Five Easy Steps to Create a Social Media Strategy for 2018

Five Easy Steps to Create a Social Media Strategy for 2018

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For someone who doesn’t have experience with social media it can be quite a daunting task to develop a yearly strategy. However, it doesn’t have to be. By following these five easy steps you can put together a social media strategy that will be effective and enticing the entire year.

The first step is to identify what your organizational goals and objectives are for the year. Being the first month of the new year, this is a great time to regroup and redefine. Your social media strategy should be a natural extension of your organization’s goals and objectives. For example, if your goal is to generate “x amount of leads” then you should ask yourself does this post drive followers to take action?

The second step is to determine what your current social media looks like. Furthermore, this means deep diving into who you are currently following and who follows you. You’ll also want to pay attention to who your competitors are following and what they are saying on social media. Oftentimes, this is referred to as a social media listening for the purposes of an audit. A social media audit can provide valuable insight and showcase to you what you could be doing better.

The third step is to create a social media content calendar. Your social media calendar will include the specific dates and times you wish to post content on various platforms. Content should consist of text, images, videos, and links. You can easily create this calendar in a Google doc or sheet. This way you can share it with other members of your team and get their feedback. An easy principal to follow when creating content is the 80-20 rule. Furthermore, 80 percent of content should educate your audience whereas 20 percent should directly promote your organization.

The fourth step is to schedule your messages in advance. Depending how many social accounts you are working with, there are some scheduling products that are free up to a certain number. For example, Buffer allows you to manage three social accounts for free. For only $10 they will allow you to manage and schedule for 10 accounts.

The final step is to test your social media strategy. You can do this through a variety of ways by measuring the success of your strategy. Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track page visits driven by social media. In addition, there are other social media analytics tools out there that you can utilize to track and measure the reach of your success. Most social platforms nowadays like Facebook have an “Insights” tab that allows you to see who among your audience is the most engaged.

With these five easy steps you can be on your way to creating and executing a social media strategy that aligns with your organizational goals and objectives for 2018.

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How To Attract Donors

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When you want to get others involved, and you need them to provide help or donate money, there are a few areas you’ll want to focus in order to succeed.

  • Share Your Story – A compelling story will allow your donors and volunteers to become emotionally connected. By telling them about what you do and why you do it, your story provides an opportunity to arouse their emotion, and to motivate them to act upon those emotions. Therefore, make sure to share your passion, and the moving tales from those who have benefitted from your work.
  • Effective Social Media Usage – Potent, targeted social media can exponentially increase your visibility in order to boost board and volunteer engagement. Social media can be used to advise them of your mission, inspire them to join you, keep them connected, and grow your audience. Additionally, social media can provide an outlet for sharing events and successes, extending opportunities, and for educational purposes.
  • Community Inclusion – Your local community is an essential resource for fundraising and volunteer recruitment. Enlisting small businesses and others within your community to partner with you in your mission can offer them an opportunity to make a significant impact through both donor and volunteer opportunities. In return, these same opportunities can offer small businesses benefits such as increased brand awareness, enhanced public opinion within the community, and employee engagement. A little research can help you and your partners be assured your goals are aligned.
  • PR – Good public relations practices can help you build and maintain your positive public image, so knowing how to communicate your message is vital. Numerous avenues are available, including your website, videos, and the various social media platforms. Use them to offer biographies of your staff, and the stories from volunteers, donors, and those who have derived benefit from your organization. Share major campaigns, events, awareness raising dates, and tie your mission to current events either nationally or within your community.

At WEDO Charity Auctions, we help organizations exceed their fundraising goals. Our team is made up of passionate, dedicated and experienced fundraising professionals, who specialize in simple, insightful and creative fundraising event solutions. WEDO Charity Auctions utilizes technology and expertise to grow your mission.

If you would like more information on how WEDO Charity Auctions can help you raise money, build relationships or celebrate your successes, please call 844-315-1060 or visit us today at www.wedocharityauctions.com.

 

 

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What You Need To Know About Developing Your Story

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The creation of a story is one of the most powerful tools a nonprofit organization can utilize, and that story must be exceptional. A story is an integral part of a nonprofit’s branding, providing an opportunity to not only arouse emotion, but to motivate others to act upon those emotions.

In fact, stories influence decisions much more effectively than facts or statistics, which are typically difficult to retain. Think of the story as a way that fundraisers can assist donors to visualize expressing their own values through the work that the organization does. Then, consider these areas in order to tell the most powerful story.

What Your Story Should Include

  • Mission – A mission statement should ideally state an organization’s purpose, goals, and who it serves, in a brief, but informative declaration. This statement should be reviewed periodically to ensure that the statement stays properly aligned at all times with its current vision.
  • Testimonials – There may be nothing more valuable than hearing from others about their experiences with your organization, its services or programs. These positive testimonials function as trustworthy referrals, inspiring confidence, in addition to building credibility and interest. Endorsements should express the benefit your organization has provided, along with the recipient’s name, title and photograph whenever possible. Consider asking volunteers, donors, and recipients for these recommendations, and make certain they’re refreshed on a regular basis.
  • Video – A video can bring a story to life in an entirely unique way, and should encapsulate the spirit of the organization. Videos can eloquently vocalize and simultaneously present imagery that expresses the organization’s mission, demonstrates its impact upon individuals, and then includes a call to action. It’s important to thoroughly understand and effectively communicate the organization’s message, remembering that a video is all about emotional responses. A highly compelling video can be used and reused in many ways such as for website content or social media posts, or for showing at recruitment events, among many other applications.
  • Goals – Goals are essential for motivating both donors and volunteers. Although long-term goals emphasize a program’s performance in fulfilling its mission, its short-term goals consist of the time specific tasks that must be completed in order to experience success in its long-term goals. Both long and short-term goals should always be realistic and quantifiable.

At WEDO Charity Auctions, we help organizations exceed their fundraising goals. Our team is made up of passionate, dedicated and experienced fundraising professionals, who specialize in simple, insightful and creative fundraising event solutions. WEDO Charity Auctions utilizes technology and expertise to grow your mission.

If you would like more information on how WEDO Charity Auctions can help you raise money, build relationships or celebrate your successes, please call 844-315-1060 or visit us today at www.wedocharityauctions.com.

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Increasing Donation Opportunities and Where You’re Going Wrong

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The opportunity to donate to charities is all around us. The pairing of non-profits and technology makes it easier than ever for donors to give and organizations to receive. Checking out at a local grocer means adding a dollar to your bill to help feed a hungry family. You scroll through a favorite social media page and see posts from far-off friends raising money for an unexpected health crisis. A text message notification reveals its time to pay the utility bill which also features an opportunity to donate to the local animal shelter. But does easier translate into more for non-profits? Is it really that important for a non-profit organization to have an online giving platform and mobile donation app?

Donor Digital Data

Charitable giving studies for 2015 revealed the following data:

  • December was the strongest month of the year for charitable giving. 30% of annual donations were received during December, 2015, with the most revenue generated the last three days of the month.
  • Donors preferred to give on Thursday with Tuesday as runner-up. 20% of donations were made on Thursday, 19% on Tuesday.
  • Thursday’s average donation amount was $151.
  • 97% of charitable gifts were given through a desktop computer.
  • 90% of gifts were a one-time thing.
  • One-time gifts averaged $137 with recurring gifts averaging $52.
  • The most giving times of the day were 10am-11am, 1pm-3pm, traditional work hours. That means the majority of giving took place while people were on the job.

Traditional v. Digital

There is no doubt that statistics reveal giving trends are going digital. While overall charitable activities were up 2% in 2015 as compared to 2014, online giving was up 9%. But, exactly, where are people giving online? Who are these donors?

More than half of online donations are given on a particular branded charitable organization web page. The strongest givers, with a gift size average of $183, were employees donating through employer-sponsored causes. Whether it was payroll deductions, company sponsored charity events, or workplace fundraisers.

E-mail fundraising efforts grew in 2015. On average, 4.4 cents was raised per e-mail. For every 1,000 e-mails delivered to a potential donor’s mailbox, $44 in revenue, on average, was generated. It may not sound like much compared to digital giving that took place directly on a non-profit’s webpage. However, e-mail generated revenue for charitable organizations actually grew by nearly 20% last year. It far outpaced the previous year’s 12% growth.

Every opportunity to digitally connect with donors gives a non-profit the chance to grow. Sharing content and joining a non-profit’s email list is just as important to a non-profit’s growth as a supporter’s donation.

Out of all charitable giving, only 3% was non-digital. For charities dependent on cash or checks, this is bad news. The Salvation Army reported raising nearly $145 million through their holiday season Red Kettle cash donation campaign, which is the backbone of the organization’s annual fundraising. Such numbers simply can’t compare with the amount of money raised for donations online.

