows. However, defining Web 1.0 and its tools – websites, e-newsletters and “Donate Now” buttons – are much better summarized as the Web 1.0: The Broadcast Web i.e., one-to-many communications defined as broadcasting outward with complete control of the message and no public interaction or feedback.
2. Chapter 1 :: The Importance of Selecting the Right Donate Now Vendor
Add Google Wallet to the list.
At the time the book was written, mobile wallets hadn’t been launched yet. They are mentioned in the book as a possible means to raise money in the future, but the concept of using them to donate online didn’t even exist yet. Well, as of October 2012, Google Wallet is the first wallet service to launch the ability to donate online via a Google Wallet “Donate” button.
3. Chapter 1 :: Network for Good
Network for Good now offers mobile-optimized donate pages and donation “Share” functionality.
Early this year I was considering dropping Network for Good as vendor that I advocate for because they were not innovating fast enough, but they recently relaunched their “Donate Now” service and it now meets most of the criteria I look for in online fundraising services – especially when coupled with their “Email Now” service.
4. Chapter 2 :: Experiment with Social Media Dashboards
Know that using third-party apps decreases ROI if not used carefully.
Recently both LinkedIn and Facebook dropped their integration with Twitter indicative of a trend – a maturing of the Social Web, if you will – where automated tweets or updates are generally frowned upon as they tend to be formatted poorly, lack authenticity, and clutter News Feeds on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. The tide in social media is currently turning against automation and I think that’s a good thing.
That said, nonprofit social media managers need to understand that updates posted from HootSuite and other similar tools often come attached to mini icons (with the exception of posting to Twitter) that tell your fans and followers that indeed the update has been posted from HootSuite and as a result, your fans and followers pay much less attention to your updates. In fact, a study released in the fall of 2011 revealed that auto-posting to Facebook decreases likes and comments by up to 70% which can have a detrimental impact on a nonprofit’s EdgeRank score on Facebook. Thus, please be careful when using any tool that automates posts from one social network to another. Even the tiniest of changes from posting natively can result in decreased Return on Investment (ROI). As I said in the book and many times since, there are no cutting corners on the Social Web. A well-executed social media campaign requires a time investment and skilled social media manager.
5. Chapter 2 :: Deciding What Social Media Tools to Use
A more diverse tool set requires a shifting of priorities.
This section of the book details what a full-time social media manager could accomplish in a 40-hour work week. The hours don’t reflect exactly how much time one should spend on the sites themselves, rather the time spent and the time necessary researching and preparing the content for each social network, setting up and maintaining the profile and pages, and tracking ROI. That said, a couple of minor tweaks are necessary. The new time allotment and updated tool list is as follows:
- Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube: 15 Hours Weekly
- Flickr and Pinterest: 5 Hours Weekly
- LinkedIn: 5 Hours Weekly
- Blogging: 10 Hours Weekly
- Niche Networks and Early Adoption (Instagram, Tumblr, Ning, Change.org, Care2, Wiser Earth, BlackPlanet, Quepasa, New Myspace): 5-10 Hours Weekly
- Peer-t0-Peer Fundraising Networks (Razoo, Crowdrise, KickStarter, FirstGiving, GlobalGiving): 5 Hours Weely
- Location-Based Communities (Facebook Places, Google+ Location, Foursquare) and Mobile Social Networking: 5 Hours Weekly
Of course, most nonprofits will not use all the sites listed above, but the time frame does at least allow you to craft a reasonable job description. It is, of course, intentional that next section in the book details how to prevent social media burnout. Too many nonprofit staff are being expected to add social media to their job descriptions without a time adjustment or a budget and that’s a doomed social media strategy. My greatest hope for 2013 is that nonprofits evolve beyond the “free” mentality to a strategy that gives the time and financial investment necessary to make the Social Web work for your nonprofit.
6. Chapter 2 :: What About Myspace?
A New Myspace has launched.
In the book I give kudos the nonprofits that pioneered using social media by being active on Myspace and hoped that Myspace would be able to resurrect itself, but the New Myspace is completely separate from the old versionwhich is why at this time I can not advocate for nonprofits being active on the New Myspace.
7. Chapter 3 :: Find Your Facebook Voice
Upload more photos.
