Online Communications On A Shoestring Craigslist Boot Camp August 2008.
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Online Communications On A Shoestring
Craigslist Boot Camp August 2008
Introductions
Laura Quinn, IdealwareColin Delany, epolitics.com
What do you hope to get from this session?
What We’ll Cover
• Your Website• Email• Online Outreach
Strategies and Tools for the three components of Online Strategy:
The Three Components of Online Communications
Three Components
Your Website
Your Website is You, Online
For many online friends, your website is your organization.
Does it say what you want it to say?
Does It Say What You Do?
Don’t make people hunt to find out what your organization does.
www.kiva.org
Does It Show What You Do?
Make sure your website compellingly shows your activities and the difference you’re making
www.rippleeffect.net
Why Should People Care?
Give stories, numbers, examples – to make a connection
www.robinhood.org
How Can They Get Involved?
Give people lots of opportunities to help out, if they’ve been moved
www.freshair.org
On a Shoestring Budget, Prioritize Wisely
• Make sure your content speaks to your constituents
• Invest in a solid graphic design• Make it friendly, clear, and useful• Ensure you can update it over time• Look for a tool that will grow with you
Don’t be seduced by nifty features
The Minimal Website
If your budget is exceedingly minimal, consider alternative websites
But an investment pays off
A blogA MySpace Page
A piece of another site
Website Tools for a Shoestring Budget
Very easy but very generic website-in-a-box. $5-$50 per month depending on number of pages and more .
www.homestead.com
www.squarespace.com More complex to set up, but offers more options for those publishing articles, news, or content on an ongoing basis. $7 - $12/month
www.wildapricot.com
Website editing, blast emailing, payment processing, and membership management for small nonprofits. $25-$200 per month.
More Advanced Shoestring Tools
Much more advanced than previous, with sophisticated and expandable features. Will require at least someone with a sense of technical adventure, if not a consultant, to get setup. Free to download.
www.joomla.org
www.drupal.org
Even more advanced than Joomla, especially for multi-site organizations or sophisticated user-generated content, but more complex to setup. Free to download.
Repeat After Me…
Email is the Shoestring Communicator’s best
friend
Emails are Very Cost Effective
Reach out to your constituents to let them know what you’re doing
Or ask them to take action
But the Details are Critical
Who is the email from?
Is the graphic design clean? Does it depend on images?
Are there spam-like words in the text?
Are any calls to action clear?
Does it seem like they know who I am?
Is there an unsubscribe link and physical address?
What’s the subject line?
Does Anyone Open Email Anymore?
Yes. Especially from organizations they know and like.
These vary widely based on organization and email
12-30% Open
2-15% Click
5-10% Act
.05-2% Give
Where Do The Addresses Come From?
Start with your friends…
And then build your list through Online Outreach…
Ask for emails in direct mail appeals
Have an email sign-up sheet at
events
Consider an email appending service
Ask website visitors to sign up
for compelling emails
Shoestring Blast Email Tool for 501c3s
Outlook is not a blast email tool!
www.verticalresponse.com
• 10,000 emails per month free for 501c3s• After 10,000 emails, prices are reasonable.• Reliable and sophisticated, though complex in
areas• Strong in deliverability and integration
Other Shoestring Blast Email Tools
Outlook is not a blast email tool!
www.myemma.comGeared to those who want to carefully setup a tailored eNews template that non-techies can easily use over time. Starts at $30/month for 1000 emails (with nonprofit discount).
Reasonable for small lists; a terrific deal for big ones. No ability to format HTML emails within the tool. $29.95/ month for 10,000 emails, + $0.001 for each additional email
www.constantcontact.com
Solid and commonly used. Starts at $15/month for less than 500 constituents. However, several report deliverability problems.
