This week it’s about the three things that will boost your year-end giving: (1) social media done well will drive awareness of your cause and the current opportunity to make an impact; (2) creative, compelling content presented in the form of a story will trigger emotions that inspire philanthropy, and (3) your user-friendly, up-to-date website will make it easy for would-be donors to connect with you, donate and then continue to stay connected – and feel good about it – over time. This week’s links will give you food for thought – plus actionable tips.
Compel – Social Media Drives Awareness
Click-it: 7 Subtle (Yet Powerful) Techniques to Boost Your Brand on Social Media Thank you Jessica Meher and HubSpot.
Click-It: Now Is The Time To Be Planning Your Mobile Social Media Marketing Strategy. What are your plans for social media marketing via mobile? If you’re not planning this, think again. Read this article by Jeff Bullas now!
Click-It: Social Video in 2014 will be big everywhere and nonprofits should take heed. Jayson Duncan lays out some useful strategies on Maximize Social Business. No budget? Check out easy, low-cost ways to incorporate video into your marketing.
Kvell* – Stories Trigger Emotions
Click it: What do we get when we give to a good cause? In case you missed Seth Godin’s post on philanthropy last week, it’s worth a look. He talks about the key to influencing someone to give to you when they’ve never heard of you. You know this, you do. But do you do it? Do you always tell a compelling story? Because that’s what folks are looking to buy.
Click-it: What Every Non-Profit Executive Needs to Know About Storytelling. My friend Vanessa Chase of Philanthropy4All is offering a free webinar on Tuesday, December 10th at 10a.m PST. Effective nonprofit storytelling is her passion, so check it out!
Sell – Websites Facilitate Giving
Click-it: 3 Common Nonprofit Website Mistakes and How To Avoid Them. It’s time to get your website spiffed up as gifts begin to pour in. No time now? Then make it a new year’s resolution. Steven Shattuck from the Bloomerang blog gives some great tips. The one I agree with in spades? If you don’t yet have one, get thee a blog!
Click-it: Nonprofits, 2014 is the Year of the Blog. Here’s Why You Can’t Afford to Wait Any Longer. Just in case Steven (above) and I don’t persuade you to get a blog, here’s another bit of persuasion for you from Marc Koenig on Nonprofit Hub.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…
It’s the time of year for checking things twice! Most nonprofits raise up to 40% of their total annual campaign goal from mid November through December 31st. If you’re still struggling to get your final year-end appeal ‘just right,’ check out my new Anatomy of a Fundraising Appeal Letter plus Sample Template. Check your letter’s opening, ask, closing and p.s. against the template, and make sure you’ve covered most of the tried-and-true compelling elements of all effective appeals. Then be prepared to thank folks as those gifts come pouring in! I’ve got a brand NEW guide to help you: 48 Hours: Your Donor Acknowledgment Solution Kit. They’re both 100% guaranteed.
* kvell” is derived from Yiddish “kveln,” meaning “to be delighted”
Photo: Flickr, Isaac Torronterra
Claire when is web site a waste of time? If it is only informational how do u drive people to it? I am thinking for instance mental health nonprofits. Ot r web site about critical care – THINGS FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD KNOW.
A website that is old, outdated and not at all user-friendly is a waste. Your website is your face onto the world. Dress it for success and make it super easy for folks to visit and use. If you’ve got tips for folks about critical care for family members, share those with them. The best way is a blog that folks subscribe to. You can then dribble out the good content they need, and drive them back to your website for additional information they can use.