Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Click it!
This week’s Click-It is nice and fat, offering a big mix of social media tips I’ve found for you across the web. Some are nonprofit specific; some are ideas you can steal from the for profit world. If your social media plan isn’t working, or you’re working too hard, check these out. Plus, of course, you’ll find some stuff to help you raise more money (we lead off with some really big ideas) — including some great learning opportunities (scroll to the bottom) you won’t want to miss!
Social Media
Click-It: Gimme the Basics: 10 Tips for Using Social Media in Nonprofits. I love this post from Emily Davis. I agree with every tip, and especially love the one about using social media for donor stewardship (of course, only for those who “dig” it!
Click-It: Businesses: Determining Which Social Media Channels to Use, by Marisa Sanfilippo on the SEO Blog, lays out the pros/cons of five popular social networks and suggests ways I believe nonprofits could benefit from more active use of these platforms. “Helpful Tip” videos on YouTube? Driving website traffic via Pinterest? Building authority and relationships via Twitter? Are you taking full advantage of these tools?
Click-It: The 3 Keys to Social Media Success comes from Julia C. Campbell, one of my favorite nonprofit social media gurus. So listen up: Diversification; Dedication; Dynamic content. Now read the full article to find out what this really means. I’ll give you a taste: “slow and steady wins the social media race”… If something is much more work than it’s worth, or if it is giving you an ulcer, take a break or try something else.”
Click-It: The Ultimate Media Definition Heidi Cohen is one of my favorite marketing/social media gurus and much of what she writes applies directly to nonprofit marketing. Heidi says how you understand media platforms is key to your business results. Check it out, and see if you agree. I guarantee you’ll learn at least one new thing!
Click-It: The Visual Guide to Conquering Today’s Top Social Networks. As you are no doubt aware, the trend in marketing is visual. Busy people don’t have time to read a lot of words. They’ll open your emails, blog posts and tweets – and share them – much more if you add images. Rebekah Radice shares tips on how to get this done.
Blogging
Click-it: 26 Blogging Tools to Simplify Your Life: An A-Z List, from Melanie Nelson on Social Media Examiner, offers some of the latest must-have tools to make your blog posts sing – and get shared. Share this one with your online specialist, social media manager, IT person and graphic designer.
Big Fundraising Ideas
Click-It: I Wish I’d Thought of That. Michael Rosen previews what looks to be a fascinating panel at the upcoming AFP International Conference in Baltimore. Even if you can’t attend, you can benefit from some of these great ideas. I love the “donor circle” idea myself. Plus there’s mention of a new book, Train Your Board (and Everyone Else) to Raise Money: A Cookbook of Easy-to-Use Fundraising Exercises by Andrea Kihlstedt and Andy Robinson, which I definitely want to get my hands on. You?
AND SOME LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES…
Are you fundraising for a hospital? Or looking to borrow some techniques from successful hospital fundraisers?
Register now for the Hospital Fundraising Summit and get 70+ webinars from 45 stellar fundraising pros including Tom Ahern, Leah Eustace, Marci Heim, Lori Jacobwith, Russell James, Linda Lysakowski, Gail Perry, Marc Pitman and Lynne Wester (I’m honored to be offering two sessions). They’re all online for NO COST April 6 – 12. Won’t be around that week? You can purchase all the webinars at a super discount before April 6; then they’re your personal library for life. It’s great material on a full range of fundraising topics — whether you work in health care or not. Invest in your fundraising success today!
Want to freshen up your donor thank you’s? Join me and Bloomerang on Wednesday April 8th for Creative Thank You’s: Boost Donations with an Attitude of Gratitude. The best part? It’s free!
Looking to rev up your nonprofit career? I’ll be speaking at the Virtual Fundraising Career Conference April 13th-15th. There are a variety of amazing topics – all for one ridiculously low fee.
Photos: Flickr, Isaac Torronterra; Freedigitalphotos.com
