Incorporating Social Media into the Fundraising Strategy

Inna Tarabukhina
2013
Attitude shift – from periphery into the
center
 Brief overview of top Social Media
Channels
 Social Media in fundraising
 Streamlining Social Media – how not to
get caught up

Social Media has moved from the
peripheral to the central
 It has become elaborate and userfriendly, making it


 Accessible
 Easy to use
 Effective and reliable



Embracing Social Media will determine
success of a campaign or effort
Primarily an internet-based tool for sharing
and discussing information
 Can take various shapes – think broadly!
 Facebook, Twitter, etc are optimization
channels for Social Media


 All Facebook is Social Media, but not all Social

Media is Facebook


Social Media is a conversation on the
Internet, that has been localized to various
platforms
Being engaged with your donors is key
 Relationships underlie both your cause and
how you plan to achieve it
 Conversations on Social Media are nonstop


 This means you can tap into the conversation,

and engage people to your advantage
 You cannot control the exchange of information
at large, but you can manipulate it and become
a key interlocutor
Facebook

Twitter

Google Plus

Tumblr

Pinterest

LinkedIn

Flickr

Instagram

YouTube

Vimeo


Different platforms are optimized for
different content
Content

Visual

Instagram

Pinterest

Content
Heavy

Video

YouTube

Vimeo

Instagram

Tumblr

Facebook

Interactive

Twitter

Facebook


Before you can get donations, you must
have donors – Audience Acquisition
Value
Flexibility

Involving

Audience
Value
 Your posts must add value to the

conversation
 You must give to get
 Share expertise, insights and opinions

Your Social Media followers are not
numbers – they are people, in real time
 Approach every post as you would a
conversation


 No one wants to talk about you all the time!
Use value to engage your audience with
your cause
 Provide sufficient background to make it
obvious that your cause is worthwhile
 Show that supporting the cause will add
even more value
 Use the cause or effort as a valuable
contribution to the existing conversation


 Make bridges, show connections and

applications
Flexibility
 Stay in beta – be prepared to tailor and
tweak your strategy at any point
 Maintains an open mind to new
opportunities
 Allows for effective troubleshooting and
alternatives
 Keeps the door open for continuous
improvement
Keeping an eye on the trends
 Allows to tap into the influencers quickly


 People or organizations who already have a

distinct presence in the target community
 Jumping on the band wagon gives access to a
broader network
 Credibility by association


Social Media is evolving all the time (eg.
Video feature on Instagram)
 A flexible strategy allows for effortless

adaptation
Involving
 Maintain an ongoing reciprocal relationship
with your audience/potential donors:
 Reply to comments
 Encourage and then acknowledge Likes/Shares
 Follow back
 Retweet/reply to tweets
 Show appreciation

 Conduct opinion poles; discuss results; facilitate

discussion
Your activity on Social Media mirrors
your commitment and your vision of your
donors
 Appreciation fosters mutual respect and
credibility
 Make the community want to be
associated with your cause or mission



Share your story and do your research
 Make your perspective relatable and easy to

understand
 Find organizations or people with similar
backgrounds/passions/missions and connect!
○ Pool networks to build Internet presence



Action Points:
 Video testimonials or success stories
 An engaging blog/website posts on the origins

and direction


Embrace Variety
 Internet allows for anything from text to videos

and images – use them!
 Visual images are easy to share
 Videos are engaging and allow a break from
text-based material
○ Show, not tell



Action Points
 Develop an archive of visual posts optimized for

sharing
 Create a small video series captioning the
essence of the organization. Show the donors
where and money will go and why


Go from specific to the general
 Find the influencers in the community and foster

relationships with them
 Show your support for associated organizations


Action Points:
 Scout Twitter and Facebook for similar

organizations
 Engage with these organizations by linking their
page, following them on Twitter and tweeting a
conversation
 Use action words and make donations easy
“Like for More” “Donate Now”
 Track the flow – use popular hashtags and tags
Social Media is extensive. Take
advantage of existing optimization tools
 HootSuite


 Allows you to keep track of all your social

media platforms and post from one common
site
 Avoids having to log into multiple sites
 Registered non-profits receive a 15%
discount (free version has limitations)


It is key that posts are regular, valuable
and relevant
 Use websites that allow for queuing of posts
 Pre-scheduled Twitter posts
○ FutureTweets.com
 Queued Tumblr posts
 Link multiple accounts – Facebook with

Twitter; Twitter and Facebook plug-ins for
Websites, for cross-sharing


Take advantage of apps!
 StayClassy.org
○ “Nonprofits can accept donations from a
website, create custom fundraising campaigns
for marketing, launch peer-to-peer fundraising
campaigns, and sell tickets or registrations to
events.”
○ Can be incorporated into Facebook


To get the most from Social Media,
understand how it works
 Internet likes content. Your content is your

value.
 Internet likes reliability. Post regularly, in a
variety of formats.
 Internet is a platform for Conversation 2.0.
Give to get
 Internet “evolves.” So should your strategy.
Look for trends and use them to your
advantage.
Donations
Building
relationships via
Social Media
Valuable Content










Identify an organization with a similar mission
Using LinkedIn and the organization’s Website, find
the structural hierarchy and identify key decision
makers
Follow the organization on Twitter and tweet an
introductory tweet
Like the organization on Facebook and post an
invitation to an upcoming event/share an image/like
and share an event or recent post by the
organization
Contact the key decision makers to negotiate
cooperation, a partnership or cross-promotion
The organization’s existing network will be an asset
for building community presence and awareness
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at
i.tarabukhina@gmail.com

