I’m often challenged by executives and corporate leaders about the validity of this “online thing”… as if social media was a transient, uncontrollable and unworthy effort.
Recently, TechCrunch published alarming statistics about the impact of negative customer service on client loyalty. Not only do they report the significance of non-responsiveness, when companies ignore complaints online… but they highlight the opportunities social media offers for disgruntled clients and customers to share their displeasure and get issues resolved. The study reveals the importance of brands — corporate, non-profit, service-oriented or product-based — showing their values online, living authentically and respecting customer’s needs.
Not every company I have taken into the online conversation went easily. I remember working with one non-profit in particular. They had a website and that was it. No Facebook, no blog, and barely an email distribution list.
They also had a problem. They needed to raise $20,000 by the end of the fiscal year… which was 60 days away. They considered a big fund raising dinner (snore…) and even a quickie golf tournament (seriously!?!) before they allowed me to persuade them that a more grassroots, guerilla social media program could work.
Instead of asking their target audience for huge amounts of money, we began a viral online (social media and email) campaign asking people connected to the charity and their cause to send in $25. That’s easy, right? Just $25. Oh, and we enlisted an army of brand champions to help spread the word online with their contacts, personalizing the message and making a game out of it.
The result? We raised the $20,000 in 18 days. Mostly from individual, small donations, but we did get some big checks, too. We had set other metrics for success which were also achieved — growing awareness of the charity, growing the database, and engaging constituents in promoting the cause.
The opportunities online are endless!
This post really hit home with me. I have done a great deal of pro bono work and many groups-foundations are stuck on the same old tactics. Large dollars from heavy hitters are great- building a larger base of long-term supporters seems like a solid long-term strategy .
Thank you, Jack. I’m finding in this day and age, when resources are tight — even at the “big, corporate” level — asking for smaller donations, enlisting brand champions in the cause, and making every dollar count is helping non-profits thrive.