Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

Social Media Case Study Slam Panel at NTC 08: Danielle Brigida, NWF - A Case Study on Traffic

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I thought I had posted this case study from the NTC 08 Panel called "Social Media Case Study Slam" already, but looks like I didn't.    This case study is by Danielle Brigida from the NWF and her experience using Digg and StumbleUpon for generating traffic.  Some great insights.   The rest of the case studies are here.

Slide 1: My name is Danielle Brigida and I work on the Operations team for National Wildlife Federation. Today I'll be talking about using Digg and Stumbleupon specifically.

Slide 2: The National Wildlife Federation is one of the largest conservation organizations in the U.S. It's part of my job to investigate the best tools for engaging potential activists and members.

Slide 3: That being said, our average member is a 65 year old woman. We are such a big tent organization that covers so many issues that we are looking for ways of broadening our audience.

Slide 4: After attending last year's NTEN, two tools stuck out for me that I really wanted to try- Digg and Stumbleupon. I had already been working for NWF on facebook and myspace but I wanted to test out more social bookmarking and networking sites.

Slide 5: I decided on these two sites because they increased page views "traffic". I was hoping that I could offer the first handshake to a new audience. I'm interested in driving traffic because I see an importance in bringing people back to NWF's site and engaging them there, instead of in another location.

Slide 6:So the first thing I tested out was Digg. Basically you submit a timely Url, summarize your content and post it under a category. It is then voted up or down. Your goal is to get your dig to "go popular", which means it gets on the highly-visible Digg homepage.

Slide 7: This is an example of an NWF submission on the digg homepage. It was quality content that interested a number of readers. Getting it on the digg homepage was the difference between getting 30 and 30,000 pageviews. .

Slide 8:  The digg going popular led to this page getting 48,500 views the month of February. The green represents the views directly coming from dig. But what you see is that the inbound links boosted the number up from the previous month.

Slide 9: Another way I chose to experiment with this network was using our blog,  Wildlife Promise. It doesn't have the readership of our website, but it served as a great playground for testing theories of what information goes popular on digg.

Slide 10:By testing what content was well-received, I was able to hit the sweet spot of digg more often.  One of the blog postings I did talked about animal tactics for surviving the cold. It went popular and drove 29,000 views to our blog in one day. You can see the bump in the graph…our blog wasn't used to this.

Slide 11: This chart further explains digg's impact. When something goes popular on digg it is picked up in a number of dig rss feeds that feed into blogs. Some bloggers will also repost dig stories as well.

Slide 12: I know I was just making it sound easy, but dig takes time. You have to build up your relationships like anything else and that's where the investment comes in. This is a chart of how many digs I got when I started in November. It steadily increased but took about an hour a day for months.

Slide 13: .I don't have a lot of time but I wanted to talk about our runner up in traffic drivers. Stumble upon is effective because it's target marketing. You discover websites and tag them to interests, and it learns what you like and brings you more.

Slide 14: Stumbleupon allows people to thumb up your site and write comments, therefore your ROI can come in forms of thumbs and comments. The more thumbs, the greater the traffic the site receives.

Slide 15: Stumble doesn't push the numbers, but it pushes the quality. Stumbleupon visitors bring people who stay on the site longer, and only had a 33% bounce rate. They visit nearly two pages of your site on average as well. Not to mention: 51% of visitors have a household income over 60k.

Slide 16: In order to invest in Stumbleupon I made a decision to really focus on quality content and sometimes that took time to find. I also made really great friendships and built relationships.
In many of these networks it's about reciprocation, and not about looking for people to do your work for you.

Slide 17: My greatest challenge with social media was finding the time. It takes around an hour a day for a while to develop relationships and build a positive reputation. But it’s not just a daily investment; it happens over time as well. Look at it as patient money*

Slide 18: Overall sites like Digg and Stumble are great for increasing your site visibility with little money. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on google ads, use these sites as a chance to push things out quickly. With a well built profile you can do a serious amount of marketing for very cheap.

Slide 19: Stumble and digg are top referrers to nwf.org and have driven 100,000 page views in the past few months. They have also brought in 95% new visits.

Slide 20: Here are the takeaways when experimenting with social media. Learn the networks (and take what you know about your organization to help you decide what will work)
Invest and reciprocate. Don't expect anything from people. Listen to feedback. Consider your niche. Never get complacent because new stuff is always coming out. And know that social media isn't the answer but it's part of the solution.

Wired Wealthy, Budha and Freud ....

The connection between these two items are two people, Mark Rovner and Katya Andresen. 

The Wired Wealthy

The first $50,000 fundraising contest I won for the Sharing Foundation was the Yahoo/Network for Good Charity Badge contest in 2007.   (We raised $53,000, plus we got a $50,000 prize).   Do you think the $53,000 came from $10 gifts?  We actually received 2 $5K and one $15K gifts - not to mention a number of $1K.   What was surprised me was they came from people we didn't already have on our radar (yep, we've cultivated them since).   So, the reminder and more data about ways to connect and cultivate your middle and major donors online is a good one.

Convio, Sea Change Strategies and Edge Research asked 3,000 donors from 32 nonprofit organizations about their online behaviors and preferences.   I had coffee with Gene Austin at NTC and he told me that the study is available for free but you have to register first to get your copy.

Kami Huyse has a write up of the study, summarizing some of the key findings.

The Seven Things Everyone Wants: What Freud and Buddha Understood (and We're Forgetting) about Online Outreach

That was the title of a session by Mark Rovner and Katya Andresen at the NTC in New Orleans that I really, really wanted to attend, but was presenting at the same time.  I'm hoping that will put their slides in slideshare.    Thank god Britt Bravo and Michaela Hackner took such terrific notes.

And, while I wishing for slides to magically appear on slideshare, I hope Bill Strathmann will post his slides from his ROI session -- another session that I wanted to attend, but was also presenting.

08NTC Day of Service: Wireless Network Installation and Training at the Community Center of St. Bernard

Photo by Kalabird Johanna Bates climbs a ladder to install the wireless nodes.

The Nonprofit Technology Conference hosted by NTEN sponsors the Day of Service, an opportunity for nonprofit techies to share their knowledge with the local community.  The Day of Service consisted of strategy consults at the hotel in the morning, a wireless installation project at the Community Center St. Bernard, and video blogging workshop for local nonprofits led by Jay Dedman and Ryanne Hodson.  The great folks at Cisco not only donated the hardware, but sent a team of their best folks to oversee the installation and lead the volunteer group.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

I wasn't able to go down to the Center to observe the wireless installation and was only able to document the Techies getting on the bus.  Thanks to the efforts of the volunteers who pulled out their N95 mobile camera phones and digital camera - we have some rich multi-media documentation of the day. (Special thanks to Chris Parandian,  Michaela Hackner, Carol Rudisill, Kurt Voelker and Andrew Cohen of Forumone, Chris Tuttle, and others.)

Michaela Hackner got some excellent photos of the work down at the Community Center.  She notes:

My group, comprised of consultants, non-profit workers, and Cisco Systems, traveled to a community center in St. Bernard Parrish to install wireless access points. St. Bernard Parrish was the hardest hit during the flood - only 6 houses were left standing out of 25,000 when the water rose 25 feet in 23 minutes.

It was an honor to be able to provide some help to this community and I'm grateful for the opportunity to talk with residents and keep the hope and momentum of positive work flowing.

Chris Parandian wrote up his reflections on his blog and used N95 to grab the video clip above.

The center was very busy and I got paired with Ruth who is a local small business owner. Ruth was not actually interested in the internet but wanted to master the functionality of her new DELL computer. Accordingly, we set up an excel spreadsheet so that she could manage her books. We also went over Microsoft Works.

With regard to policy, one point she made really made an impact on me.  She stated that she really was not interested in signing up for the internet until she learned how to use her computer.

Here in DC, we get caught up in many debates that really don’t matter. On the Capitol Hill, it is always the service providers fault for not having America wired. However, in many instances, the town has broadband but the take rate is poor. Blaming the carriers is the easy way out.

Perhaps, if we spent less time debating the tubes and instead come together and figure out how we can spur training programs so that folks can master necessary skills to run a business — maybe the take rate would go up.

Click to play

 

At the end of the day,  I met Sharon Ober from the Community Center and did this quick interview with her about her impressions for the Day of Service.

Changing Civic Engagement One Video Blog Post A Time

If you participated in the Day of Service - and have some photos, blogs posts, video or podcasts, and I didn't find you, please drop a note in the comments below.  And, if you participated, but did create content and want to share your impressions, leave them in the comments below.

Changing Civic Engagement In New Orleans One Video Blog Post at a Time

 

I have just returned from a week in New Orleans where I participated in the Nonprofit Technology Conference hosted by NTEN.   For many years, I've organized a pre-conference event called the Day of Service, an opportunity for nonprofit techies to share their expertise or volunteer for a local organization on a specific project.  I wrote about the experience on BlogHer last week.

As I mentioned, one of the Day of Service activities was a video blogging workshop for local nonprofits given by Jay Dedman and Ryanne Hodson.   Several weeks before heading down to New Orleans, I kept looking my old video camera in the corner of my office.   While it is a perfectly wonderful camera, still working,  I had not been using it as much lately.   So, I thought, why not offer it up as a prize for video blogging workshop participants?   Maybe that camera could help someone create some change?

The lucky winner was Common Knowledge who came up with a plan to establish a Neighborhood Digital Archive to catalog and create documentation of neighborhood planning meetings, allowing residents and displaced residents to access information about their neighborhoods via video recordings and meetings.

I've organized social media workshops that also "give away" some equipment or software usually a contest. You never know exactly what will happen with the camera after you leave - and just hope for the best.   Well, less than 24 hours after the camera of was in the hands of the activists from Common Knowledge, I received this comment on the Flickr photo of my camera from Karen Apricot.   Karen is a New Orleans resident,owner of 3 flooded houses who is rebuilding and documenting the demolitions and losses in the City on her blog, Squandered Heritage.

She pointed me over this post about how and why the camera will be used.   She mentions that a lot of decisions about development and rebuilding happen in public meetings that the public is unaware.  So the camera will be used to document these meetings and encouraging broader participation.

In the last few days, they have taken what they learned in the workshop and some additional email guidance from Jay Dedman and Ryanne Hodson and hope to change civic engagement in New Orleans One Video Blog Post at a time.  Here's a few of the most recent posts:

This is where magic happens is a brief thank you for the camera and peek at the office and staff.

Moton Elementary: Just Another Abandoned School on a Toxic Waste Dump.  This video gives you a visual tour of a historic, structurally sound school that has been slated for demolition or "complete replacement."  Why?

The video bloggers have learned that the school is actually located on top of the Agriculture Street Landfill, an infamous Superfund site in New Orleans what was used as a dump and incinerator site after Hurricane Betsy. Later, City leaders gave the OK to develop the area as a neighborhood, complete with single family housing and public housing units. It was sold as an opportunity for African-Americans to buy a piece of the American Dream.

Unfortunately, this particular piece of the Dream came complete with toxic levels of at least 50 carcinogens. The Moton School was built to serve this new community, which ultimately became embroiled in lawsuits over environmental justice and significantly elevated rates of cancer.

The EPA undertook remediation, including depositing a layer of “clean” soil throughout the neighborhood, and ultimately deemed most of the site safe. According to the blog post, it raises several questions. Why is the Recovery School District proposing to completely replace a school on compromised land?  And, what are they going to do with the sink holes leading into toxic ground developing around the school?

According to the blog post,the breach of the levees could have provided a rare opportunity to try to correct the mistakes in the past in this neighborhood, built on a toxic landfill.  For example, placing a moratorium on building permits, offering homeowners’ equitable buyout programs and assistance in moving to safer areas or returning the area to its natural state.  But what appears to be happening is that homeowners are moving back into environmentally compromised homes and the school sits unsecured and full of furnishings.

The Citizen's City Hall Blog suggests that the City’s new code enforcement policies lack of “proper due diligence” in enforcing health and building codes since Katrina.  They also observe that the City’s failure to perform its duties to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public is a concern.

Here's more about the condition of the school, some photo documentation, and this post from Common Knowledge about the issues.

I know a lot of digital activists may read this blog.  Just wondering what advice you'd give to the folks at Common Knowledge about using the camera to get the word out? 

Had A Great Time at the NTC in New Orleans

 

Finally back from New Orleans and the NTC and Penguin Day.  This was my 8th NTC and I had a fantastic time and learned a lot!    I will be posting all my write ups, photos, videos, utterz, and reflections over the next week.   So, stay tuned.

Congratulation to Marnie Webb and Vince Stehle for NTC 08 Awards

Congratulations to Marnie Webb for winning the 2008 NTEN Award  at the Nonprofit Technology Conference in New Orleans.  As the winner of last year's award I got to introduce her.  Here's what I said:

In 2001, I tried to start blogging. I  set up a blog, wrote two posts and stopped.  I tried again in 2002, 2003, and 2004.   The same results.   In 2005, I attended a session at the NTC by this year's winner called "So, you wanna blog?"   I was so inspired that I decided to commit to blogging.  This person has also inspired me to learn about all things web2.0 and how it can help the nonprofit sector!

Britt Bravo has a write up on NetSquared.  Vince Stehl was also given a life time achievement award. (Holly Ross, NTEN Executive Director, captured him on Utterz about Mother's, a famous New Orleans Restaurant.)

Oh, I also got a people's choice award (popular vote) The person you turn to most for trusted advice (for nonprofit technology issues).

Nonprofit Techies in New Orleans: Giving Back to the Community

Arial Goldberg, Common Knowledge, winner of video camera

I am in New Orleans this week because the Nonprofit Technology Conference hosted by NTEN is taking place.  For the past seven years, I've helped organize a pre-conference event called the Day of Service.   The Day of Service is an opportunity for nonprofit techies to share their expertise or volunteer for a local organization on a specific project.

This year, more than 80 nonprofit techies worked with 30 nonprofits in New Orleans.  The morning started with strategy consults at the conference hotel where representatives from local organizations met individually with nonprofit technology experts and got advice on a wide range of topics, from online fundraising to databases.

Another team of nonprofit techies helped install a wireless network at the Community Center St. Bernard, thanks to a generous donation from Cisco Systems.  Once the network was up and running, a second group of 20 nonprofit techies road took the bus down to the Community Center and worked with local residents in the community computer center on internet skills and other computer skills.

The final event of the day was a video blogging workshop for local nonprofits given by Jay Dedman and Ryanne Hodson.   As part of the workshop, there was a contest to giveaway a video camera.  Organizations were asked to submit a brief proposal on how they would use the camera to enhance their work in New Orleans.  The lucky winner was Common Knowledge with this proposal:

Common Knowledge proposes to develop the Neighborhood Digital Archive, which will create and catalog video documentation of neighborhood planning meetings, allowing residents and displaced New Orleanians to access information about their neighborhoods via video recordings and agendas of meetings provided on a single web site.

All in all, a great day for local nonprofits and nonprofit techies alike.

Now, off to find the photos and video streams and utterz. 

Nonprofit Techie Trainers Get on the Bus to Do Good!

Today I've been coordinating the Day of Service and taking a quick blogging break before heading out to the video blogging workshop for local nonprofits being led by Jay Dedman and Ryanne Hodson.

About an hour ago, I put 20 techies on the bus to go down to Community Center of St. Barnard where they will provide training to users in the Center.  I did some quick interviews with Utterz before they left.

Wednesday, March 19
Day of Service

Breakfast at 8:00 am at the hotel
Wireless Network Installation team at Community Center of St. Bernard leaves 8:45
Strategy consults at hotel - 9-11
Wireless Network Installation team returns to hotel - noon
Training Team for Center of St. Bernard leaves hotel 12:30
Training Team works on site from 12-2
Jay Dedman Video Blogging Workshop -2-5

 

I'm an official NTEN SuperStar! So is John Kenyon and so many rockstar colleagues!

John Kenyon and I were two of a couple dozen honored colleagues to recognized by NTEN at the member's luncheon.   My award was "Most likely to have an account on every social networking site."  John Kenyon got "Most likely to talk an ED of a ledge." 

Meet Elvis: Unofficial Doorman at Mother's in New Olreans

 

Landed in New Orleans for NTEN's NTC Conference and have been finishing up some last minute details for the Day of Service.  In about an hour, Cheryl Hanback and I will meet folks in the lobby and go out for the traditional Night Before the Day of Service.

Laura Crochet, the local partner from LANO,  took me for Po Boy at Mother's.  Elvis, the doorman, told me get the shrimp po boy. 

I also heard a rumor that there is some special sprout bling buttons in the NTC conference bags and two are signed - if you get the signed one - you could win $1,000.