What Can I Do With Flickr?

Many nonprofits have already established a presence on Facebook and Twitter, but another online community is gaining popularity. Flickr, a photo-sharing site that allows users to upload and share photos, can be an important part of any organization’s social media campaign. Photos have a great capacity to connect people with their subject matter. Because of this, many nonprofits have found that photos have helped motivate people to stand behind their causes. And now Flickr has teamed up with TechSoup to create “Flickr for Good,” a program to offer Flickr Pro accounts to good causes. A standard individual account is free, but these upgraded Pro accounts allow users to upload unlimited amounts of pictures. (Sound familiar? Check out my post on YouTube’s nonprofit channel– a similar concept for video uploading.)

Now, there are quite a few photo-sharing sites online that allow members to store photos and order prints, but the real advantage to a Flickr account is that it allows members to form groups and use discussion tools to communicate. The social networking aspect of Flickr is what makes it an appealing tool for individuals and organizations alike to connect with others. Flickr’s Director of Community, Heather Champ, says that Flickr is not necessarily a platform to fundraise or increase membership, although there are many organizations who have experienced these results indirectly as a result of posting on Flickr.

This photo is just one example of a photo from Oxfam America’s Flickr account which petitions Starbucks in support of Ethiopian coffee farmers.

www.flickr.com

Flickr was just one part of Oxfam’s social media-based campaign, but the Flickr project was largely successful. 70 members of Oxfam’s group uploaded photos for the cause, and many more viewed and shared them, which created valuable leverage for the organization.

So, while Flickr may not appear to have the widespread appeal of Facebook or Twitter, I submit that it can be equally as valuable to your organization, if you do it right. A focused and intentional effort on Flickr may yield surprising success, connections, and new support.

It’s Not Always Easy

One of my goals as I’ve blogged on the impact of social media on nonprofit organizations has been to communicate ways to harness the powers of this new technology to the benefit of your nonprofit. However, I never want to communicate that social media is the end-all be-all solution to all of your marketing woes.

Several blogs have recently covered the topic of social media and why it may not be everything we’ve made it out to be. In the article, “Nonprofits and Social Media: Another Perspective,” Kim Hart discusses Facebook and how many organizations have raised funds and awareness through creating specialized pages. She acknowledges that social media is a great way to gain supporters, but may not always be the most effective tool to raise money.

Casey Golden, founder of the Small Act Network, emphasizes social media in combination with other marketing and relational techniques. He says that social media is strictly a tool that should be used to expand your influence, not any sort of blanket solution.  The old ways of advertising relied on messages of short-term solutions and promises to persuade people to buy. Golden says that social media doesn’t follow this model, and should be used to tell stories that inspire others. When just a few people hear a story that moves them or reaches them on some personal level, they will share that story with their friends. Because this is the idea of social media, organizations should remember this key as they spread their messages.

Most people involved in nonprofit organizations who have taken responsibility for managing the organization’s social media strategies have encountered frustration at some point. There are bound to be times when you feel like your blog, Twitter, or Facebook page just simply is not bringing in as many supporters or as much money as you had hoped it would or as it once had. In these moments, Paul Cheney says that the key is not to panic. You just need to take a step back to reevaluate.

First, you want to go back and revisit the initial goals you had set forth both for your organization and for your social media campaign.  Make sure that in your fervor for trying anything and everything, you didn’t forget these goals. Everything in your social media strategy must operate to support those goals.

Then, try to learn what strategies have been most successful, both in your own campaign and in the campaigns of similar organizations. What have you done so far that has worked well and gotten positive feedback? Also, it can’t hurt to evaluate the social media campaigns of successful organizations. What have they done that you may be able to adapt for your organization? Maybe an organization you are researching has gained more supporters from starting a Flikr account. It might be time to think about how your organization could use that tool to support your own goals.

And of course, in those moments of frustration, remember that one of the reasons you are a part of the social media world to ENGAGE with the public, and to listen and begin conversations with your followers and potential followers.