The Facebook algorithim has changed significantly since the release of Social Media for Social Good. If you want to maximize your Facebook ROI to increase likes and comments, then you need to be uploading more photos with links posted inside your status updates rather than simply posting links. Photos get a higher EdgeRank score and better grab the attention of your fans in an increasingly cluttered Facebook News Feed.
8. Chapter 3 :: Send Facebook “Updates” at Least Once or Twice a Month.
Updates no longer exist.
Not a big loss since they were filtered into a mail box that few ever visited, but it is worth noting that fans can now mail admins directly if you have enabled the functionality under Edit Page > Manage Permissions > Show “Message” Button.
9. Chapter 3 :: Create Custom Tabs on Your Facebook Page
The default landing tab function no longer exists and dimensions have changed with the launch of Timeline.
There was a significant, yet fleeting outcry when Facebook axed the default landing tab functionality when they launched Timeline for Pages, however, you can still have a default landing tab by simply linking directly to a tab when promoting your page off Facebook. Go to ACLU.org and click on the Facebook icon and you’ll see what I mean. Also, to view a complete list of the new Facebook Timeline dimensions, please see this infographic.
10. Chapter 3 :: Facebook Community Pages?
You can now request to merge your Facebook Community Page with your Official Page.
At the time of writing the book my hope was that Facebook Community Pages would be phased out, but they have since been given a redesign and now play a significant role in Facebook’s Graph Search. You can also request to merge your nonprofit’s Facebook Community Page with your Official Page if the two pages have the exact same name. Of course, it’s rare that the two pages have the exact same name so Facebook Community Pages still continue to be more annoying than they are useful.
11. Chapter 4 :: Retweet and Reply Often.
Retweet new school more often.
In the book I prioritize using old school retweets, but not any longer. The built-in “Retweet” button is the way to go. It increases your generosity score and the exposure of your avatar in the Twitterverse and in the “Interactions” module and thus results in more new followers. To learn more about the power of new school retweets, please see Five Types of Tweets Guaranteed to Get Retweeted. It’s also worth noting that HootSuite’s default setting is set to retweet old school and old school retweets rarely get retweeted. This reiterates the point communicated in the book that you need to periodically get out of your HootSuite bubble or risk not understanding subtle, but important shifts in the Twitterverse.
12. Chapter 4 :: Follow on a 1:1 Ratio on Twitter
Change to “Follow on a 1:1 ratio or at least follow more often.”
As discussed in the book, Twitter Lists are a powerful way to organize the chaos of following a lot of people. That said, in the book I wish I would have written to “Follow on a 1:1 ratio or at least follow more often” – here are four reasons why.
13. Chapter 4 :: TwitPic, TwitVid, or yfrog
Use Twitter’s mobile app.
Sorry TwitPic, TwitVid and yfrog. It’s easier and more powerful to use Twitter’s mobile app to upload and archive photos and videos to Twitter.
14. Chapter 5 :: Introduction to YouTube Channels.
YouTube is now fully integrated in Google+.
When the book was published you could still create a YouTube account separate from Google and Google+. That’s no longer the case. Now you must create your YouTube Channel using a Google Account you already have or by creating a new one. For those who already have a YouTube Channel, you can now merge it with your Google+ profile and then merge your nonprofit’s Google+ Page with your YouTube Channel.
15. Chapter 5 :: Use the Colors of Your Avatar to Design Your Channel
YouTube has launched the new One Channel design.
Though available for months, very few nonprofits have upgraded their nonprofit’s YouTube Channel to the new One Channel design. Much simplified and optimized for viewing on smartphones, tablets, and TVs, the design process is now limited to uploading to one banner image. You can no longer select a color as your background.
16. Chapter 5 :: Producing and Editing Videos
Use YouTube’s video editing tools.
Low-cost video editing software is easily available, as discussed in the book, but it is worth noting that Windows MovieMaker is another free alternative for simple video editing.
17. Chapter 5 :: Send YouTube Friend Requests Weekly
Friend requests have been discontinued.
In March 2012 YouTube removed the friend request functionality. Subscribers vs. friends was always confusing and with so many trolls on YouTube, ditching the friends functionality was a wise move.
18. Chapter 6 :: Fill Out Your LinkedIn Profile to “100 Percent Completeness”
Add Volunteer Experience & Causes.
