Slides from our June 17, 2009 webinar. Social media can be an incredible tool for your organization, providing you with direct communication channels, access to audience insight, and the ability to reach people all over the world. But as the proliferation of social media platforms grow, participating can often be overwhelming and confusing. Join us as we take you through how to kick-start your organization's social media action plan.

1. Building a
Social Media Plan
June 17, 2009
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

2. Reminders
You can hear us, but we can’t hear you
Type questions in the Questions Box
Presentation slides
will be available on Slideshare
Turn up your volume
For the best webinar experience, close all other applications.
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

3. Today’s presenter
• Kirstin Beardsley
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

4. CanadaHelps.org
What is CanadaHelps?
A public charitable foundation that provides accessible and
affordable online technology to both donors and charities.
For Charities
A cost-effective means of raising funds online.
For Donors
A one-stop-shop for giving.
CanadaHelps is a charity helping charities.
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

5. Webinar agenda
1. Overview of Social Media
2. Social Media Planning
3. Build Your Strategy
4. Tell Your Story
5. The Plan
6. Let’s Get Started
• Setup, Create, Confidence, Integration, Promote, Assess
7. Tips
8. Q & A
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

6. OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL MEDIA
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

7. Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 (Social media)
Few Many
Many Many
• Web 1.0 was about publishing and transactions.
• Web 2.0 is about networks and community.

8. Social media tools
WordPress Delicious
• Free blogging service • Social bookmarking service
• Expansion features with fee • Let’s you find similar websites
Facebook Twitter
• Micro blogging service,
• Social networking website
• 140 character limit
• Suite of features
Second Life YouTube
• Online virtual world • Video sharing website
• Explore using avatar • Free to upload and share
Flickr Digg
• Photo sharing website • Social news website
• Can comment on photos • People vote on news articles

9. SOCIAL MEDIA PLANNING
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

10. What is social media planning?
• A plan to use social media appropriately to fulfill
a specific goal
• Integrating social media into your current
marketing, fundraising, and programming
initiatives
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

11. Do I need one?
• Social media can be confusing and time
consuming without a plan
• Risk losing sight of your strategic goals and
objectives if you don’t plan
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

12. Social media isn’t a strategy
• Social media is a tool for accomplishing your
goals
• Start with the question “what are my
goals?” NOT “I want to build a social media
presence”
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

13. STEP 1: BUILD YOUR STRATEGY
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

14. Define your goals and desired outcomes
• What are your current marketing, fundraising or
programming goals?
• What desired outcomes do you wish to achieve?
• Can social media tools be used to accomplish
these?
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

15. Define your target audiences
• Who do you want to reach and engage?
• Be as specific as possible:
– Where do they live?
– What do they do?
– How are they currently using social media?
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

16. Examples
• Goal: Attract young professionals as
volunteers and grow their engagement in our
organization.
– Social media tools are likely to help with this goal
• Goal: Build stronger, personal relationships
with our older annual donor base and talk to
them about estate planning
– Social media will likely not be helpful
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

17. Understand your capacity
• Internal
– Do you have the internal skills, expertise and time
internally to use social media effectively
– Poll your staff and volunteers: you might have an expert
blogger in your midst!
• External
– Are there people out there already connecting around
your issues?
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

18. Start your research
• Research the tools
• Listen to what is already being said about you
– Set up a Google Alert and use Twitter search
• Learn the language, customs and etiquette
• Get ideas about what works and what doesn’t
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

19. STEP 2: TELL YOUR STORY
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

20. Streamline your story
• Adapt your story to an online platform:
– Keep it simple
– Easy to remember
– Easy to retell
• Adapt your story to your desired audience
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

21. Starting conversations
• Remember: social media is about engaging
and building community
• Don’t just talk at your supporters
• Think of the conversations you want to start
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

22. Tips
• Don’t just write about your latest fundraising
campaign
– ask your donors to tell their story.
• Don’t just publish a news release about
government cutbacks hurting your cause
– give your supporters the tools and platform to
take action and share their passion with others

23. STEP 3: THE PLAN
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

24. Choose your tool
• We recommend starting with one tool at a time
• Take a look at your goals, audience and
message: what’s the best tool for the job?
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

25. Choose your tool
Tool Uses
Blogs • News outlet
• Blogger • Highlighting donors and partners
• WordPress
Media Sharing • Enhance visual storytelling
• YouTube
• flickr
News & Social Bookmarking • Sharing online resources
• digg • Finding like-minded people and organizations
• delicious
Social Networking • Expanding supporter base
• Facebook • Another channel for calls to action
• Twitter
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