Pepsi Refresh

Every year, millions of Americans gather around big screen TV’s surrounded by platters of mini hot dogs and vats of so-and-so’s specialty chili to watch one of the most anticipated sports events of the year—the Superbowl. And every party has their die-hard football fans, it is no secret that many of us are just as interested in the ads as we are in the actual game. Companies willingly spend millions of dollars on the much-anticipated commercials that air during the Superbowl. But this year, Pepsi tried something new. Check out this video produced by Pepsi:

Instead of pouring their money into Superbowl ads this year, Pepsi launched the Pepsi Refresh Project. The idea is that anyone and everyone can log on to the project’s website to submit and vote on ideas and projects that need funding in local communities. Since entries opened on January 13, people have been logging on to submit applications for grant money for their ideas and organizations. Voting will begin May 1 on accepted April submissions, and by the end of May, the chosen ideas will be announced, and those ideas will receive grant money in different sizes, depending on the project. The awards range from $10,000 for individuals with an idea start-up to $250,000 for organizations with more established time and resources. The process begins again with each new month.

The campaign clearly has potential to set Pepsi up with a positive image of a company that is engaged with its consumers and generous toward the community. Pepsi has, though, faced a huge challenge in gaining support and momentum, considering that at the beginning of the campaign, they had only a fraction of the Facebook fans of their largest competitor, Coca Cola. As of April15, the Pepsi Refresh page has almost 700,000 fans on Facebook, while the Coca Cola page has over 5 million.

To Pepsi’s credit, though, their Twitter and Facebook promotional tools have been very effective. Using the Facebook application, people can post their ideas to their walls and ask their networks to vote for them, as well as promote ideas that they are supporting. The folks at Pepsi had enough foresight to see that it might take some time for the project to catch on, hence the rolling, monthly set-up.

DoGooder Awards

In a previous post about YouTube, I discussed the benefits to YouTube’s Nonprofit Channel. This channel is an incredibly effective tool for non-profits to get some free exposure, but YouTube’s DoGooder Awards have really taken things to the next level. Because YouTube knows that many organizations are already creating their own videos, they have teamed up with See3 (see my post on See3 here,) to create an awards program for several different categories of videos, including awards for videos from three different sizes of organizations and an award for the best innovation in video. If your nonprofit organization is a member of the YouTube for Nonprofit program and has produced a video in 2009, it may be submitted for this year’s contest. The winning video will be featured on the YouTube homepage and screened at an in Washington, D.C. On top of that, the Case Foundation will provide grants ($2,500 each, totaling $10,000) for the winning organizations, and Flip Video has thrown in some prizes as well.

Watch the official video:

The deadline for submissions for the 4th annual DoGooder Awards is March 19. Any nonprofit organization in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia is eligible. Finalists will be selected by a panel of judges. Between March 29 and April 7, the public will vote from the selection of finalists, (who will each receive Flip HD cameras,) and the winners will be announced at the Nonprofit Technology Conference on April 10.

This awards program could be a great way for your organization to not only win grant money and prizes, but to gain even more exposure through publicity on YouTube, the D.C screening, and even all the people who will vote on the finalist videos. Once again, YouTube has created a tool for nonprofit organizations to have their names and messages seen and heard.

See3

The world of social media is still very new and relatively unfamiliar to many people. Diving in to create social media outlets for your nonprofit organization can seem like an overwhelming task, especially without resources like staff with years of experience in the field or loads of technical expertise. To make a significant impact, you must have an effective strategy. And without someone who knows what they’re doing, blindly arriving at an effective strategy is next to impossible.

See3 Communications is an agency that works with nonprofit organizations to develop marketing strategies for their causes. See3 may help clients create online campaigns and strategies, web development, or video production, keeping in mind the organization’s goals. They work with organizations from large to small, from Amnesty International to the Association of Israel’s Arts.

In addition to customized service and attention to each individual client need, See3’s blog offers practical advice, like tips on how to create a webpage that displays well when someone links to it from Facebook, or how to gain Facebook fans using videos. They have also collaborated with YouTube to create an awards program for videos produced by nonprofit organizations.

