70. How to Level-Up Your Nonprofit's Online Marketing - Dana Snyder
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Overview
Meet Dana. This social media expert loves helping nonprofit marketers and organizations cultivate passionate online audiences of donors, partners, and advocates. Your websites and your socials are your storefronts right now. And Dana's diving into how to leverage events on social media and tips to broaden your donor base. This is the social media episode you need to hear.
Today’s Guest
Dana Snyder, Entrepreneur | Digital Consultant for Nonprofits | Founder + CEO, Positive Equation | Founder of herdesk
“Your website and your social channels right now are your storefront.”
Episode Highlights
Dana’s story and journey to founding Positive Equation (2:56)
Dana’s tips for leveling-up your digital marketing (8:48)
Millennials, Gen Z, and the future of giving: don’t miss out! (13:50)
Dana’s 3 goals you can set today to begin transforming your digital footprint (14:45)
How fundraisers can broaden their donor space via social media (18:42)
Dana’s example of a quick campaign sequence for when you are trying to raise awareness and reach a new demographic (21:26)
Tips to create fun and engaging virtual events, and suggested venders to help you do it (22:52)
Advice on hiring digital specialists for your non-profit, and two key sample questions to ask in the interview (29:52)
Dana’s connection with Dance Marathons and Children’s Miracle Network that started her love for the nonprofit world(32:00)
Dana’s One Good Thing: Look at your website, is it easy to find your mission statement? (36:10)
Dana’s upcoming courses launching February 1st! There is a discount code below!
Powerful Quotes:
“I had that need to get back to working for companies that had a purpose and I felt that they needed the help. They needed an expert, not an intern, to help them build out their strategies.” -Dana
“The bad misnomer is that “social media doesn’t work”. It doesn’t work because there is not a properly aligned strategy that directly aligns with your business goals.” -Dana
“I grew up when social media was growing up.” - Dana
“The first thing that’s often the hardest is (to) invest.” - Dana
“You need to hire, and not just hire someone who understands that, but invest in that hire.” - Dana
“It is sad that it had to happen in the way of a pandemic, but this movement was happening anyways. This shift was already happening for nonprofits, but this was a really big wake up call that we had to take action right away.” -Dana
“Your website and your social channels right now are your storefronts. People aren’t going to your offices or volunteering right now. The first place an individual, a board of director, a supporter, or a sponsor are going is your website or your social media.” - Dana
“If I can’t find your mission statement in the first 30 seconds, there’s a problem.” - Dana
“You have to start teaching that the ROI on a position is going to look completely different for that role in years one and two then that of a frontline major gift fundraiser. They can’t be equitable. You need different people at the table working on different strategies.” -Jon
“If you don’t have a plan in place to ask us (Millenials), then we’re probably not going to give to you.” - Dana
“Different people are using different platforms, so think about who you’re trying to reach. What is the messaging that is going to reach them? What visuals and graphics will make them pause?” - Dana
“Change how you’re drafting and writing your content.” - Dana
“You have the world to be apart of your virtual event, you’re no longer restricted to four walls in your geographic location.” - Dana
Dana’s Tips for Leveling-Up Your Online Marketing
1. Strategize
Your social media strategy and online marketing strategies should be directly aligned with your business goals.
2. Invest
You have to put together a budget line item for digital, social, and web needs - consistently. If you’re not Investing in that area, it is not going to grow. Within that budget area, you need to hire someone and invest in them. This person needs to be able to tell you what tools and resources they need to be successful. To be digital first, you first have to give yourself some budget room, and hire someone to manage it for you. When you do invest in the right person, they will end up making you so much extra funds it will be worth the investment.
Interview Tip: Ask the potential hire to do a little bit of work for you. Say, “Looking at who we are are, can you please draft two sample posts for us that explain our mission?” One post can ask for a donation, and create a graphic to go alongside it. Executive Directors: outline 2-3 of your business goals. Ask the potential hire what their strategy would be based on those business goals.
3. Audit
Right now, your websites and social media accounts are your storefronts. The first place an individual, a board of director, a supporter, or a sponsor are going is your website or your social media. Take a look at your current website, and ask yourself the questions below.
Is your mission statement easy to find?
What is your relevant impact?
What do you want to do this year?
Is it easy for someone to make a donation?
4. Focus on Generational Giving
The upcoming generations have grown up with technology. One study shared that “3 out of 4 millennials donated last year". If you don’t have a plan in place to ask millennials, they probably won’t give to you. If they can’t see you, they probably won’t be able to see you and you are missing out on their dollars.
5. Set Up a Digital Welcome Series
Video- this is your “sizzle video” that shares more about you.
Carousel Post or Blog Post About You - create a second audience based on the percentage of people who watched that video. You can target these people who are now warm leads with a carousel post, or blog post about you.
Donation -Those who engaged with the carousel/blog post now know more about you. Next, ask for a donation.
Three Goals to Set Today
1. Increase Your Website Traffic
If you have Google Analytics, you can monitor your website traffic, and what is a decent percentage you could increase that by? Look at your acquisition numbers. Where is your traffic coming from and how are people finding your website? More than likely it is through social media. Social media is neck and neck with your direct traffic. If you invest a little bit it will sky rocket. Which platforms are generating traffic and which aren’t? Invest your time and resources in the areas generating traffic.
2. Increase Your Revenue from Social Media Channels
Facebook is a massive donation driver. You can easily set a goal for your social media fundraising. If you started with $0, set a goal for $500. You can continue to increase this goal each year.
3. Increase Your Email Subscribers
Do you have an area that is easy on your website with something of value that they get when they sign up to join your emails? All of it can be pushed by social content.
Dana’s Tips for Virtual Events
1. Have a mixture of live and pre-recorded elements
2. Don’t replicate your exact in-person event into an online platform. It doesn’t work
3. Utilize innovate venders and platforms
Hoppier - Create memorable experiences for virtual attendees - fresh morning coffee, virtual lunches, happy-hour drinks, and so much more. Virtual doesn't need to be boring!
Snap Bar - Engage your audience with virtual event products & photo booth technology
Givebutter - Donate buttons, fundraising pages, event ticketing, all-in-one platform
hopin - An online events platform where you can create engaging virtual events that connect people around the globe
Givecloud - Simple fundraising tools that connect with your existing donor management system.
Run the World - the one-stop-shop for experts, creators, community leaders and organizations to host and monetize from interactive online events such as workshops, meetups, summits or shows.
4. The most important thing: Who are your participants? Who is your audience? What do they want to do? What makes sense and represents your mission? Be unique and don’t just copy and paste a virtual event.
Connect with dana and positive equation
Website / Instagram / Linkedin
Dana’s Upcoming Course’s Launching February 1st!
How to Plan An Engaging Virtual Event in 30 Minutes
The Magic of Facebook and Instagram for Nonprofits
Use our discount code: WEAREFORGOOD20 for 20% off valid through January 31st. If you sign up by the 31st you will receive a free live group Q&A consulting call!