The Winning Digital Recipe

What does all this data mean? To take advantage of the obvious generosity of donors, a charitable organization needs all the elements of a winning recipe:

  • Connect with an online giving platform that donors trust.
  • Create a mobile app.
  • Connect with employers interested in sponsoring your non-profit’s cause so that you can tap into the contribution resources of a company’s employees.
  • Create the opportunity for potential donors to share content and sign-up for e-mail notifications.

All In One Place

 Online giving performs strongly for a number of reasons that are all tied to together in the same place:

  • Convenience.
  • Anonymity.
  • No pressure.
  • Opportunity to research the organization before giving.
  • Donors can set-up a recurring donation.

Today’s donors are not just technologically savvy, they are also informed, consumers. While online and considering giving a gift, a supporter has the opportunity to learn about a non-profit’s cause. That is why it is so important for a non-profit to be connected with the right giving platform. Just as a brick and mortar storefront’s success is all about location, location, location, the same can be said for any organization’s cyberworld address. When donors arrive at a site that they know is as reputable as it is easy to navigate, they not only give with confidence, there is a greater chance that they will become a regular benefactor. So, whether you are a non-profit or a donor looking to connect with the right cause, get connected in the right place.

The Importance of Subject Lines

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Sending succesful emails is an important part of any industry. But why are email subject lines so important? That is the begging question. Whether you are sending a campaign email to your clients or a one-off party invitation email; the entire message relies on the effectiveness of your subject line.

In this day in age, we are all victims of email overload at some point. The average time that someone looks at a subject line is 1 second before making the decision that they want to continue to read it or not. How can YOU stand out along side of your competitiors to have your message be read and not just thrown in the trash? Here are 3 things you must know about email subject lines:

  1. Keep it simple. The more brief the subject line, the better. To ensure high open-rates, you must first have an attention-grabbing subject line. Don’t be spammy! Look at your own emails, which do you avoid opening & why?
  2. Add value. Being able to not taint your message before opening is an art. Convince the reader that they are opening it for a purpose & will help them or their business in some way or another.
  3. Create trust. Build trust with the reader by containing information in the message that corresponded to the subject line.

How Texting Can Increase Engagement During Your Event

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In a world where technology is the focal point of any event, it is no wonder why incorporating SMS into your fundraising strategy is an A+ idea. Not only does including text messages raise engagement with the crowd, it also drives more contributions for your great cause. Mass text messaging is a must-have tool for any fundraiser or gala – note to self – Use. Mass. Texting.

You may be asking yourself.. What is the simplest way to have texting become a part of your event? To start, sending out a reminder to donate can be easily done in a texting fashion with the WEDO Charity Auctions platform. Completing this via text message not only is  a simple way to get the message across, but is also a great way to start to raise money for your organization (aka, WEDO’s main priority).

It is very well-known that the less steps that a patron has to take to donate, the happier the camper will be. So, we make it simple for you to include a link that you would like your crowd to be directed to. For example, if you would like to send a link to a website, all you have to do is send it via text in our easy-to-use platform, and they will see it instantly. 

By using this channel and taking the text message route during your mobile bidding war, you will soon begin to see all of the benefits. Open rates, quick responses, building engagement, more donations, & more. Taking advantage of mass messaging for your nonprofit is definitely something that every fundraising event should be taking part of in order to increase participation and raise more money.

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New Years Resolutions; Nonprofit Style

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Pop the champagne and write down your reso’s. 2015 is coming to a close, which means it’s a great time for your nonprofit to re-evaluate your year and start planning some goals for 2k16.

Every business (nonprofit or not) needs resolutions, so don’t feel silly for doing so. You’ll be ahead of the curve. Of course, being realistic about those goals is important too. It’s wonderful to aim high, but don’t aim TOO high where you know you will not be able to accomplish anything, but rather, set goals that are more obtainable for your organization.

  1. Bring on a new board member. Looking for a fresh face? Post a job listing and search the web for that perfect-someone. Word of mouth is also a great way to add potential staff to help your cause. Spread the word and see if anyone’s son or daughter is looking to get their foot in the door with the nonprofit industry. Don’t be afraid to use your resourcse! There are plenty of ways to find individuals to be a part of your organization.
  2. Revamp your website. Tired of the same old layout on your website? Time for a clean-up! Take the time to completely redo your website to make it looking more fresh & fun for the new year. You’d be surprised with how much a font or color change can make a difference by appealing to new eyes. A little change goes a long way.
  3. Thank your sponsors and volunteers. Go out of your way to personally thank all volunteers and sponsors within your organization. People want to know that they are doing a good job, they want the attention of a “thank you”. If it’s not a face-to-face communication, then a heartfelt, hand-written note is personable as well.
  4. Stay connected. A lot can happen in a year and it’s easy to forget about a certain achievement or situation. Be sure to stay connected to everyone involved in your organization; from your clients to your cleaning crew. No one gets left behind.
  5. Make a personal goal. Lastly, make a checklist of personal resolutions for yourself. Whether it’s learning more about other organizations or going to more networking events; whatever the case may be, in turn, this will help you grow with yourself and in your nonprofit field.

There is change coming! Get ready for a clean slate and new beginnings. Cheers to mobile bidding!

How To Promote Your Next Fundraising Event

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Ok. You decided that you are going to put together a fundraising event but now you have to make it happen! There are so many different stages of planning that need to be completed in order to have a successful fundraiser. From the location (we’ll get to that next week), the food & beverage, how to entice people, etc. If you’re new to event planning (or even if you’re not) it can be overwhelming trying to put it all together all while raising awarenes so people will actually come to the event. Well, not to worry. We have narrowed down the top 5 ways to promote your fundraising event to make sure you have a full house!

  1. Social Media: It’s no secret that social media is taking over the internet in strides. If you don’t already have a Facebook page for your Cause/Organization, then making one would be a good idea. Posting on your Facebook with daily reminders about your fundraiser will get people talking.
  2. Print Advertising: It’s time to get some coverage! Send out some key information about your fundraiser that you want to get out ot the public to your local newspapers and magazines. Think outside of the box on how to cover every important detail of your event.
  3. Flyers: If your fundraiser is not invite-only then flyers could be very beneficial to spread the word. It may be 2015, but print advertising is still in style. Post your flyers in popular destinations throughout the area.
  4. Powerful Partnerships: The more connections you make in your efforts to promote your event, the more success you will have with expanding your audience. If you have speakers coming to your event, make sure to let people know! Think locally when finding a partnership.
  5. Photography/Video: A photograph says a million words. Well, if that’s true then a video says a billion! Spread the word about your fundraiser by means of photos and professional videos posted on the web. Photographs can be used to document important details about your event. Photos and videos can be a very useful tool if done correctly. 

Why You Should Support Nonprofits

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Support Nonprofits

Nonprofit organizations are everywhere. Almost any charity or cause that you support will have a nonprofit organization linked to it. On top of that, after you support your nonprofit organization by donating, you will feel so good about yourself. Like Dave Matthews said, “when you give, you being to live. You get the world.”

Also, if you’re thinking, “Hey! I work hard for my money, why should I give it away now?!” Well, a little goes a long way! Money is not the only resource that keeps a nonprofit running its operation, because just like every mission, it has to be accomplished through hard work and dedication. One of the biggest reasons that nonprofit organizations even exist is to serve a distinct purpose and achieve a goal for others, not always to make a profit.

The top three places that people turn to when they are in need are to their family, the government and to nonprofits. Without the generous contributions to nonprofit organizations, many products and services that go to a large amount of people in need would unfortunately not be available to them.

If you took anything from this blog post today, know that by donating to nonprofits you are:

1. Supporting your local charity or any cause that you support

2. Having a good feeling and sending out positive vibes because you are giving back

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Indy WNBA Gets Involved With Nonprofit

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Indianapolis WNBA Gets Involved With Nonprofit

Tamika Catchings, the star of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, created the Catch the Stars Foundation in 2004. This foundation empowers the youth to achieve their dreams by incorporating goal-setting programs which promote literacy, fitness, and youth development. Tamika & the Catch the Stars Foundation just recently had their 10th Annual Back to School Celebration this past July and it was a huge success.

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During the Back to School Celebration event, over 500 local youth in Indiana are able to receive backpacks, school supplies, and a fun community fair to participate in. Since most of the children at the event are unfortunately not able to afford the items, such an event is invaluable. Without the help of Tamkia and the Catch the Stars Foundation as well as all the donations, these 500+ kids coming to the event would have much less in their hands today.