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Your Most Urgent Questions about Social Media-Answered Jan. 21

January 15, 2015 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

"How can we use social media better?"

“How can we use social media better?”

Here’s a question I often hear as a communications consultant. Is it a question you’d ask? Would you like to hear the answer?

“My nonprofit organization is on Facebook and Twitter and even Instagram, but we don’t really know why. Everybody’s doing it, I guess. But what can we get out of it?”

If that sounds like your organization, then you should sign up for a free webinar: No Nonsense Social Media. Tripp Braden and I will be hosting it next Wednesday, January 21, at 2:00 EST.

Here are some of the things I know already we’ll be discussing:
1. What nonprofits most frequently ask me about social media
2. The big question you should be asking yourself instead
3. Why your supporters spend time on social media
4. Are you cuter than a cat video? Are your supporters as loyal as a dog?
5. The unique advantage that lets community-based nonprofits rock social media

Tripp will also ask me some questions of his own, and I’m looking forward to hearing those.

But some of the most important things we’ll be talking about during the No Nonsense Social Media webinar will be a surprise to me. That’s because we’ll be leaving plenty of time for your questions.

We know the challenge nonprofits face when trying to use social media. Let’s face it, you didn’t start working for a cause because you wanted to learn about social media. Your mission is what matters to you.

It matters to Tripp and me, too. Tripp is an executive coach who has works with many foundations, nonprofits, corporate foundations, and privately held businesses to create their best funding strategies for special projects and annual fund development. His corporate partners give in excess of a billion dollars per year to support philanthropic work around the globe.

He is actively involved in using social media to build stronger, more engaged communities. Tripp is actively involved in helping entrepreneurs decide what causes they can get more involved with upon retirement and before. He currently hosts two online journals that have over 132,000 leaders in their communities.

I worked as a senior manager at an anti-poverty agency for nine years. Through my practice at Communicate! Consulting, I dream of putting great communications within reach of every nonprofit organization. Communications is the “easy button” you can press for visibility, volunteer and Board recruitment, and fundraising. That includes social media, and I want you to know how to make those media your own.

You will get the chance to ask your most pressing questions about social media and get thoughtful, informed answers from people who understand the nonprofit sector. Just take a moment right now and sign up for the No Nonsense Social Media webinar.

Talk to you there!

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How NOT to Survey Your Readers

January 11, 2015 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

Enough about me, what do you think of meIt’s a good idea to get to know the people who read you. But there are ways of doing it that make them feel welcomed…and ways that make them feel used.

Here’s an example of the wrong way.

My dear wife Rona Fischman received an email that said:

“Rona,

When I started ___ 3 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined how much we would achieve together. ____has grown from a small community to a global one of over 5.5 million members, in nearly every country in the world. It’s hard to believe we’ve come so far, so fast.”

“But what’s next for ___? What will the next few years look like? As we start to think about those questions as a community, it’s critical to hear from as many voices as possible. It’s important to know what we think about what our community does, how we can be better and what we should work on together.”

“Our surveys are put together by a crack team of survey expurrts [picture of  cat at keyboard] and they don’t take very long to fill out. We’d love to find out what you think.”

Here’s what Rona thinks:

I don’t know who you are, and you want to trick me into doing your marketing for you??? Share on X

Here’s the right way:

If you want to know what people think, start out by listening. Continue by giving them something they’ll consider valuable. Get them to know, like, and trust you.

Only then will they be willing to answer your surveys. And only then will the information they give you be valuable to you.

 

 

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Is Your Organization a Stalker?

January 8, 2015 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

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.

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