Social Media for Fundraising

  • 1.
    Incorporating Social Mediainto the Fundraising Strategy Inna Tarabukhina 2013
  • 2.
    Attitude shift –from periphery into the center  Brief overview of top Social Media Channels  Social Media in fundraising  Streamlining Social Media – how not to get caught up 
  • 3.
    Social Media hasmoved from the peripheral to the central  It has become elaborate and userfriendly, making it   Accessible  Easy to use  Effective and reliable  Embracing Social Media will determine success of a campaign or effort
  • 4.
    Primarily an internet-basedtool for sharing and discussing information  Can take various shapes – think broadly!  Facebook, Twitter, etc are optimization channels for Social Media   All Facebook is Social Media, but not all Social Media is Facebook  Social Media is a conversation on the Internet, that has been localized to various platforms
  • 5.
    Being engaged withyour donors is key  Relationships underlie both your cause and how you plan to achieve it  Conversations on Social Media are nonstop   This means you can tap into the conversation, and engage people to your advantage  You cannot control the exchange of information at large, but you can manipulate it and become a key interlocutor
  • 6.
  • 7.
     Different platforms areoptimized for different content Content Visual Instagram Pinterest Content Heavy Video YouTube Vimeo Instagram Tumblr Facebook Interactive Twitter Facebook
  • 8.
     Before you canget donations, you must have donors – Audience Acquisition Value Flexibility Involving Audience
  • 9.
    Value  Your postsmust add value to the conversation  You must give to get  Share expertise, insights and opinions Your Social Media followers are not numbers – they are people, in real time  Approach every post as you would a conversation   No one wants to talk about you all the time!
  • 10.
    Use value toengage your audience with your cause  Provide sufficient background to make it obvious that your cause is worthwhile  Show that supporting the cause will add even more value  Use the cause or effort as a valuable contribution to the existing conversation   Make bridges, show connections and applications
  • 11.
    Flexibility  Stay inbeta – be prepared to tailor and tweak your strategy at any point  Maintains an open mind to new opportunities  Allows for effective troubleshooting and alternatives  Keeps the door open for continuous improvement
  • 12.
    Keeping an eyeon the trends  Allows to tap into the influencers quickly   People or organizations who already have a distinct presence in the target community  Jumping on the band wagon gives access to a broader network  Credibility by association  Social Media is evolving all the time (eg. Video feature on Instagram)  A flexible strategy allows for effortless adaptation
  • 13.
    Involving  Maintain anongoing reciprocal relationship with your audience/potential donors:  Reply to comments  Encourage and then acknowledge Likes/Shares  Follow back  Retweet/reply to tweets  Show appreciation  Conduct opinion poles; discuss results; facilitate discussion
  • 14.
    Your activity onSocial Media mirrors your commitment and your vision of your donors  Appreciation fosters mutual respect and credibility  Make the community want to be associated with your cause or mission 
  • 15.
     Share your storyand do your research  Make your perspective relatable and easy to understand  Find organizations or people with similar backgrounds/passions/missions and connect! ○ Pool networks to build Internet presence  Action Points:  Video testimonials or success stories  An engaging blog/website posts on the origins and direction
  • 16.
     Embrace Variety  Internetallows for anything from text to videos and images – use them!  Visual images are easy to share  Videos are engaging and allow a break from text-based material ○ Show, not tell  Action Points  Develop an archive of visual posts optimized for sharing  Create a small video series captioning the essence of the organization. Show the donors where and money will go and why
  • 17.
     Go from specificto the general  Find the influencers in the community and foster relationships with them  Show your support for associated organizations  Action Points:  Scout Twitter and Facebook for similar organizations  Engage with these organizations by linking their page, following them on Twitter and tweeting a conversation  Use action words and make donations easy “Like for More” “Donate Now”  Track the flow – use popular hashtags and tags
  • 18.
    Social Media isextensive. Take advantage of existing optimization tools  HootSuite   Allows you to keep track of all your social media platforms and post from one common site  Avoids having to log into multiple sites  Registered non-profits receive a 15% discount (free version has limitations)
  • 19.
     It is keythat posts are regular, valuable and relevant  Use websites that allow for queuing of posts  Pre-scheduled Twitter posts ○ FutureTweets.com  Queued Tumblr posts  Link multiple accounts – Facebook with Twitter; Twitter and Facebook plug-ins for Websites, for cross-sharing
  • 20.
     Take advantage ofapps!  StayClassy.org ○ “Nonprofits can accept donations from a website, create custom fundraising campaigns for marketing, launch peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, and sell tickets or registrations to events.” ○ Can be incorporated into Facebook
  • 21.
     To get themost from Social Media, understand how it works  Internet likes content. Your content is your value.  Internet likes reliability. Post regularly, in a variety of formats.  Internet is a platform for Conversation 2.0. Give to get  Internet “evolves.” So should your strategy. Look for trends and use them to your advantage.
  • 22.
  • 23.
          Identify an organizationwith a similar mission Using LinkedIn and the organization’s Website, find the structural hierarchy and identify key decision makers Follow the organization on Twitter and tweet an introductory tweet Like the organization on Facebook and post an invitation to an upcoming event/share an image/like and share an event or recent post by the organization Contact the key decision makers to negotiate cooperation, a partnership or cross-promotion The organization’s existing network will be an asset for building community presence and awareness
  • 24.
    If you haveany questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected]