Things You May Not Know About Facebook

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Norman Reiss

If you take the time to develop a large following on your nonprofit Facebook page, then all of these constituents will view your updates in their news feed, right? Not necessarily, said John Haydon this week in his webinar 27 Ways to Increase Engagement On Your Facebook Page, offered through Network for Good. Read below for highlights, then register to access the recording:

84% of your Facebook fans don’t get your updates in their newsfeed. Facebook uses Edgerank to determine whether or not your content will appear. (Learn more about how Edgerank works here and here.)
Although you might have a beautiful Facebook Timeline page with a really nice cover photo, less than 5% of your fans will ever see it (they’ll only see your posts in their newsfeed)
Morning and evening posts are likely to get more attention than in the afternoon because this is when your fans are likely to be online
Check your Facebook Insights statistics to learn what your optimal posting frequency is, i.e. how often each day you should post).
Unlike Twitter, you should not shorten links on Facebook. By using the full URL, visitors will know to expect and are more likely to click through (Services such as Timely and Buffer are useful for spacing out posts throughout day, but they will automatically shorten URLs.).
Post pictures liberally – will get much more response than plain text links
Ask questions to encourage interaction, but make it easy to respond (use yes/no or true/false questions, then use ‘like’ for one option and ‘comment’ for the other)

Having a presence on Facebook is a must these days (many constituents will look there before they visit your website), but following John’s great tips will make it more likely that you’ll get the results you seek – to encourage your audience to be more involved with your organization.

What’s New in ePhilanthropy

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Norman Reiss

According to the recently released 2012 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report, the nonprofits that have been most successful have a clear strategy for social media, management support and have dedicated social media staff. The average size of an organization’s Facebook (8,317) and Twitter (3,290) communities continues to grow yet few nonprofits are raising funds from social media. Download your free copy.

(To kick start fundraising results, it will be interesting to see if development departments start to play a larger part in managing social networks – currently it’s usually marketing / communication that’s in charge.)

If you decide to go outside your organization for social media help, ask these 7 questions to anyone you’re considering hiring. (My take – it’s always preferable to assign this work to a staff person who is more familiar with your nonprofit.) And here are 10 things you may be doing wrong with social media.

Have you noticed the larger photos on Facebook’s mobile application? Wonder where they got this idea (see new kid on the block Pinterest).

Blackbaud’s webinar series today included an important reminder that work on your website doesn’t stop after the redesign. Websites must continue to evolve and most importantly,.must always have fresh content to keep your constituents coming back. Need ideas? Here are 58 ways to create great content.

In addition to checking out how your website looks on phones, how about tablets? See 11 Nonprofit Websites That Look Great on iPads. And what about your email messages? Here’s how to optimize mail for mobile phones.

Finally, if you don’t have a specific campaign to recruit monthly donors, read this.

Takeaways from 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Norman Reiss

If you weren’t able to attend last week’s Nonprofit Technology Conference in San Francisco, below are my top seven takeaways from the sessions I attended. I’ll also be discussing this topic at next week’s monthly 501 Tech Club NYC meeting – please join us.

There are many ways to approach a mobile strategy, as Idealware‘s Laura Quinn explained in More Than Apps: Affordable Program Delivery through Mobile Phones. Do you know how your website looks on a mobile screen? Use Mobile Phone Emulator to find out. Do you give constituents a good reason to provide their mobile phone numbers on your forms (hint – don’t say ‘so we can add you to our list’)? Try using Groupme for group text messaging (like email blasts by phone). Look for ways to make your current website mobile friendly; developing apps are usually not the best approach. Also see Tech Soup‘s session review.
Matt Koltermann described a ‘blended’ approach in Building and Supporting Drupal Websites: In-House, Outhouse or Both? Even if you outsource, Matt stressed the importance of involving in-house staff in development so they can maintain and support the application later (I completely agree). He also suggested using a tool like Optimizely for AB testing (easier to use than Google Website Analyzer). Using Drupal involves the combination of many add-on modules; be careful before doing updates (as you are always prompted to do when new releases come out). Make sure you include a contingency in your cost estimate. BTW, it’s time to move to the latest version, Drupal 7.
Do you have the right organization structure for online success? In Digital Team Structure – The Underlying Foundation for Innovation, John Mogus and Michael Silberman discussed different models for where your digital staff should work. Not surprisingly, there is no perfect solution, but the ‘hybrid’ option – which places online resources in a dedicated digital group and in other departments seems to offer the most promise. But to implement this successfully, an organization needs to work out reporting structure (i.e. who reports to who?) and how online strategy is planned. Take a look at the innovative Mobilisation Lab, implemented at Greenpeace for an innovative approach. No matter what structure you use, it’s a must to have a culture where departments regularly talk and work with each other, esp. marketing / communications and fundraising. Also see my blog post on this topic last year.
Probably one of the hardest decisions we all face is when to outsource, covered by Gabriel Nichols and Pam Kingpetcharat in the session When to Call in the Consultants: When to Leave Them Out. As Matt explained in his Drupal session, a hybrid solution is usually best. An interesting take: when an ‘expert’ gives a time estimate for a project, add 50%. For internal staff, triple the estimate. Some more things to consider:

does in-house staff have necessary expertise (and do they have time to learn?)
will skills gained be used in future by staff
is there a fixed time deadline? (using outside resources will speed implementation)
what will be loss to organization if deadline slips?
how well will internal stakeholders accept project setbacks?

Segmentation is a basic principle of effective constituent relationship management, yet few nonprofits do it well. In Data Dive: Practical Segmentation Techniques, Jeff Shuck explained how Excel functionality such as filters, conditional formatting and pivot tables (they’re easier now than in older Excel versions) can help, as well as the free Analysis Toolpak add-in. (Note to Nten – Jeff ended his presentation with an reaffirming message for all of us who work in nonprofit – may be worth a keynote talk next year) A few more tips:

ask donors why they donated – critical data in getting to know your donors
you can ask for more data than you think (this will help you segment)
constituents give because of an affinity to the cause, not necessarily to your organization. This is why you need to always focus on retention.
take a look at Tableau – visual analysis tool – less expensive than SPSS
find data analysis too difficult? Get the books Statistics Without Tears or the Cartoon Guide to Statistics.

In Engaging Mobile Design, Beaconfire’s Scott Lenger suggested using Mobify as an easy way to create a mobile website (basic sites free, but some features cost more). Responsive design (same site looks good on different size screens) is great, but is best considered when doing an overall website redesign. Wondering if you really need a mobile site? Check your web statistics bounce rate – if it’s higher for mobile visitors than for desktop users, then you probably do. Make sure your forms work on small screens – here’s a great example from Feeding America. Mobile shouldn’t be an after-thought to your web design, nor should it be handled as a ‘Phase 2′ project.
If your organization is on social media, then you need a policy. Darim Online’s Lisa Colton and Idealware’s Andrea Barry both discussed the importance of focusing on your nonprofit’s core values in Maturing Your Organization’s Social Culture – By Creating a Policy? Make sure you clarify staff roles, especially who will be:

main coordinator
primary listener / moderator
expected to post
allowed to post
content contributors

Congratulations to Holly Ross, Anna Richter, and the entire Nten staff for coordinating such a great conference. It was also great to reconnect in person with many online friends from the nptech community that I exchange online communications with year-round.

What’s New in ePhilanthropy

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Norman Reiss

Ready or not, the new Facebook timeline will be rolled out on March 30. Find out what’s new from John Haydon, Beth Kanter, Heather Mansfield, Mari Smith and attend this upcoming free webinar from CharityHowto . My reminder – most fans interact with your Facebook content through the news feed. Make sure you include posts to direct them to your new Timeline page.

Don’t have a mobile friendly website yet? Here’s why you should (and more) and here’s a resource to help you get started. Here’s a free webinar Feb. 22 on 6 Best Practices to Follow While Developing Your Mobile Strategy. I’ll also be speaking on this topic Feb. 23 at the Foundation Center in NYC.

Have you jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon yet? Here’s what nonprofits should know – and be careful about possible copyright issues. If you do jump in, read some ways to make your nonprofit pinteresting?

It’s back to the basics with 4 Ways to Get More Clicks on Your Online Donation Button (e.g. make sure site visitors can find it), Tips on How to Write Headlines (for web pages, email content etc.) and How You Can Drastically Improve Your Call to Action.

Do you manage website(s) for a nonprofit in NYC? Join the Not- for-Profit Webmaster Round Table – it’s always a lively discussion and you’ll get great ideas to bring back to your organization. Our next quarterly meeting will be in June.

More Highlights from 5 Years of Nonprofit Bridge

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Norman Reiss

More blasts from past posts from Nonprofit Bridge:

How a nonprofit is organized can greatly impact its online success. From mid-2008, here’s Building a Successful Online Team. In mid-2009, I followed up with a review of Convio‘s study on Why Organization Structure Matters. Then in early 2011, I offered this Job Description for an Integrated Fundraising / Communications Position.

For more advice on digital strategy, read Tips for Online Success and How to Succeed Online – Even When You Think You Can’t. It’s always worthwhile to learn from those who are doing it well in Practical Examples of Cross-Channel Success.

Website redesign is often a challenging process. Here’s some Reasons Why (and Why Not) to Do a Website Redesign, and some additional tips.

Creating great content is key to engaging constituents. Learn How to Develop Content Your Constituents Will Want to Read, how to Develop a Content Strategy and then What Content to Put in Each Channel.

Most nonprofits need to partner with companies who provide hosted software. Here’s how to get the most of the relationship in Tips in Selecting and Working With an Online Vendor.

Do you give and attend webinars? Here’s tips on how to present and how to get the most from participating in online events.

Finally, the hottest topics now are social media and mobile / tablets. Read Insights into Developing a Social Media Strategy and my take last year on the New World of Mobile.

Thank you again for following my thoughts on the intersection of technology, communications and development for nonprofit organizations.

Are You Working Between the Holidays?

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Norman Reiss

I’ll be in the office next week, as I suspect many of you will be (especially if you are wrapping up your year-end fundraising campaign). Here’s some ideas to contemplate for for 2012:

Ask some friends (who aren’t familiar with your organization) to critique your nonprofit’s website. Are they able to quickly understand what you do? Is it easy to donate or sign up for your email list?
Analyze your website analytics, Facebook insights data so you know what’s working best with your constituents. And don’t forget to segment your audience. Debra Askanase explains more
Go back to the basics – find new ways to build your email list (via Idealware)
Encourage your staff’s professional development by supporting their participation in organizations such as Nten, which will have its annual conference in April and sponsors informational webinars and live 501 Tech meetings throughout the US throughout the year.
Saying thank you to donors is always an good idea, but it’s also crucial to make sure your staff and volunteers feel appreciated for their hard work. As my friend Shana Masterson recently tweeted, “You might not be in a position to reward someone (financially), but u can always acknowledge the work they’ve done.”
To make your meetings your effective, make sure an agenda goes out to participants in advance and a summary is sent shortly afterwards – it’s a simple project management technique that can insure that everyone’s on the same page
Help someone who is in transition. While unemployment figures seem to be dropping a bit, there are still many people who are struggling. Reach out to colleagues who need encouragement and support.

Have a healthy and peaceful holiday and a wonderful new year.

What’s New in ePhilanthropy

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Norman Reiss

If you’ve been wondering when you can build your nonprofit page on Google+, now’s the time. Heather Mansfield offers help on How to Create a Google+ Page For Your Nonprofit. Also view this video by John Haydon. Here’s Beth Kanter’s take. But the jury is still out on whether Google+ pages will prove to be as popular as Facebook pages.