LinkedIn for Good has launched a new category for profiles where you can add your volunteer experience and causes that you care about. Hopefully soon we will be able to link the LinkedIn Company Pages of the nonprofits that we add to the “Organizations I Support” field.
19. Chapter 6 :: Post Authentic Updates – Don’t Sync With Twitter!
The ability to sync with Twitter has been discontinued.
LinkedIn has discontinued the ability to automate personal LinkedIn Updates with Twitter. As a result, the LinkedIn News Feed is much less cluttered and engagement in the feed has increased.
20. Chapter 6 :: Claiming Your Nonprofit’s LinkedIn Company Page
Once claimed, post updates and upgrade to the new design.
LinkedIn continues to expand the company page tool set and yet most nonprofits still have no idea that they have a LinkedIn Company Page. Find it, claim it, and post updates at least once a week.
21. Chapter 6 :: Experiment With Answers
The Answers functionality has been discontinued.
Rarely used, LinkedIn has discontinued the Answers functionality.
22. Chapter 6 :: Block and Delete Spammers
LinkedIn Group spam is worse than ever.
And its killing LinkedIn Groups. The growth rate of groups has slowed significantly in recent months. If your nonprofit has a LinkedIn Group its worth reiterating that you must absolutely block and delete spammers.
23. Chapter 7 :: Add Share Functionality to Your Blog
Be sure to use a service that incorporates Pinterest and Google+.
When using a sharing service for your blog, be sure to add a Pinterest “Pin” button and a Google+ “+1” button. Pinterest has now surpassed Tumblr in monthly traffic and with each +1 your nonprofit receives the higher your placement in Google Search results.
24. Chapter 8 :: Eleven Essential Tools for the Mobile Social Media Manager
Prioritize Instagram, drop Gowalla, add Google and/or Bing.
Instagram is now the most popular mobile-photo sharing app with more than 100 million users and it should be prioritized above all others. Gowalla is out of business. And the Google Search App and Bing Search App are very useful and now empowered with voice search. Personally, I prefer the Bing App for search, but the Google App also connects to your nonprofit’s Google Account which is increasingly becoming more important to nonprofits with each passing day.
25. Chapter 8 :: Google Places, Yelp, and Loopt?
Google Places is now Google+ Location and Loopt no longer exists.
Geolocation and location-based communities have had a volatile existence. With the exception of Foursquare, it’s been a trend that has had a hard time getting into the hearts and minds of mobile users. That said, we haven’t even scratched surface yet on mobile and it could be that services like Gowalla or Loopt were just a tad bit ahead of their time. Nonetheless, nonprofits can not ignore finding and claiming their venue and places pages on Facebook, Google+, Foursquare. etc. especially if you are a location-based nonprofit such as a health clinic, an animal shelter, or a college or university.
26. Chapter 8 :: How to Claim Your Facebook Place Page
Facebook Places is now called Facebook Location.
You can still request to merge your Facebook Places Page with your Official Page, but you can now also add Facebook Location to your nonprofit’s Facebook Page by simply adding your address in the “About” section.
27. Chapter 9 :: Link to the Mobile Versions of Your Social Networking Profiles on Your Mobile Website
No longer necessary since Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. are now responsively designed.
At the time of writing the book you still needed to link to the mobile version of your Facebook Page (m.facebook.com/nonprofits) so that visitors to your mobile website could view the the mobile-optimized version of your Facebook Page on their smartphone. That’s no longer the case. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. now all have components of responsive design which Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. detect and then automatically covert/forward from the desktop version (facebook.com/nonprofitorgs) to the mobile version.
28. Chapter 9 :: Launching and Maintaining a Mobile Website
Responsive design is a better option.
Launching a mobile website separate from your desktop site is only the best option if you can not afford to launch a new responsively designed website within the next two years. After that, most desktop sites will be rendered obsolete and you will need a new responsively designed website if you want to be successful on the Social and Mobile Web.
29. Chapter 9 :: Five Ways Nonprofits Can Use QR Codes
QR code campaigns are not producing results.
Put simply, QR codes will not be in my next book. 🙂
30. Chapter 10 :: The Future of Fundraising is Mobile
With the launch of Google Wallet “Donate” buttons, the future has arrived.