26. Still not sure? Try a blog!
• A good first step into social media:
– Use existing content
– Start conversations
– Get used to comments
– Integrate other tools into your blog
• Caution: Blogs do take time to create content
and engage readers
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

27. Adapt your story to the tool
• Use the tool to its fullest
• Show what you do with pictures and videos
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

28. Sample plan
Goal Audience Tool(s) Message(s) Timeline Resources
Example
Engage a University 1. Facebook Make an Sept – April University
young students in 2. YouTube impact, volunteers to
generation in our town 3. Flickr share your create
fundraising success, content and
campaign build a engage in
movement conversation
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

29. STEP 4: GET STARTED!
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

30. Get Started (finally!)
Setup
Assess Create
Promote Confidence
Integrate

31. Setting up

32. What do I need?
• The tool
– Signing up, learning the
ropes
• The people
– Assigning responsibility
• The timelines
– Planning updates
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

33. Creating Content

34. Turn your story into compelling content
• Example: Fundraising event
– Blog: interview an attendee and ask
others to share their experience in
comments
– YouTube: bring your video camera and
ask people to tell you why they came
– Facebook: ask everyone who attended
to share images/stories
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

35. Turn your story into compelling content
• Example: Capital campaign
– Flickr: show people the direct impact they
can have through images
– Twitter: Tweet regular updates on success
and how much support is still needed
– Blog: weekly blog post during campaign
about the impact of your organization
(get various perspectives: Board,
community, volunteer etc…)
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

36. Gaining Confidence

37. • Get used to the tool and the conversations
happening
• Be trustworthy & consistent
• Create distinctive content that fits with your
organization’s identity and mission
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

38. Integrating

39. Integration Into Your Workflow
• Allocate appropriate time and funds
• Make it part of your work routine
– Creating content
– Responding & engaging
• Create guidelines
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

40. Integration With Other Initiatives
f t
• Tie into other marketing, fundraising and
social media initiatives
• Be distinctive but cohesive with your story
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

41. Promoting

42. Promote In Your Network
• Use other outlets to promote a new initiative
• Leverage your following and promote to
whoever you can
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

43. Assessing

44. • Is this tool helping to fulfill your goals?
• Determine the return on investment
• Think about the project’s sustainability
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

45. Listen, Learn and Adapt
• Get feedback! Ask:
– What is working, what isn’t?
– What else would you like to see?
• Implement changes and keep trying
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

46. Start again with tool #2!
Setup
Assess Create
Promote Confidence
Integrate
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

47. CANADAHELPS
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

48. @CanadaHelps on Twitter
• Every step implementation step is visible
– Set up, creating content, gaining confidence,
integration, promotion and assessment
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

49. Lessons
• Archive your content
• Go at your own pace
• Try your best to respond to everyone
• People like to talk to people
• Most of the content is shared!
• Take it offline – remember to build face-to-
face connections as well
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

50. Things to Keep In Mind
TIPS
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

51. Have a great website
• Good usability
• Easy to find information
• Relevant content
• Clear calls to action
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

52. Learn from others
Flickr + Facebook
• See how other organizations started and see
what they have done
• Recreate their success
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

53. Start With One Tool at a Time
• Important if you’re starting out
• You can integrate tools later
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

54. Enlist help from interns/volunteers
• To help with creating content or managing
the tools
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

55. Keep expectations realistic
• Success takes time and effort
• Starting up is easy, maintenance is the real work

56. Make it part of your routine
• Making your social media plan part of your
routine helps spread the work out

57. Remember: It’s a conversation
• Listening is as important as talking
• Don’t talk at your supporters, engage them
and listen to what they have to say

58. Have fun!
• Interact with different people
• Make it personal
• These are fun tools!

59. ABOUT MYCHARITYCONNECTS
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

60. www.mycharityconnects.org
• Free online resources
• Information about Next Webinar
technology
“All About
• Demos
TechSoup Canada”
• More webinars!
• Conference materials July 15, 2009
2PM – 3PM (ET)

61. Question and Answer
You can hear us, but
we can’t hear you
Ask questions in
Questions Log
Ask away!
For audio, turn on your speakers,
or Call 516-453-0014, code 116-21-4367

62. Thank you for attending!
Slides will be up on: www.slideshare.net/MyCharityConnects
Check out www.mycharityconnects.org for resources!
Questions, feedback, comments? Email Amy at: amyh@canadahelps.org
Thanks to: