Libraries are realizing the marketing and development potential that social media sites possess. Tapping into that potential, however, requires more than the set-up of a profile or the occasional update –- it requires research, planning, creativity, and consistency.
In this day long workshop, we reviewed digital media strategy from determining the best site(s) to generating social media content, and shared lots of marketing tips in between.
Thank you to all who attended for making this an enjoyable and informative workshop!
Like it or not, social media is here to stay. It is a new form of communication and participation in cultural experiences. Across the nation, nonprofits are realizing the marketing and development potential that social media offers. Tapping into that potential requires more than establishing a profile or occasionally updating your page. It requires research, planning, creativity and consistency.
In this day-long, interactive workshop, Rachel Dukeman covers the best ways to use social media and digital media marketing to enhance grant proposals, fundraising campaigns, audience participation, and communicating your brand to a larger audience online. From determining the best sites to using content generation, participants are encouraged to bring a laptop, smartphone or tablet to experience professional social media strategy and implementation.
Sponsored by the New Jersey Historical Commission, New Jersey Historic Trust, New Jersey League of Historical Societies, Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, and Rutgers University Libraries.
Pretty universally, digital marketers are working – and working hard – to discover what their audiences find “relevant” every single day. They are A/B testing, measuring reach, and sometimes being penalized by social networking sites for posting content that was not only irrelevant but altogether terrible. But every once in a while we get the gift of a highly relevant, ready-made event that gets social media sites all atwitter and begging for fun content from brands. Think the birth of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Think Mother’s Day. Think #MayThe4thBeWithYou.
These events, which boast a shared relevance across many different demographics, can be a fantastic opportunity to get your social media posts in front of new eyes. It is also a great way to make your core audience laugh, “awwww” or remind them that there is a real person on the other side of the computer screen that shares their values and loves of social media just like they do. If you ensure your content is funny, beautiful or inventive you can also cash in on shares and retweets at a rate higher than many of your other posts. You love it. We know.
Sounds Harder Than Arguing With a Wookie
It’s not. Sure, some companies spend thousands of dollars on stunning graphics and highly-produced YouTube videos but that isn’t the only way to have an impact. Going back to our last blog post, what are your core values? Whataburger, a burger chain known for their convenience and customer service, built an At-At out of ketchup packs for #StarWarsDay 2015. To the untrained eye it’s just a clever image, but to customers, it’s a reminder that Whataburger brings condiments right to your table – an extra bit of customer service you won’t get at Burger King or McDonalds. Find a way to marry your quirky sense of humor and what your customers value most and you’ll be racking up the retweets faster than you can say #awesome.
What Would Han Solo Do?
When creating content for one of these events ask yourself what everyone’s favorite intergalactic outlaw would do. With his sexy swagger, great timing and highly recognizable jawline Han Solo can be a great guide. Do something a little different, a little sexy or a little bold. Make sure the timing is right. It is easier for your audience to view (and share) images or videos during the work day? Think about it. Finally, make sure whatever you create is still highly-identifiable with your brand and says something smart about what you do. Here are some great examples at every price point from 2015:
#MayThe4thBeWithYou, Get Your Brand On 2015:
Pandora Ad for Mother’s Day That is Making Everyone Ugly Cry:
One of my guilty pleasures is binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, and I recently caught up on the first three seasons of The Mindy Project. For those of you who know me, that’s strange – I’m much more what Netflix might label the “Dark, Gritty Crime Dramas with a Strong Female Lead” type. Since watching The Mindy Project, and suddenly finding myself interested in how this oddly affirming show came to be, the marketer in me decided to a little research.
Mindy Kaling, like her character Mindy Lahiri, is witty and sarcastic and terribly intelligent. She’s beautiful and confident and abashedly unashamed of her enjoyment of pop culture and junk food. Rather than take a self-deprecating approach to her comedy, as women who don’t look like Ana Faris are often asked to do, Mindy is ALWAYS outrageously confident. She loves to say things like, “I have the right to life, liberty and chicken wings,” and “It is so weird being my own role model.”