See3’s clients benefit from increased interactivity and greater tools to share their organization’s message and recruit volunteers, as well as better tools and strategies for fundraising.

Check out this presentation by Shirley Sexton, Director of Marketing and Fundraising at See3:

Social Giving

Several online payment services are beginning to gain momentum, leaving many social media users wondering about their impact. In the sphere of non-profit organizations, these social giving services could prove to be an asset in fundraising, as several cases have already proven.

One particular site, Twollars, encourages exchange and giving of virtual currency. Twitter users give Twollars to anyone who has been helpful or shared something interesting on Twitter, simply as a means of expressing their appreciation. Twollars are initially provided to each Twitter user, but can also be received from other users or purchased. When donated to charities, Twollars can be converted into real money. Organizations like The Water Project have launched campaigns using Twollar (which, by the way, keeps no portion of any donation to charity.) The idea is that giving becomes social as people publicly tweet their donations. Followers then have the opportunity to learn about the organization, and even donate themselves.

These relatively small, Twitter-based donations have become known as micropayments. Another key site, Twitpay, works with PayPal for transactions over social networks, visible to other users on the network. Unlike Twollars, Twitpay deals directly with real currency which is transferred directly from one party to another, without the trading and shifting around of virtual currency first. Twitpay, though, does charge five cents for any donation over one dollar for processing.

Twollars and Twitpay, among plenty of other similar sites, provide new ways of donating to charity. In a culture that demands that things done easily and quickly, not to mention socially, these social giving technologies meet these needs, even in the task of donating to non-profits and increasing awareness.

Utilizing YouTube

Previous posts have explored the social media strategies of March of Dimes and Habitat for Humanity, both of which incorporate YouTube. This has clearly been successful for these organizations. Most people know YouTube as a video sharing site where viewers can watch anything from political speeches to stand-up comedy to music videos. Many people may not be aware of the huge impact YouTube can have in marketing, and especially in non-profit organizations.

This video from YouTube introduces their Non-Profit Channel:

This channel was created to help organizations share videos with the public, including donors, supporters, potential supporters, volunteers, and just other interested citizens. Video is an easy, affordable, and effective method of communication, and YouTube has created a way for non-profit organizations to expand their audiences.

Qualifying organizations receive YouTube’s “premium” benefits, including maximum capacity for uploading video. Their videos are listed on the non-profit pages, and include an embedded “Donate” button provided by Google Checkout, as well as the option for call-to-action overlays which link to the organization’s website. There are, however some limitations. Organizations must apply for this channel and must be based in the United States, may not be commercial, and may not be religious, political, or lobbyists.

This video was created for the Free Hugs Campaign on this non-profit channel. Not only was this video voted YouTube video of the year, but many viewers created their own video responses.

Many organizations have launched campaigns either entirely based around or including online videos. YouTube even provides a Video Campaign Tip Sheet to help organizations begin their video campaigns, suggesting that organizations keep the campaign simple yet unique, with strong examples and organization involvement.

Habitat for Humanity

While not quite as linked and developed as the March of Dimes social media strategy, Habitat for Humanity has certainly taken the plunge into social networking.

About one year ago, Michigan Nonprofit Association Online gave this presentation for Habitat.

The Habitat website encourages people to get involved. They have created a fan page on Facebook, one of the most effective tools in creating networks of supporters. Volunteers and staff can also upload pictures of recent building projects to share with other supporters. They have also created a Linkedin account, Twitter account, and YouTube channel.

Frequently, non-profit organizations use social media for fundraising. Habitat, though, seems to really just want to create community and sharing among supporters. The Twitter page is full of updates on recent projects and links to videos of speakers  on relevant topics, and especially updates on their political advocacy through Habitat on the Hill. A Twitter search for #Habitatonthehill yields many more tweets than just tweets from Habitat. Many followers are talking about what the organization is doing, and encouraging their friends to learn more. Talk about fundraising is less of a plea for money and more of a call to action. Several posts mention that new budget cuts would also cut funding for Habitat, and encourages Twitter followers to call Congress. A recent Twitter post updated followers of a grant the organization received.

