Communicate!

Helping you win loyal friends through your communications

Is Your Organization a Stalker?

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stop stalking

You wouldn’t do it in real life. Don’t stalk by email!

My friend Rebecca Lillian wrote this to the companies she deals with. Could someone have written it to you?

Dear Lands End, LLBean, etc. etc. etc. (said with the tone of Yul Brynner as the King of Siam): If I visit your website and don’t purchase anything, I will be less, not more, inclined to visit in the future if you send me a creepy e-mail that makes me feel stalked.

Imagine that you walk into a shop, look around, and walk out. Do you want someone to race out after you, yelling “Did you forget to buy something? Come back and don’t leave till you make a purchase!” ? I didn’t think so. I know how to find you. Leave me alone.

Whether you’re a business or a nonprofit, listen to Rebecca.

What you should do on social media includes following what your supporters are saying online, getting into actual conversations with them, sending them articles of interest, and giving them something they find valuable to entice them to view your website.

What your website should do is to build the trust you’ve started to create, provide more information, give them reasons to sign up for your email list, and give people the opportunity to support you (by making a purchase or donation).

What you shouldn't do--in person or online--is make unwanted advances. No means no. Share on X

If you didn’t get to yes, by all means study your website statistics to see where people lost interest and exited. Hold focus groups. Do what you can to make yourself more attractive.

But don’t obsess over the ones who turned you down. And don’t stalk them.

5 Reasons You Need Great Communications Even If You Don’t Need Donors

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I want your opinionOkay, readers, I’m asking your opinion. Who’s right here?

The CEO of a large nonprofit organization recently said to me:

Our agency gets almost all its funding from government, not from donors. We get almost all our clients through referrals, not from publicity. We need good relationships with state and federal officials and with other agencies. We don’t need communications. If the person who does our website and social media were laid off tomorrow, I’d never miss her.

I think the CEO is wrong. Here’s why.

  1. Government funding for human services depends on public support. If you’re a rich industry and can buy influence, you can get government to act in ways that the public doesn’t support. Human services cannot “pay to play.” If the public doesn’t generally approve of what you do, there’s no reason for elected officials or bureaucrats to continue funding you.
  2. Public support can keep the budget axe from falling. At the federal level, the next Congress will probably try to cut whole programs–especially those that help the people who need help the most. Without public support, you’re an easy target.
  3. Public support depends on communications. Opinion leaders have to know, like, and trust your organization. It’s up to you to make sure they do.
  4. Good writing and social media strengthen face-to-face relationships. Even the people you “do business with” regularly may have a hard time explaining what you do. Giving them handouts and newsletters, and keeping your organization on their radar with email, website updates, and social media, helps them make good referrals (and speak well of you to funders).
  5. When you start something new, you need donors.  Most government money is restricted to specific purposes. Your agency may want to try something innovative, or pilot a program you’ve never run before. Getting a grant to do that might take forever. Having unrestricted donations lets you get started now.

What do you think? Are there agencies that don’t need communications, or is a great communications program a “have to have” for every nonprofit?

Use “Appropriate Technology” in Your Communications

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solar light bulbHow do you light up a rural area with no electric power lines? You might use a solar-powered light bulb.  This is a great example of “appropriate technology.” It’s small-scale, simple, local, yet sophisticated and perfectly fitted to the resources people have at hand.

Community-based nonprofits and small businesses can use appropriate technology in their communications.

Example #1: you don’t have the budget for a specially designed constituent relationship management (CRM) system ? You can use free tools to track your donors or customers. They have their limits, but if you have simple needs and you have more time than money, they may be appropriate for you.

Example #2: you can’t afford a PR software system like Vocus? Go back to the future and build your own media contact list.

This is a great job for a volunteer.  He or she can go online and find the newspapers, TV and radio stations, blogs, and even Facebook groups related to the community you serve, or the programs or products you offer.

(A tip: try out the contact information early–before it’s vital to get the word out–and often–to make sure your contact hasn’t left that company.)

What’s your favorite example of using simple, inexpensive approaches to get the job done?

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