A study about teens, charity, and social media.

Key Findings:

1. Teens are now more likely to spend their free time playing video or computer games than they were last year (72% 2011 vs. 63% 2010).
2. As in 2010, nearly 1 in 4 teens (23%) say they volunteer during their free time, and 1 in 10 (10%) have a part-time job.
3. About 9 in 10 teens agree – the same proportion as in 2010 – that:
   • It is more important than ever to help others who are less fortunate (90% 2011, 90% 2010);
   • It is important to support charitable causes symbolically even if you can’t do so financially (86% 2011, 88% 2010); and,
   • They wish they could do more to help those in need (88% 2011, 89% 2010).
4. Nearly 3 in 4 teens (73%) say their family has been negatively affected by the current economic climate, and about 4 in 5 (79%) have become more aware of the needs of others as a result.
5. Though they are equally as likely to agree (88% 2011, 89% 2010), teens in 2011 are less likely than they were a year ago to strongly agree that they wish they could do more to help those in need (43% 2011 vs. 50% 2010).
6. The majority of teens (71% 2011, 74% 2010) continue to support charitable causes or organizations, primarily by volunteering their time or participating in an event (43% 2011, 38% 2010).
7. Nearly 2 in 5 teens (37% 2011, 33% 2010) show their support symbolically, and about 1 in 3 (32%) vocally support their causes by spreading word of mouth and recruiting others.
8. About 1 in 4 teens (26%) donate money.
9. Though 2 in 3 teens (66%) agree that the benefits of social media outweigh the risks, and more than 2 in 5 (44%) say they have become more aware of the needs of others thanks to their social media usage, the plurality of youth ages 13-17 (29%) would be most willing to sacrifice their access to social media if they had to forgo some of life’s luxuries or necessities for 24 hours.
10. Only 2% would be willing to go without food (2%) or water (2%).
11. Most teens (80%) use social media, primarily to keep in touch with friends (76%).
12. Additionally, more than 1 in 2 teens (57%) share photos, videos, or links with others, and nearly 2 in 5 (37%) use social media to share their opinion about various issues.
13. Teens are more likely to “friend,” “like,” or “follow” companies or brands they like (41%) than charitable causes they support (34%).

World Vision, “A Study About Teens, Charity, and Social Media,” February 2011.

5 no-no’s of nonprofit messaging.

10 keys to social media branding.

What makes a social media brand successful? Is it posting on Facebook at least once per day? Having lots of Twitter followers? Always being first to spread the news on your blog? Do you need a great logo?

These are all good things, but they’re not the heart of what makes a social media brand great. Whether you’re a nonprofit, for-profit, or an individual trying to make a name for yourself, the basic elements of success are the same. Here’s my list of 10 things you must be to have a truly remarkable social brand.

1. Personable – You must be likable! Out of all the media outlets from traditional newspapers to professional TV news channels, social media is the most relaxed. You must be friendly and engage people so they want to listen to you.
2. Consistent - Whether you have one employee or many updating your social media, your brand’s voice must be consistent. Is it funny? Authoritative? Down-to-earth? Do you blog about personal things, or keep it strictly business? Discuss these questions with your team and agree on them.
3. Focused – Your company has a mission, right? So should your social media! Don’t just write about anything and everything. Make sure it’s relevant or serves a purpose. Even if you let your employees write about personal things, they should write with the mission in mind.
4. Creative - No one wants to hear the same thing over and over again. Keep looking for new ways to engage your audience through real life updates, links to interesting material, live events, polls, contests, discussion questions, or anything else that can relate back to your mission.
5. Transparent - Be open with your followers. Share the ups and downs! Not only do people love hearing “behind-the-scenes” stories, it’s a great way to build loyalty.
6. Sincere - Don’t fake it. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. People can see right through you, trust me.
7. Interesting – A good rule of thumb is: if you don’t want to read it, why should your followers? Keep it relevant, entertaining, or informative – or all three, if possible!
8. Helpful – People follow businesses and nonprofits because they want to know more about them, or they want to be entertained, or maybe they want to learn something. It’s your job to figure out what they want and then give it to them.
9. Modest – Social media is advertising, but that doesn’t mean you should be talking about how great you are all the time. It’s annoying. Even if you really are the greatest thing since sliced bread, no one will listen to you.
10. Grateful – This goes hand-in-hand with modesty. Give credit where credit is due! Thank people when they re-tweet your messages or comment on your blog. Acknowledge your biggest fans every once in a while. Don’t thank people so often that you sound insincere, but don’t ever forget to remember the guys who help you.

Jessica Sadoway, 10 Key to Social Media Branding

Top 10 direct marketing tips to improve ROI.

Top 10 things donors want from your nonprofit’s website.

“Did you know that most donor check out your website before they make a gift, whether they are giving online or through the mail? A Kellogg Foundation study found that potentially up to 50 percent of your donors are going to check out your organization online before they give, whether they end up actually donating online or not.

“Your website is now your front door – it is where everyone will go to find out about your organization. Be sure it is welcoming, just like your own front door invites you and your visitors to come in. Following are questions you should ask about your site to see if it is hurting or helping your fundraising campaign.