It has seemed over the course of this research so far, that social media has become essential to fundraising for non-profits today. However, as Habitat for Humanity shows, non-profits CAN shift the focus from fundraising to community-building and sharing ideas and information.

March of Dimes

Source: www.marchformaddie.com

At some point during the Spring of 2009, anyone with a blog, Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter account most likely at least heard of a little girl named Maddie, as thousands of people solicited support for a family they did not even know. Maddie Spohr, born prematurely, unexpectedly passed away at just seventeen months old. A networked memorial for Maddie raised over $30,000 in her memory. This money went toward funeral costs as well as the March of Dimes.

The March for Maddie site and the Spohrs Are Multiplying blog, both in memory of Maddie, offer ways for readers to support the family and donate to the March of Dimes. Along with the adorable pictures of the precious little girl, there are plenty of easily-accessible options for readers to share the story and the cause with their friends.  All advertising revenue on the blog goes to “Friends of Maddie.” Readers are encouraged to “Tweet love for Maddie.” There are buttons to share via most of the major social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed, and StumbleUpon.

The March of Dimes has been relatively quick to develop a useful and effective social media strategy in comparison to other similar non-profits. The Share Your Story site gives the organization a very personal and relational feel, offering families dealing with the struggles of premature infancy a way to connect with and offer support to other parents and families in the same situation. Members of this online community are encouraged to blog, participate in online discussions, and raise support and awareness on their own social networking sites. Many blogs feature a badge that shows progress in the blogger’s personal fundraising goals. With one click, a reader can donate to the cause. These blogs generate a remarkable amount of comments from friends and other members offering support and encouragement. There are even opportunities for members to meet other members from their own areas. This is a prime example of how an organization can create a network that takes on a life of its own. Without much effort by the March of Dimes, the 33,406 members have created their own thriving community.

The March of Dimes seems to have provided everything one could need to promote the organization. The March for Babies site offers badges, animated e-cards, and banners, as well as logos to use on a newsletter, website, or even a t-shirt. March of Dimes has also very cleverly provided widgets that users can add to their blogs, websites, or social networking sites. These widgets include Sudoku and pregnancy tips. With so many easy tools, March of Dimes has provided its supporters with everything they need to promote the organization through the social media they already use.

There are two keys to this whole strategy that have resulted in so much success. The first is that the organization provides a personal way for people to share their own stories and interact with others. The second is that they mobilize supporters by providing tools for people to use in whatever online spaces they already exist.

The Red Cross and mGive

The recent disaster in Haiti has sparked numerous fundraising campaigns for non-profit organizations to provide relief. Americans certainly gave to relief efforts via online donations as well as old-fashioned checks in the mail. But in the days just after the earthquake, Verizon Wireless reported that Americans set a record for mobile giving in a single day, raising $3 million via text messages on the following Wednesday alone.

Immediately after the earthquake, Verizon and other major mobile phone providers teamed up with the Red Cross and mGive to began devising the plan. MGive works with organizations like the Make-A-Wish foundation and the American Heart Foundation to raise money by mobile giving, providing a platform and services that allow people to send a text message to a given number to donate money to a particular organization, which is then billed to their cell phone bill. The company, founded in 2005, typically charges a licensing fee for the use of their software and transaction fees for donations, as well as fees for extra services. In this case, though, the company chose to waive these fees, claiming that catastrophic fundraising different from typical mobile fundraising. Not only have these fees been waived, but Verizon and other providers are working with mGive to reduce they typical 90 days between the text and when the charity receives the donation. No money goes to mGive or the wireless provider.

The news spread quickly that anyone with a mobile phone with a major wireless provider could text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross. Social media technologies like Facebook and Twitter were covered with statuses and posts encouraging friends and contacts to participate in the campaign and then to re-post the information to share with their networks. Word spread quickly across the blogosphere as well, including a mention on the White House’s blog. The combination of the simple nature of the campaign and the overwhelming word-of-mouth promotion has resulted in the largest mobile giving relief effort to date.

Even Michelle Obama endorsed the campaign: