Image by Dawghouse Design Studio

Created for Girls on the Run of Coconino County by:

Megan Stalheim and Ian Montanye-McRee, Net Impact NAU
W.A. Franke College of Business, Northern Arizona Unversity
January 17, 2010
Contents

Three Key Aspects of Social Media Marketing ........................................................................................ 1

1) It’s about dialogue............................................................................................................................. 1
2) It's viral ............................................................................................................................................. 1
3) It’s about integration ......................................................................................................................... 1
Marketing Goals Served Through Social Media Platforms .................................................................. 2
Is it worth it? ......................................................................................................................................... 2

Facebook ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Background ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Facebook Causes ................................................................................................................................... 3
Facebook Advertising ........................................................................................................................... 3
Groups versus Pages ............................................................................................................................. 4
Facebook Insights ................................................................................................................................. 4
Facebook sites to check out .................................................................................................................. 4

Linkedin .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Background ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Fundraising............................................................................................................................................ 5
Integration ............................................................................................................................................. 5

YouTube .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Background ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Getting Started ...................................................................................................................................... 6
YouTube videos to check out ................................................................................................................ 6

MySpace.................................................................................................................................................... 7
Background ........................................................................................................................................... 7
MySpace sites to check out ................................................................................................................... 7

Twitter ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
Background ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Suggested Timeline for Implementation ................................................................................................... 9

Schedule of Work .................................................................................................................................... 10

Further Resources ...................................................................................................................................... i

Three Key Aspects of Social Media Marketing
1) It’s about dialogue
Social media marketing has recently become very popular with non-profits because it is such an
inexpensive marketing channel compared with traditional advertising mediums such as billboards,
radio, newspaper, and television. In addition, social media is an interactive medium which promotes
greater engagement than traditional channels.

The key difference between social media marketing and traditional marketing is that social media
marketing is about sparking dialogue, not broadcasting monologue. When executed correctly, social
media marketing increases engagement with your brand. However, each message must add value for
its audience, or it will be tuned out. Social media marketing is a two-way street: add value to the lives
of your audience, and they will in turn add value to your organization.

Marketers who fail to understand that social media is about interaction and use traditional unilateral
broadcasting strategies will find that they bore and eventually lose their audience rather than engaging
them.

2) It’s viral
The great thing about dialogue is that now your audience can help
you market. Because of its viral nature, social media lends itself
well to peer-to-peer marketing. Facebook or Twitter users can post
your organization's logo on their profile picture or use it as
wallpaper for their Twitter account to show their support.

In addition, your audience can help you market by participating in

your social media platforms: for example, uploading pictures
Photo by N. Michael Green
which further promote your organization or participating in a video contest.
All of this audience participation means that, in social media marketing, you cannot control your
message completely. Rather, you must be open to allowing your audience to co-create the message.

3) It’s about integration

Social media marketing experts warn against “silos.” It is important to integrate social media
marketing with traditional marketing methods, rather than keeping the two separate. In addition,
multiple links should connect your web community to all of your social media platforms.
Examples of platform integration:
Inserting an RSS Feed: from your blog or website onto your Facebook page keeps content
fresh and alerts Facebook users when you have updated your blog or website.
Sharing tools such as AddThis let web visitors share your videos,
articles, and other web content on other social media sites.
Applications such as Tweetdeck allow you to manage Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace accounts
simultaneously.
A Facebook “Fanbox” automatically posts your Facebook status updates to your official
website.

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Marketing Goals Served Through Social Media Platforms
Platform Goals Served Demographic
LinkedIn Attract donors, increase event attendance Professional Community
Facebook Get the word out to thousands of people, Very Broad
fund-raise, recruit volunteers
Twitter Build value for readers by providing Tech-savvy community
informative and regular communication
MySpace Attract and build community among younger Younger community
audience such as GOTR participants

Is it worth it?
Non-profits surveyed who use social media have generally found that they need at least one-quarter of
a full-time position to manage their social network. Determining whether or not the returns you receive
from social media marketing justify the time and/or money you have invested is a critical question that
should be revisited frequently.

In order to keep track of the results that come from social media marketing, it is important to measure
metrics such as “hits” and “click-throughs.” A baseline should first be established, and additional
measurements should be taken throughout new social media campaigns to gauge their effectiveness.
Once an increase in a metric such as “hits” has been observed, it is then necessary to gauge the link
between increased hits and a broader goal of the organization, such as increased volunteer recruitment.

Bit.ly is another method for tracking web metrics. When you enter a URL on bit.ly's website
(http://bit.ly/), bit.ly shortens it in order to make it more “shareable,” and then allows you to track how
many people click on the link. If you paste a link on your Facebook page or any other site using bit.ly,
you can receive a count of the number of people who click on the link. Users can also tweet directly
from bit.ly's website. Other web applications which provide similar functions include TinyURL.com.

Google Analytics is a free site that provides metrics for websites and Twitter accounts. For help on
interpreting analytics results, see Google Analytics' video, “Beginning Analytics: Interpreting and
Acting on Your Data”: http://bit.ly/6bw3hc.

Frogloop.com, a marketing blog for non-profits, has a handy “return on investment” (ROI) calculator
built specifically to measure the effectiveness of social media marketing campaigns:
http://www.frogloop.com/social-networks-calculator (Or, the bit.ly version: http://bit.ly/899ycH).

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 Facebook
Background
The fourth most-visited site on the internet, Facebook is an excellent social media marketing channel
for organizations because it has the largest audience of any social media platform on the internet. Over
the past few years, non-profits have begun to employ Facebook as a means of raising funds and raising
awareness especially through Facebook features such as “Causes” and “groups.”

With more than 200 million active users worldwide and 275 million unique monthly visits
(checkfacebook.com), Facebook is the largest social media website, with MySpace running a distant
second at 66 million active users and 125 million monthly unique visits. As Facebook statistics show,
the average user is very engaged, and Facebook appeals to a broad audience, not just youth:

Average user has 120 friends on the site

More than 150 million users log on to Facebook at least once each day
More than 30 million users update their statuses daily
More than 6 million users become fans of Pages each day
More than two-thirds of Facebook users are outside of college
The fastest growing demographic is 35 and older

Facebook Causes
According to their website, Facebook “Causes” was launched in 2007 and has since grown a
community of 90 million people and has raised over $16 million through the application. Signing up
for a Facebook Cause account requires a non-profit EIN.
Benefits of using causes:
Provides metric for measurement through the “Dashboard”
Allows affiliation with other causes for networking (i.e.: GOTR and Stroller Strides)
Bulletins provide an easy way of broadcasting messages as emails or FB notification, and
include a “call-to-action” button to raise voluntary support for fundraising or events.
The “Fundraising” tab can be used to track donations and specify what donation levels will
have what type of effect on the organization’s beneficiaries (“Donor Choices”).

To learn more about Facebook Causes, go to: http://exchange.causes.com/resources/nonprofits/

To register with Facebook Causes, go to: https://nonprofits.causes.com/partners/new

Facebook Advertising
Facebook provides a way for organizations to advertise on Facebook pages that are related to
demographic interests. This form of advertising is a part of Facebook’s business model, so there is a
cost related with this advertising, but with an advertising budget it might be worth considering. As a
part of this advertising service, metrics are provided to measure the effectiveness of the advertisement.

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Groups versus Pages

-Hubspot, “How to Use Facebook for Business”

Facebook Insights
There are conflicting reports as to whether or not Facebook “Insights,” a provided analytics service, is
operating correctly. Facebook Insights provides page administrators with the possibility to view and
analyze traffic on a Facebook page. This service is well worth examining for a means of measuring
marketing efforts on Facebook.
More info on Facebook Insights: http://www.facebook.com/help/?search=insights#/help/?faq=15221

Facebook sites to check out

Girl Scouts of the USA:
http://www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsUSA
Girls on the Run of the Bay Area
www.facebook.com/gotrbayarea
Charity Water:
http://www.facebook.com/charitywater
The Girl Effect:
http://www.facebook.com/girleffect

*To download Hubspot’s free ebook entitled Facebook for Business, visit: http://bit.ly/4rcJHU

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Linkedin
Background
The world's largest professional networking site, LinkedIn
currently boasts approximately 55 million users, compared to
Facebook's 350 million. Small businesses and non-profits who
use LinkedIn effectively take advantage of the professional Image via: hyperlocaledge.com/online-community-management/

expertise available through the site.