1. Does your website represent you well? Does it tell a compelling, moving story (i.e., photos of people helped by your organization)?
2. When visitors come to your site, can they easily find out what they want? The navigation need to be intuitive and easy for anyone.
3. What’s the call to action on your site? What do you want your visitors to do? Too many sites beat around the bush and do not come right out and ask for involvement and funds. Be sure your site has a clear call to action that captures your readers’ attention.
4. Does you site convey legitimacy and credibility? Do you post information on your website that proves your nonprofit status? Do you post the names of your board members – the members of the community who stand behind your organization? Does it say who is accountable for this organization?
5. Is the donation process easy to walk through? Some studies show that most donors who visit the donation page of a site never complete the process because it is too cumbersome. Be sure you make it really easy to give.
6. Is there also a way to download a form that donors can mail in or fax to you if they do not want to contribute online?
7. Are you offering people the ability to have a dialog with you? Is there some sort of interaction, such as a survey or a place to post comments? Donors want the ability to comment, to discuss and to participate with you.
8. Do you have a physical address and phone number prominently displayed for easy access?
9. Does your website share how past donations have been used? This is where you can share your good news, terrific stories of what you have done with your funding and information about your organization’s impact in the world.
10. Are you telling visitors how they can volunteer? You certainly do not want to give the impression that you do not want volunteers! However, this topic is sometimes completely missing from a website.”

Gail Perry, “Top 10 Things Donors Want From Your Nonprofit’s Website”, Advancing Philanthropy, May/June 2010

Make the most of voice mail.

“In leaving a voice mail, the following suggestions will help increase your chances of a return call:

• Be prepared. Know what you are going to say. An unscripted, unrehearsed message is likely to be unclear or rambling and will not result in a returned call.
• Be clear and concise. State the main purpose of your call within the first 15 seconds. Strive to keep your message to 30 seconds, with 45 seconds as an absolute maximum. Speak slowly enough to be understood and slow down especially when leaving your phone number. State your phone number twice at the end of the message.
• Be compelling. Ask yourself a simple question: Why would the prospect want to call you back? If you have information on the prospect’s expertise and areas of interest, find a way to connect that to your organization. Ask for input and advice. Provide value.
• Be interesting. Make sure the tone of your voice is “up” when calling. Smile when you leave your message. Remember you are selling yourself, not your organization, at this stage of the relationship.
• Be reachable. Give your prospect options for calling you back. What is the best time to reach you? If you will be out of the office, provide your cell number. Avoid telephone tag.
• Be persistent. Do not take unreturned calls personally. The American Marketing Association indicates that it typically takes five to seven calls/voice mails to connect with a “C-level” (CEO, CFO, etc.) executive. A ratio of one returned call for every 10 (initial) cold calls is not unusual.

“When making follow-up calls, you will want to keep to your main message, but be slightly more assertive. Your prospect’s time is valuable, and so is yours, so get to the main point of your call as soon as possible.

“If you want to cut through the clutter and stand out from your competition (and anyone else who is trying to get your prospect’s attention is your competition), you must make voice mail work for you. Remember that the first step is to get your prospect’s attention so he or she will call you back. Again, you are selling yourself first. There will be plenty of time to discuss your organization during the face-to-face meeting!”

John Greenhoe, “Making the Most of Voice Mail”, Advancing Philanthropy, November/December 2010

Become a listening and hearing organization.

“In all their communications fundraisers need to switch from monologue to dialogue. In addition to investing effort and resources into knowing and understanding their donors, they should make sure donors don’t adopt a passive role but instead can readily become active participants who will get as involved as possible (within their own levels of comfort). This can be achieved by offering donors genuinely interesting and worthwhile involvement opportunities, inviting donors to visit and see your work for themselves, so they really can get under your organization’s skin and become not just participants but co-owners of your cause. To achieve this, your organization has to become a listening and hearing organization.

“There are six keys to becoming a listening and hearing organization:

• Train frontline personnel.
• Involve donors strategically.
• Encourage feedback, comments, questions, even complaints.
• Undertake regular research – listen particularly to donors and to former supporters.
• Regularly survey donor satisfaction – monitor and report on key indices.
• Don’t just listen – really hear what your donors will tell you, and act on what you learn.”

Ken Burnett, The Zen of Fundraising

Send only effective, imaginative communications.

“You should send only communications that will help ensure your supporters

• Are entirely comfortable
• Will grow in their trust and confidence in you and your organization
• Actually look forward to hearing from you
• Hear only about issues and subjects that truly interest them
• Give when you ask
• Feel they are benefiting from the relationship too

“It’s important that fundraisers become more self-critical of what they produce so they send only creative and effective communications, and that they save the money currently being wasted on inappropriate and poorly constructed publications by not sending them, thus avoiding inflicting unhelpful, unwelcome materials on their dear donors.

• Constantly measure donors’ interest in and reactions to what they receive from you. Learn from this.
• Ask yourself whether or not your donors actually read what you send them.
• Never be dull, bland, or unmoving. Communicate with passion. We have the best stories in the world to tell, and the best reasons for telling them.
• Invest in good pictures and in people who can write compellingly, with power and passion.
• Design for readability.
• Send less but better. Make sure what goes to donors is only the truly excellent.”

Ken Burnett, The Zen of Fundraising

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