It is with this mix of abundant confidence and a ridiculous commitment to being hilarious that Kaling has also become a marketing powerhouse in the entertainment industry. From a fashion blog that lists details about each gorgeous ensemble she wears on her show to her Facebook feed filled with merciless teasing of her colleagues and articles about how she is revolutionizing television, Kaling has leveraged the cult interest in her show effectively and with style. One of the busiest women in television (she created, writes, stars in and produces The Mindy Project) Kaling has built a creative social media empire that is equal parts serious and frivolous without losing sight of her brand or what her audience wants.
In spite of her current success Mindy Kaling’s journey has never, ever been easy. This isn’t the first time Kaling has had to create and produce a show so that she would have space to write the characters she wanted to play. She was even offered a sketch show at one point, but the now-defunct network decided she was not funny or pretty enough to play herself. Seriously.
Kaling’s unrelenting belief in her work could teach us a lot about how to survive in a highly competitive arts industry: be resilient, create the brand you wish existed, give customers what they want and don’t compromise your vision just rework your plan. In Kaling’s own words:
“…write your own part. It is the only way I’ve gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you.”
Note: I wrote this back in 2010, rediscovered it, and was so surprised by its continued relevance (to me and the field) that I’m publishing it here. (It was first published by Jan Crocker LLC in July 2010).
Online Fundraising: A Case For Social Media at NonProfits
As a millennial, there are two statements that I often hear that irritate me to no end. The first is the misconception that “socialmedia is for young people.” And the second is that online fundraising should be separate from “traditional fundraising plans.”
I feel confident that the misconception that only young people utilize social media is less widespread than it used to be. And, statistics show it’s not even true. According to iStrategyLabs, “the 35+ demographic now represents more than 30% of the entire user base” on Facebook. Furthermore, “the 55+ [Facebook] audience grew a whopping 922.7% in 2009.”
What is true, however, is that nonprofits are still acting like socialmedia audiences are not potential users or, more importantly, potential donors of their institutions. Which leads me to the second misconception, the need for separation of traditional and online fundraising.
The key to fundraising, whether traditional or not, is effective communication and relationship building. You can plan the most posh fundraising gala on the planet, but if you can’t effectively invite people to attend, you won’t raise a cent for your institution. Socialmedia is the way people are communicating in today’s world. Nonprofits need to start getting better at it.
Some nonprofits are incorporating socialmedia, but most are barely tapping the surface. Simply starting a Facebook page or Twitter profile won’t get you very far. On the contrary, I would argue that setting up an account you hardly use has a negative impact on your institution’s public image. The operative word in socialmedia is social. If you’re not going to interact with people regularly, then you’re not effectively communicating.
What’s more, it is not only individuals utilizing socialmedia. If you search Twitter today you will find over 100 Foundations that use the networking site to disseminate information. Facebook even has a special section unique to Nonprofits that allow individuals to search for different causes. Your potential donors are out there and they’re looking to talk to you. And, the best part of socialmedia is that these communications will most likely go viral and be spread through “word of mouth,” thus multiplying your efforts.
As with any new venture, it takes planning. Do not start a new online fundraising initiative until you have effectively adapted your annual appeal for the web. A socialmedia communications plan needs to be developed and incorporated into all aspects of a strategic plan in order to be the most effective.
It’s been widely reported* — and you’ll probably remember all of them — because the following are the top ten trending hashtags used in 2014:
#ICantBreathe
#IAmMikeBrown
#IceBucketChallenge
#BringBackOurGirls
#WorldCup
#WhyIStayed
#UmbrellaRevolution
#YesAllWomen
#TanSuit
#AlexFromTarget
What does this mean for marketers? To me it demonstrates the power of people’s responses to current events. It also tells me that social media marketers need to be up on breaking news and have sharp enough analytical skills to know which trends’ use will benefit their brand and act fast enough to be relevant. For example, DiGiorno Pizza blew it on the use of domestic violence awareness hashtag #WhyIStayed (“You had pizza.”)