Unless text-to-give fundraising finds a way to bill donors through their credit cards or mobile wallets instead of their phone bills, I don’t think the future of mobile fundraising is text-to-give. Nor do I think donors will be likely to enter their contact and credit card information on two-inch, mobile-optimized “Donate Now” pages. At the time of writing the book, my gut told me that the technology that would empower the future of mobile giving hadn’t been released yet – now it has. Google has ushered in a new era of online and mobile fundraising with the launch of Google Wallet. Nonprofits need to be paying very careful attention to mobile wallet technology. I believe it’s the future of commerce and online, offline, and app fundraising.
31. Chapter 11 :: An App Economy for Nonprofits?
Android, iOS and Windows Phone – in that order.
It’s hard to believe how fast the smartphone market has changed since this book was written and published. Android now dominates. iPhone sales are still powerfully strong. BlackBerry has plummeted. And Windows Phone with its integration into Windows 8 (which also offers the ability for nonprofits to build and launch Windows 8 Apps for desktop and tablet computers) now needs to be considered if you are planning on launching a smartphone app.
32. Conclusion :: What’s Next?
Internet TV will transform how nonprofits tweet and report in real-time.
I only give Internet TV a brief mention in the conclusion of the book, but I am firm believer that in 2014 we’re going to see a fourth screen evolution so profound that it will change forever how nonprofits communicate in real-time. Get ready social and mobile media managers, because your work will definitely require you to be available after hours and on the weekend.
33. Conclusion :: What’s Next?
The era of “Free” will soon come to an end, hopefully.
My hope is that soon social networking sites begin to charge small monthly fees for customer service and premium tool sets or small one-time fees for design upgrades. I know nonprofits love free and many will protest a $10 monthly fee for analytics or a one-time $20 fee for a premium ad-free, design upgrade, but this quasi-obsession with “Free!” has made the nonprofit sector completely dependent upon the whim and the advertising models of for-profit tech companies.
By default, the dependence upon free services has also resulted in social media being perceived as less valuable by some executive staff. The effect is then$0 allocated to social media budgets which inevitably leads to poorly executed and poorly managed social media campaigns. As a sector, we need to move beyond the era of free to paid and premium and part or full-time paid social (or new) media managers. Otherwise, the greatest fear these same executive staff have i.e., wasting colossal amounts of time on the Social Web will come to pass. Increasingly, on the Social Web, you get what you pay for.
Related Link:
Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Webinar Series for Nonprofits
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Seemingly less than 1% of nonprofit have upgraded to YouTube’s new One Channel design, but even fewer appear to be utilizing YouTube’s new InVideo Programming option. If you haven’t spent any time recently exploring YouTube’s enhanced tool set, I’d highly recommend that you set aside an hour or two to upgrade to the new design, add InVideo Programming, and merge your YouTube Channel with your nonprofit’s Google+ Page. That said, to see examples of InVideo Programming and to learn how to add InVideo Programming to your nonprofit’s videos, simply follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to your Channel Settings > InVideo Programming.
Step 2: Select “Feature your channel” to add your avatar to all your videos.
Choose position and select your display time.
View Example: Peta Video [Warning: Graphic Video]
Note: When clicked the YouTube viewer can subscribe to Peta’s Channel.
Step 3: Or Select “Feature a video” to add a video to all your videos.
Choose video and select position, your start and display time, and duration.
View Example: Anaheim Ballet (Starts at 00:10)
Note: When clicked the YouTube viewer can watch your selected video.
Related Links:
Webinar: How Nonprofits Can Successfully Use YouTube and Create Video Content
HOW TO: Merge Your Nonprofit’s YouTube Channel and Google+ Page
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Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Time: 1pm-2:30 EDT
Cost: $50 or Spring Webinar Special
How to Register: Sign up!
Presented By: Heather Mansfield
View: All Webinars for Nonprofits
This webinar begins with a brief demonstration on how to get your nonprofit started on Pinterest and then explores click-by-click the Pinterest tool set, highlights what kind of content works best on Pinterest Boards, and features numerous tips and tricks that can help your nonprofit become a better pinner. Also discussed are low-cost or free photo-editing tools that allow nonprofits to create images that not only work well on Pinterest, but also on other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Finally, the webinar closes with a brief exploration of Flickr and Instagram and discusses how your nonprofit can make your digital photo storytelling mobile.
Related Links:
Spring Webinar Special for Nonprofits
Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits
Nonprofit Tech 2.0 Blog :: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits 