Social media may not cost your organization anything to use, but it does use another significant resource: time. For nonprofits to be successful in this constantly evolving landscape, having the right strategy is critical. Join Carie Lewis, director of emerging media at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and an author from our recently published eBook, npEXPERTS: Online Marketing Insights from Nonprofits Experts, to learn how social media has become an integral part of the multichannel communications strategy of HSUS, as well as 10 tactics to help your organization achieve success in social fundraising! For Blackbaud webinar: August 5, 2013

1. Carie Lewis
Deputy Director, Online Communications
@cariegrls
[ Social Media and Its Relationship to Online Fundraising ]

2. [ My name is Carie, and I’m a social media addict. ]

3. “I just got a keychain and address labels in
the mail from you guys. Now that I see
you posting on Facebook and know you're
legit, I'll be sending a donation. Thanks
for the work you do.”
– Posted to our Facebook Page wall, January 2010
[ Just a Fad? ]

4. How We’re
Structured
Carie Lewis
Deputy Director, Online Communications
Social media, online advertising, web strategy
Bailey Fogarty
Social Communications Specialist
Brand monitoring, analytics
Victoria Ramm
Community Manager
Posting and engagement
Online Volunteers
Sarah Barnett
Senior Manager, Social Media
Social media channel manager
Katie Feldman
Community Specialist
Ancillary page management
Vacant
Social Media Intern
Administrative support
Katie Carrus
Editorial Director
Web channel manager
Sarah Butler
Online Ad Coordinator
online advertising channel manager

5. [ Facebook and Twitter were not created equal. ]
Where our constituents are
For customer service and
relationship building but is
also our action-oriented
community
People talk about us here
A customer service and
relationship building tool

6. [ Our Social Media Snapshot ]
• 1.7 million Facebook fans
• 200,000 Twitter followers
• 103% growth rate on Facebook from 2012 to
2013
• 93% growth rate on Twitter from 2012 to 2013
• $1 million raised on Facebook (lifetime at the
middle of 2013)
• $200,000 raised per year on Facebook
• 300,000 actions per year taken on Facebook

7. [ Our Social Media Philosophy ]
Engagement means
nothing if it is not working
towards your goals.
Say it with me now…

8. [ Give them what they want! ]
By providing our fans what they want like:
• fun contests
• polls asking for their opinion
• listening to feedback on posts
• answering every question
• Show ways to make a difference
• other engagement opportunities
We believe they will feel enough of a
connection with the brand to do
what we ask such as:
• donating
• taking action
• filling out a form
• Answering a question
• RSVPing to an event

9. [ But Perhaps Most Importantly…]
We don’t measure success
by # of fans or followers.
“…that’s so myspace.” –C. Lewis

10. [ What Matters? ]
The Like or Follow is the beginning of the
relationship between you and a fan,
not the end.
Ask yourself:
• Do those people do what you want them to do? (tie to goals)
• How can you get them to do it? (think like a user)
• How are you making it a valuable community for both you and
your fans? (be selective and creative)
• How will you get them to come back? (engage)
You must be relevant, interesting, concise, responsive, and provide value to your fans.

11. [ Goals ]
Our goals in using social media are: advocacy, fundraising, providing
customer service, and increasing brand sentiment online by
promoting the good work of the organization.
Customer service
& engagement Interest & trust
Positive connection
to the brand
Better chance of
becoming a member
More likely to
share our content
Everything we do online is tied to advocacy and fundraising – social media is no exception.

12. • # of actions taken
• # of donors
• Amount of donations*
• # of new names to file
• Customer service wins
• Sentiment %
• Growth rate
• Most popular content
• # mentions
• Notable mentions
[ What We Measure ]
*both from Facebook Causes and sourced from our website

13. [ Don’t Forget About the Intangibles! ]
Our Weekly Social Media Mentions
Report showcases notable mentions
about our brand in social media.
Includes mentions from:
• Supporters/members/fans
• Other organizations
• Companies
• Celebrities
Sent to executives to showcase
intangible benefits from social media
as well as give them an insight of what’s
buzzing online that week related to our brand.

14. [ Tactics to Steal! ]
Get excited!!

15. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#1: Ask explicitly with a solid call to
action.
How to do it: – Add “Please RT” or
“please share” or “take action
now” to your posts. Note: use
sparingly or it will not mean as
much.
Why it works: People tend to do
things if you just ask.

16. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#2: Make every piece of content you
already have shareable and ask people
to share on every thank you page.
How to do it: – Use a free tool like AddThis
to make your emails, webpages, and
advo/donation forms shareable on
Facebook and Twitter
Why it works: Your existing constituency is
more likely to share your content and
recruit like-minded friends, and right
after they’ve taken action is the peak
time for their engagement with you.

17. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#3: Replicate all of your asks inside
Facebook.
How to do it: Use Facebook Causes
fundraising projects or your CMS’
API technology to bring forms onto a
custom Facebook tab
Why it works: People on Facebook
want to stay on Facebook, and will
convert at higher rates if you keep
them there.

18. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#4: Answer and thank everyone.
How to do it: Answer everyone that asks a
question in a comment string or writes on
your wall. On Twitter, set up keyword
monitoring for anyone that shares their
donation.
Why it works: When someone gets a
response, it builds trust and loyalty.
Donors want to feel that you appreciate
them and that they’re not just another
donor. They will be more likely to donate
again or recruit others (modern-day
donor cultivation!)

19. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#5: Get serious about social
monitoring.
How to do it: Use Tweetdeck and
Google Alerts (free) or purchase a
social CRM like SmallAct, Spredfast
Why it works: When someone is
talking about you, you can respond
and give them the info they need,
like help with their donation or
clear up misinformation.

20. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#6: Give them multiple ways to
donate - whatever is comfortable
for them.
How to do it: Give options to donate
on Facebook, on your website, via
mobile, via a custom tab, etc. AND
PUSH PEOPLE TO THEM.
Why it works: Some people still aren’t
comfortable with donating on
Facebook, and some don’t want to
leave. Give them all possible options.

21. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#7: Use Facebook ads (yes, I
said it.)
How to do it: Even $100 will
produce results via
Facebook’s robust ad
targeting system.
Why it works: You can target ads to your fans via
a promoted post, linking to a certain post. Use
this for donation and action campaigns. This is
a great way to ensure fans see your posts, and
convert them.

22. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#8: Make it a safe plans for fans.
How to do it: Have a commenting
policy on your page and enforce it.
Why it works: Your fans don’t
necessarily know everything about
you, so when they come to your
page you don’t want a bunch of
spam, misinformation, etc. on your
page. It could deter them. Be there!
(And don’t disable posting or
commenting by fans!)

23. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#9: Close the loop.
How to do it: When you ask fans to
do something, let them know what
happens as a result.
Why it works: People want to see
how their time and money is
making a difference. Show
them by following up and
closing the loop, and they’ll be
more inclined to do it again
when you ask.

24. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#10: Make sure you’re tracking.
How to do it: Use Google Analytics or
your CMS’ trackable link system to
uniquely source all different
promotion types.
Why it works: How will you know if
you’re converting fans to
constituents if you’re not tracking it?
Test different ad text, images, post
types, etc. to see what resonates
best with your audience.

25. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#11: Make real world events social by
replicating events on Facebook.
How to do it: Create a Facebook event for
all of your events, even online (like
webinars). Add Twitter handle to your
registration fields, and create a Twitter
hashtag. Add RSVP on Facebook on the
registration thank you page.
Why it works: People on Facebook like to
stay on Facebook, and show the world
all the fun things they’re doing. They
might even suggest to friends. This gets
people online, offline.

26. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#12: Don’t dismiss custom tabs yet.
How to do it: Create custom tabs to
show people how they can become
a member / donate / take action
Why it works: Timeline may have
gotten rid of landing tabs, but you
can still push people to tabs.
Pushing people to our member tab
to get our magazine was the most
successful donation method last
year.

27. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#13: Make it about THEM.
How to do it: Instead of saying “sign
our disaster preparedness
pledge” say “you wouldn’t leave
your pet behind in a disaster,
would you? Then sign the
pledge!”
Why it Works: People ask “what’s in
it for me?” Make it about them
and they’ll be more likely to do
what you want. (This was the
most successful post on 2012)

28. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#14: Post a variety of types of
content.
How to do it: Ask for opinions, post
actions, post funny photos or
videos.
Why it works: People like variety.
Switch it up. Don’t beat people
over the head with asks, but don’t
just post fluff all the time. That
way when you do ask for
something, they’ll know you mean
it / need it.

29. [ 15 Tactics to Convert Fans to Constituents ]
#15: Make your content as
relevant as possible to your
fans.
How to do it: Localize your posts
so that they are
geographically relevant.
Why it works: When something is
more relevant to you, you’re
more likely to pay attention and
do something about it.

30. [ That All Being Said… ]
You need to take the time to build a substantial, loyal
base before you ask for anything. Do this by listening
and responding to their feedback!

31. [ Final Thought ]
#SMWES // @cariegrls
“Social media is
free….
free like a
puppy.”

32. [ Thank you! ]
clewis@humanesociety.org
@cariegrls
linkedin.com/in/carielewis
Also check out my Prezi:
“Why I Don’t Like You: Strategies and Tactics for
Continued Social Engagement”
http://prezi.com/6402qygr7iys/why-i-dont-like-you/