Some tips for using LinkedIn effectively:

Locate experts in your field and connect with them through shared connections
Join professional groups and participate in discussions
Before launching a new product, logo, or program, start a discussion and run your ideas by your
colleagues to obtain their feedback
When in need of a venue for an event, a speaker for a panel, or other resources that your
network may be able to provide, post these requests in a status update
Use the “Events” function (found under the “More..” tab) to publicize events

For more tips on Linked-In visit http://blog.linkedin.com

In addition, adding a link to your LinkedIn profile in your professional email signature allows potential
professional partners to become familiar with your qualifications and background as listed on your
profile. While it would be odd to attach your qualifications or your resume to an email unless you are
applying for a job, it is not strange at all to include your LinkedIn profile link in the signature.
LinkedIn profiles receive a high Google page-rank, so if someone Google searches you, your LinkedIn
profile is likely to appear. This allows you to control what people find out about you first when they
“Google” you.

Fundraising
The LinkedIn equivalent of Facebook Causes, “LinkedIn For Good” started in 2007. The application
lets users donate to non-profits or display a “badge” on their profile that supports a cause. Unlike
Facebook Causes, however, groups interested in being part of the program must email LinkedIn
administrators, and it appears that they are highly selective, since the “LinkedIn For Good” homepage
features only 10 organizations, and most are internationally-known. However, it's a good idea to keep
an eye on this application, in case they should begin to further open up participation.

LinkedIn For Good homepage: http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=groups_giving.

Integration
LinkedIn has a built-in feature connecting the platform with Twitter. When you add your Twitter
account to your profile, LinkedIn adds a Twitter share button just below the text box where you enter
your status update. Checking the box next to it will automatically tweet your status update on Twitter.

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YouTube
Background
YouTube boasts over 1 billion views per day worldwide. Non-profits are
“M6637U” webcam by MingJong, 2008.
using it as a free form of television advertising. Given the popularity of Image via TechFresh.net
rough-cuts and spontaneous, do-it-yourself style videos on YouTube, even
organizations with very little experience and a small budget can produce popular videos in this
medium. Creativity and authenticity are more important on YouTube than a large production budget.

Getting Started
The first step in launching your YouTube platform is to create a YouTube channel. This allows viewers
to subscribe to your channel and receive notification when you upload new videos. After you've created
your channel, you can apply to YouTube's Non-profit Program at http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits to
receive the following benefits:
The option to drive fundraising through a Google Checkout "Donate" button
The ability to add a “Call-to-action” overlay on your videos to drive campaigns
The opportunity to find a skilled YouTube user to create a video for your cause through the
“Video Volunteers Platform.”
Tips for Non-profits From YouTube
Direct Dialogue: Make videos that create a dialogue about your work and what you're trying to
achieve. Ask questions and solicit video responses.
Call to Action. Harness the power of user-generated content by asking supporters to submit videos to
your cause. Create a group to collect these videos together; find ways to give recognition to the best
ones.
Tell Serial Stories. Engage viewers with a series of videos that tell a story around a specific theme.
Once you've created a few episodes, put them into a playlist.
Respond to Current Events. Address relevant news stories by posting videos that explain your
position. You can then embed them in emails to your supporters.
Use Endorsements. Whether they're from celebrities or people you've impacted, it helps to have
supporters chiming in about why your work matters.
Build Stewardship. Make sure that involved people feel appreciated and recognized so that a sense
of pride in the organization builds naturally.
-You Tube, “NGO Tips.” For more tips on using your non-profit YouTube channel, visit: http://www.youtube.com/t/ngo_tips

YouTube videos to check out

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI):
http://www.youtube.com/user/RNLIshout#p/a/8C30ECB56D2916FA/1/5gEI5m-_F4o
Chicago GOTR volunteer channel:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2BF4034A86AFCF94
GOTR Sponsor Testimonial Reston, VA:
http://www.youtube.com/user/girlsontherunofnova#p/u/1/B0F27uyfABA
GOTR Season slideshow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHVoYhRNfa4&feature=related

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MySpace
Background
It may have lost its number one spot in the social media world to Facebook, but
MySpace is far from dead. The 6th most popular site on the internet, it still has 66
million active users. On average, its users tend to be younger and less affluent
than those of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Following are some tips for organizations getting started on MySpace from DIOSA Communications:
Design
Center your "Friends" and "Comments" section
Don't use an acronym for your MySpace profile name – when you friend request someone
they will be more likely to know who you are if your name is spelled out
Reserve a MySpace URL that matches your Web site's URL
Use MySpace to drive your friends to other social networking sites
Upgrade to Profile 2.0 if you don't know HTML

Fundraising
Create and embed a fundraising widget on to your MySpace profile. If your current system
is not compatible with MySpace, try Change.org's free fundraising widget:
http://www.change.org/nonprofit_admin/signup/preview. Change.org also offers other free
services to non-profits around social networking.
Thank your donors with comments, and put donors in your top friends
Use your blog to organize a fundraising campaign
Ask your MySpace friends to create a fundraising page to benefit your organization
Don't leave your MySpace fundraising widget at $0!
-DIOASA, “75 MySpace Best Practices for Non-profits.”
For the complete article, visit: http://www.diosacommunications.com/myspacebestpractices.htm.

MySpace sites to check out

Girls on the Run of West Burbs, IL:

http://www.myspace.com/girlsontherunnnn
To Write Love on Her Arms:
http://www.myspace.com/towriteloveonherarms
Invisible Children:
http://www.myspace.com/invisiblechildren

*Note: MySpace lists in their terms and conditions that users must be at least 13 years of age.

7
Twitter
Background
Twitter is a micro-blogging website that has turned into the hottest social media trend of 2009.
According to Mashable.com, Twitter grew by 752% in 2008, and hit an incredible 1,382 % growth rate
last February. The strength of Twitter is its ability to communicate with its audience in real time.
Savvy non-profits have been able to create loyal “Twitter Tribes” who are extremely engaged with the
organization. While Twitter itself keeps an extremely trim and simple website, thousands of
applications have sprung up on their own in order to enhance the Twitter experience.

Some of the most useful applications are Twitter Search, Twitterfall, and Twellowhood. Twellowhood
lists 692 Twitter users in Flagstaff. Many of the popular Twitter users in Flagstaff have over 500
followers. Therefore the estimated audience in Flagstaff that Girls on the Run could reach via Twitter
is 500-700.

In order to run a Twitter account well, a user should tweet multiple times each day and respond to
followers' tweets within 24 hours. Considering its limited resources, the best way for GOTR CC to use
Twitter at this time is probably to encourage established Twitter users such as Mayor Presler and
Stroller Strides to tweet about GOTR. However, if this platform continues to grow as it has been, and
if GOTR CC obtains a dedicated staff person, the return on investment may become worthwhile for
GOTR to establish its own Twitter site (consult the “Twitter Guide” for further information).

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Suggested Timeline
2010 January February March April May June July August

Stage 1 Stage 2
YouTube Create Channel Team videos, 4th of July, shared content
Volunteer Videos Video contest?

Stage 1 Stage 2
LinkedIn Add/Make Promote Brix fundraiser
Connections

Stage 1 Stage 2
Facebook Merge FB Pages Create causes site
Promote Lunafest&5k Promote Brix fundraiser

Create volunteer maintained myspace page with

MySpace high school volunteer.

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Schedule of Work
Key things to remember:
1) It’s about dialogue…
2) It’s viral…
3) It’s about integration…

1. YouTube:
1.1. Stage 1 Start February, Finish February: Create channel, apply to YouTube’s non-
profit program, create volunteer video at training, and begin creating sponsor content.
1.2. Stage 2 Start Mid-May, Finish in July: Begin creating shared content, team videos,
and 4th of July video. Video contest?

2. LinkedIn:
2.1. Stage 1 Start January, Finish February: Add/make connections
2.2. Stage 2 Start April, Finish May: Promote Brix fundraiser

3. Facebook:
3.1. Stage 1 Start January, Finish February: Merge existing Facebook pages, remove
superfluous pages, and revamp content on existing Facebook group. Add/search for
friends from mailing list from e-news letter to Facebook.Promote Lunafest and 5k.
Remember to post fresh material on a daily basis.
3.2. Stage 2 Start April, Finish May: Create causes site before Brix fundraiser.

4. MySpace:
4.1. Start May, Finish August: Seek interest in High-school volunteer to create myspace for
promoting participation.

10
Further Resources

Change.org
http://www.change.org
Frog Loop – Non-profit Online Marketing Blog
http://www.frogloop.com/
Google For Non-profits
http://www.google.com/nonprofits/
Gray Matter Minute – Social Media Blog for Businesses
www.graymatterminute.com
Katya's Non-profit Marketing Blog
http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com
Mashable – the Social Media Guide
http://www.mashable.com
NTEN - Non-profit Technology Network
http://www.nten.org
Social Media Today
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/
Sphinn.com: Internet Marketing News & Discussion Forums
http://sphinn.com/