Blog Archives
How to manage your Facebook Page admins feature
Here’s a great simple video which will show you how to manage the various different admin roles for a Facebook Page – a very useful thing to know if you manage a Facebook page for your non-profit.
Attention Nonprofits! The New LinkedIn News Feed Design Has Arrived
At long last, the new LinkedIn News Feed is here! For years I have been completely baffled by LinkedIn's partnership with Twitter to allow a mass automation of tweets to be published the LinkedIn News Feed. All those robotic tweets rife with too many hashtags and bad punctuation essentially rendered the LinkedIn News Feed useless, gave it the appearance of a cluttered mess, and was the antithesis of social (as in social media).
Millenial Marketing For Non Profits
Last week Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing blog reported on some interesting findings from the Boston Consulting Group on millennials*.
You can read the post in full here - it includes valuable pointers for non profit marketers. Characteristics of the generation vary by region, depending on social and economic conditions. However, it is generally marked by an increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies.
Highlights
- Millennials more likely to take certain socially conscious actions during their daily life
- They are apt to buy products that support their principles
- More likely than other generations to spread the word about a cause campaign or participate in fundraising events.
- They are highly social creatures online (and off)
- More likely than others to speak up online
- They expect companies to care about social issues and reward those who partner with the right causes
* The Millenials also known as the Millennial Generation , Generation Y – generation born 1980s – 2000s
5 tips for making a great video
Lauren Major has a great example for us on the use of video for non-profit promotion.
Code for America, a U.S. nonprofit that uses technology to transform local governments, boasts a creative, compelling promotional video that not only clearly describes its message but also engages its viewers to get involved.
Lauren advises that in just five simple steps, any nonprofit can follow its example.
- Be human and personal
- Use captivating visuals
- Get creative with light
- Keep it short — under 2 minutes
- Instill optimism and hope
Read Lauren’s post in full here
Storytelling tips for non profits
Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide interviews Kathy Swayze of Impact Communications about how nonprofits can tell better stories by going after the right kind of details.
Increase your productivity with these Google tools
Are you familiar with Google Apps? Did you know that it is a popular communication and collaboration platform for nonprofits? You may well use Gmail - the most-used part of Google Apps. But there is a lot more that you can do to make Gmail even better. This Nonprofits Webinar will show you how to make use of third-party tools and techniques to increase your productivity.
Picture this: 5 tips for taking great photos of your volunteers
Tina Hargrove, plays with the child of a homeowner during a Habitat for Humanity International Women Build in Ecuador. Image: Habitat Ireland
Last month, I wrote a post on photographing your volunteers for National Volunteering Week, which takes place May 14-May 20. That post has become one of the most widely read on the blog, and because so many of you are interested in the topic, I thought I’d follow up with some tips on how to capture the spirit of volunteering in your non-profit through great photography.
1. Plan in advance how you can best showcase the work you do and the people you help. Also, familiarize yourself with how your camera works, and the environment you will be shooting in. Use a digital camera and set it to high-resolution. Don’t rely on your phone’s camera, however great it is.
2. No surprises. Let your volunteers know that you will be photographing them on the day. You don’t them to dress up, or look or do anything out of the ordinary, but people do like to know in advance they will be photographed if only to avoid a “bad hair day” moment.
3. No cheesy shots and don’t over-stage manage. Let your volunteers do what they’d normally do, and tell them not to pay attention to the camera. You don’t want staged shots – you want to capture your volunteers in action in order to tell your story most effectively.
4.Take lots of shots. You won’t use them all but you have a better chance of getting just the right photo this way.
5. Think creatively. Focusing in on specific people or interactions can make for a more compelling and evocative image. If taking photographs of children, squat down to their level, so you are shooting up towards their face. Don’t be afraid to climb, kneel, lean in close or move farther away to get the best shot.
There’s no better way to show your organisation’s impact than through a compelling photograph, and I hope these tips have inspired you to start snapping to tell your story.
How does your non-profit measure up on Facebook?
Continuing with the Facebook themed posts this week, here’s an interesting infographic which shows that the majority of Facebook pages have less than 256 Likes (fans in old Facebook terminology).
So, if you have in excess of 256 likes, you are doing something right!
But, don’t get too complacent – you need to hold onto those fans, and the same research by recommend.ly show that a whopping 82% of all pages only post 5 times a month.
For more infographics and research, check out this page.
What your nonprofit needs to know about switching to the new Facebook timeline
Have you made the changeover to the new timeline for your non-profit Facebook page yet?
The web is awash with tips and advice on how to make the changes; the main focus being that your choice of timeline cover now plays a more important role in branding your Facebook presence (check out Everything You Need To Know About Images For The New Facebook Pages).
You have until March 3oth to make your changes, but many have already done so. If you are looking for some inspiration, here are three non-profit Facebook pages which have made the switch over to new Facebook timeline with some visually arresting images.
Stunning aren’t they?
If you don’t have the tech know-how or the resources to hire a graphic designer there’s no need to panic – with a little imagination and forward planning, you can still create something striking too.
For more information click on these links:
http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/how-to-custom-design-your-nonprofits-facebook-timeline
http://gettingattention.org/articles/3063/social-media/nonprofit-facebook-page.html
http://www.adlibbing.org/2012/03/05/timeline-time-a-guide-to-the-new-facebook-pages-for-nonprofits/
