Online and Social Media Marketing Through Ambassadors

Bentz Whaley Flessner 1

Online and Social Media Strategies to make 2014 better than 2013 July 24, 2013

Presented by: Justin J. Ware


This webinar is interactive!

Send your questions in via the Q and A feature on this Live Meeting software OR tweet them in using the hashtag #BWFwebinar


“I just heard about this new cause on Facebook…”


Peer power ...especially online.

Source: Nielsen, April 2012


Online–the method most donors under age 65 make their first gift to a nonprofit

Source: Blackbaud.

Distribution of New Donors by Age within Origin Channel

2010 Medians

1%

12%

22% 24% 25%

11%

4%

0%

3%

9%

14%

23% 22%

27%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

18–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65–74 75+

Joined Online Joined by Mail


Ambassadors acquire new donors.

Source: BWF survey.


The key—leveraging “online ambassadors”

Online Ambassador Def: Influential Internet users—specifically social media users—with an affinity for your organization’s mission who have a high likelihood of enlisting the support of others through their online activity.


When you leverage online ambassadors, you…

§  Increase fundraising online and offline. §  Major gift program and annual fund can be

positively affected.

§  Acquire new donors.

§  Increase awareness of mission and opportunities for philanthropic support—create “buzz” around giving to your organization.


Online donors = donors with higher capacities to give

Source: 2012 Convio Study

43%

57%

Dual Channel Donors

Average income >$100,000

Average income <$100,000

38%

62%

Online-Only Donors


Average income <$100,000 25%

75%

Offline-Only Donors


Average income <$100,000


Online donors give more over their lifetimes…

Source: Blackbaud


Online donors give larger gifts on average.

Source: Blackbaud


During today’s BWF webinar, we will…

1.  Look at examples of successful online fundraising campaigns.

2.  Talk about the components of an effective online ambassador program.

3.  Talk about stewardship and the need for a content strategy.


UMassGives … a lot


UMass Amherst – UMassGives

§  Acquire new donors.

§  Special focus on student giving.

§  Increase culture of philanthropy in support of UMass Amherst.


Online ambassadors rallied

§  UMass development pros identified roughly 250 potential online ambassadors.

§  Of the 250, roughly 150 agreed to join the cause.



§  UMass sent emails to ambassadors throughout the campaign, asking for their help in promoting UMassGives.



§  Emails had news about the campaign, plus suggested updates that ambassadors could easily copy and paste to share with their networks…


Ambassadors were active and created a great deal of “buzz” about UMassGives online and via social networks…


Great content and social media conversation management throughout


Before the campaign…

UMass’ new ambassadors were welcomed in to the program through a brief orientation program…

…ambassadors are like any other volunteer—they need training!


UMassGave

§  1,588 donors gave $84,000 over the 36-hour campaign.

§  1,056 new donors added to the UMass Amherst database.

§  During the same time last year (May 1–8, 2012) online donors gave: §  65 gifts

§  $8,097


The Online Campaign—Florida State University’s “Great Give”

36-hour online-only giving campaign.

§  Raised $286,000 (Goal was $161,000).

§  1,100 donors—380 had never given to FSU before.


Why it worked…

A strong social media push…


Why it worked…

…emails with suggested social media updates to their online ambassadors.


Out of the many, came a few big gifts…

…from major gift prospects.


The FSU Great BIG Give

During FSU’s Great Give, one donor gave $100,000.


Remember, online donors…

§  Have higher household incomes than donors who give via mail.

§  Give much larger gifts than donors who give through mail ($62 to $32 average gift size respectively).

§  Have higher lifetime values than donors acquired via mail.

V.


The Online Affluent

According to a recent Fidelity Investment survey…

§  85 percent of all millionaires use some form of social media. §  Nearly three-quarters

of that 85 percent are on Facebook.

§  Median age of those surveyed—56.


Components of an online ambassador program.

1.  Identification of potential online ambassadors.

2.  Engagement of potential ambassadors to ask for their participation in the program.

3.  Stewardship of participating and potential future ambassadors.

4.  Leveraging ambassadors to achieve fundraising and awareness-building success through peer-to-peer communication.


Ambassadors need something to share…

…and that something is CONTENT!


Good content helps…

…tell your organization’s story and communicate the impact of philanthropy.


Good content helps…

…more people learn about your organization and mission, because content gets shared online…

…and social media is the #1 way digitally active people learn of a new cause.


Content spreads mission awareness

Piedmont Atlanta’s live-tweeted and Instagrammed kidney transplant procedure.


Content spreads mission awareness…


Good content helps you…

…provide better stewardship for supporters who connect with your org online in any way (email, social media, e-newslettters, etc).


Stewardship is…

…good content that communicates the impact of a gift.


Stewardship is…

…an easy, reaffirming online giving process.


Stewardship is…

…validation and recognition of the donor’s efforts …especially the efforts of online ambassadors.


Recognition through content…


3 things you can do now to boost giving next year and beyond… 1.  Develop an online ambassador program.

2.  Improve infrastructure for:

a)  Ease of giving.

b)  Mobile responsiveness.

c)  Leveraging the ambassador program.

3.  Invest in a content strategy and personnel to manage that content and the conversation that surrounds it.


Follow us:

•  Facebook: Facebook.com/BentzWhaleyFlessner

•  Twitter: @BWF_social or @JustinJWare

•  Email: [email protected]

•  YouTube: YouTube.com/BentzWhaleyFlessner

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Online and Social Media Marketing Through Ambassadors

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