Frustrated trying to keep up to date with Facebook? Get help in John’s Tactical Guide to Recent Facebook Changes and sign up for next month’s bi-monthly Facebook features update from Common Knowledge.

Planning to roll out a new website with Drupal? Have you already launched, but finding it difficult to manage how to manage content edits and approvals? Join Michelle Misner and I on Nov. 29 to learn How the NYPL Successfully Project Managed a New Drupal Website. (It’s free if you’re a Nten member!).

Speaking of Nten, I’ve just signed up for next spring’s annual Nonprofit Technology Conference in San Francisco. Please register now to lock in the lowest rate. It’s always the premier event of the year for the #nptech community.

It’s year-end fundraising season again. Get a jump start by reviewing Farra Trompeter’s online fundraising tips, Convio’s How to Get Your Holiday Appeals Opened and Jeff Brooks’ reminder to Avoid Common Fundraising Mistakes, e.g. remembering that you are not your donor. And of course, don’t forget to plan a multi-channel campaign.

If you’re in NYC, join us at next week’s 501 Tech NYC event; this month we’ll chat about Google for Nonprofits. Also if you manage a nonprofit website, sign up for the next quarterly gathering of the Not-for-Profit Webmaster Round Table, planned for mid-December.

Updated Social Media Decision Guide Now Available from Idealware

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Norman Reiss

While many of my colleagues in the nonprofit community often share their knowledge and expertise, I’ve found Laura Quinn’s Idealware site especially helpful over the years in providing impartial and comprehensive evaluations of nonprofit software. The just released Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide provides a systematic approach to determine how to best use social media at your organization.

Probably the most important takeaway is the recommendation to first decide what you want to accomplish and who you want to reach. Without taking the time to establish your goals, it’s impossible later to evaluate whether social media is a worthwhile use of your staff’s time. Idealware’s report offers several examples of how social media can help to achieve a nonprofit’s typical objectives: fundraising (although social media should NOT be primarily be used for this purpose), advocacy, recruiting / engaging volunteers, supporting events (both before and during) and outreach.

As I’ve said in the past when discussing multi-channel campaigns, social media works best when integrated with other channels. But messaging content and frequency need to be appropriate for each channel; don’t just post the same information everywhere.

If you take the time to apply the ideas from this wonderful resource, you will be able to measure the effectiveness of your social media campaign. Thanks to Idealware, and Balance Interactive, Trellon and New Signature for their support in helping make this report available to our community at no charge.

What’s New in ePhilanthropy

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Norman Reiss

Most nonprofits are on Facebook now, but fewer are using Twitter well. Read these 24 Twitter best practices, and 8 nonprofit Twitter superstars who especially do it well, led by Charity:Water, which I highlighted in a recent post. Also, don’t make these seven Twitter mistakes.

If you’re trying to figure out how to use content curation to benefit your cause, Beth Kanter offers this great primer as well as Content and Curation for Nonprofits on Scoop.It! New tools such as Storify and Paper.li also offer interesting ways to consolidate great content. (But make sure you take the time to digest content you are curating.)

Not hearing as much lately about Google Plus even though it’s now open to the public, yet I keep receiving connection notices from people I don’t recognize. Strange.

There’s no magic bullet for how to succeed in the nonprofit sector, but thanks to Big Duck and the Taproot Foundation for offering these suggestions.

Were you able to attend the recent Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits or the Convio Summit? Here’s some ways on how to live tweet from an event from M&R (but make sure you participate in the live discussion – some of my best insights are from Q&A that takes place at events) Also, Frogloop offers these takeaways on What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know.

If you missed last week’s chat with Andy Goodman on story telling, you can still get the recording from Nten. Unfortunately, Andy reminded us that many nonprofits are ‘great at what we do, but not good in talking about it.’

Finally, if you’re spending a bit too much time on social media, here’s an important reminder from Jocelyn Harmon – put your most important relationships first.