Email Now www.networkforgood.org
Look for Tools That…
• Have a track record of getting emails to people’s Inbox
• Allow you to track opens and click throughs• Help you to segment your list
Online Outreach
Make New Friends for Your Organization
• Work to raise your organization’s overall profile• Give people a reason to pay attention to you• Give supporters the tools to reach out on your behalf
Most methods are inexpensive but time-consuming
• Choose a few, try them out, and evaluate them carefully
• Don’t be afraid to experiment!• Use offline outreach• More broadly, integrate online and offline
Buzz Worthy Website Resources
• Blogs• Reports or articles• Tools• Videos• Games• Pictures
Search Engine Optimization
Content:• Write like a human• Pay attention to
headings & page titles
• “Semantic coding”
Incoming links:• Reputable/relevant
sites matter• Having a blog can
help
Consider both content and incoming links
Google Grants
• Free to nonprofits• Google contextual
ads• Can build
email/donor/activist list
• Not just on Google – other sites in network
Blogs and Blogger Relations
• Similar to traditional media relations
• Focus on niche/local sites• Establish yourself as a
credible source• Research sites before you
contact the authors• Only pitch relevant (and
interesting) content• Build relationships• Buy ‘em a beer!
Online Viral Marketing
Things you do mostly for the buzz, though they often help engage supporters as well.
• Videos• Petitions• Actions• Contests
Social Networking Sites
Approaches:1. Individual
outreach2. Organization
presence3. Yard signs –
widgets, gadgets, critters, videos and badges
4. Groups/Applications/ Fan pages
Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, or niche social networks
Spreading the Word Through Other Sites
• Digg• Del.icio.us• YouTube• Twitter (technically not a
site…)• Cross-publishing/creating
content for other websites• Content widgets• Social networks• To test, start with the sites you use yourself
Distributed Campaigns
Typically fundraising, but there’s no law that says they have to be
• FirstGiving• ChipIn• Network for Good
Typical tools:• Widgets• Video
Assessing Outreach Methods
• Most methods are inexpensive but time-consuming
• Match your goals to the tools• Match the tools to your resources – for instance,
an organization with good writers might consider a blog, but only if they have the time to put into it
• Think about the bang for the buck• Leverage your existing work – integration is key
Questions?
Stand-Alone: Few Donations, Price Is Critical
No fees except for 4.75% of each donation. Some customization of the form; strong international support
www.clickandpledge.com
Basic Donate Now www.networkforgood.org
Low cost – no fees except 4.75% of each donation - but not customizable at all. The visitor leaves your site for the NFG site
www.paypal.comBy far the cheapest of the tools at about 2.2% of each donation (for nonprofits). The donation form is unmistakably PayPal, but with the trusted PayPal name that could be a good thing
www.chipin.comA widget that sits on your site and shows donation progress – and integrates with PayPal. Fees are the same as PayPal, for now
Stand-Alone: Best Values for Good Tools (1 of 2)
Mid-priced specialist in donations, events, and registration. Fairly flexible donation form. Although it’s their merchant account, your org’s name appears on the credit card bill
www.auctionpay.com
www.etapestry.com
Most affordable tool with your own merchant account. Their whole donor database comes free with it, as long as you keep your database under 500 donors.
Completely integrated and fairly flexible donation form, with support for products and events as well. They offer Canadian tax receipts and multiple language support.
www.gifttool.com
Stand-Alone: Best Values for Good Tools (2 of 2)
DonateNow (formerly by Groundspring) is an affordable basic tool that can be completely integrated into your site.
www.memberclicks.com
Their “build your own form” tool is a good option for those who don’t want to go through the vendor for every change.
Custom Donate Now www.networkforgood.org
A Selection of Integrated Online Tools
Under $100/month• Wild Apricot• Network for Good Donor
Suite• GivenGain
Under $200/ month• CitySoft• Democracy in Action• eTapestry• MemberClicks• Z2 Neon
Mid Market• Artez• LocalVoice• Orchid Suites• CitySoft
Lower Cost, Website Focused• CivicSpace• CivicSpace on Demand• Joomla (with integration)• Nonprofit Soapbox
From Consulting Firms• AMP from Radical Designs• 44Fish from Antharia
The Big Kahunas• Convio (+GetActive)• Kintera• Blackbaud NetCommunity
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