Social Media Strategy and Tactics

Jenn Chu, Efrain Guerrero, Mike Kramer, and Stuart Zurn

Advised by Preston Cline and Pablo Lema

April 29, 2010

Social Media Strategy

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Key Questions regarding Social Media

What are the core objectives of the social media strategy?

To generate awareness, create a connection between Team Rubicon and its followers,
and drive fundraising/in-kind donations/support actions.

Primary: Drive cash donations, create awareness

Secondary: Drive in-kind donations, volunteering, and service

Tertiary: Getting other organizations and corporations involved

What experience should people have interacting with Team Rubicon online?

These guys are making a serious impact by doing things “their way” and need all the help
they can get to overcome bureaucracy and inefficient processes.

This is a “new model” in disaster response that is exciting, effective, and transparent.

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 Types of Social Media Interaction

Should the strategy be proactive or reactive?

Be overtly proactive during a crisis, and then use a blend of proactive engagement and
reactive reception during other communication timeframes. Make sure not to “fatigue” the
followers by being aware of their interest capacity during the different timeframes. Perhaps
find a way to “adjust” each individual’s outreach.

Passive

Short-form updates Long-form updates Affinity groups

•  Facebook status •  Blog •  Facebook Group(s)

•  Twitter feed •  RSS Feeds •  Facebook Fan Page
•  Text-message updates •  YouTube •  Linked-In
•  E-mail Newsletter •  Photo sharing (Flickr, etc.) •  Web Badges
•  Other “co-branding”
opportunities

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Four Primary Communication Timeframes - Definitions

During
Before
•  Begins with the disaster
•  Calm period between •  Continues during all TR
disasters field operations
•  There is limited media •  Finishes at country
coverage of disaster departure
recovery

After Immediately After

•  During fading “media •  Includes hand-off to

consciousness” institutional response
•  Can continue for several •  During primary “media
weeks consciousness”

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 Four Primary Communication Timeframes – Turning Points

Disaster Occurs

Before During

Gradual – Loosely Defined

Team Rubicon
Departs

After Immediately After

Media/Donor Interest Wanes

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Framework for timeframe considerations

• What are the objectives of social media during this time?

Objectives

• What experience will the follower feel during this time?

Experience

• What are the primary tactics and tools during this time?
Tactics

• How will this social media outreach timeframe impact the

Impact Team Rubicon organization?

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Before a disaster

• Increase brand awareness, maintain interest among donors

Objectives • Encourage partnering by funders and corporations
• Showcase TR’s readiness, as an “always-ready” operation

• Although Team Rubicon is comprised of exciting medical

Experience professionals and military veterans, preparation is important to
execute missions well and with the most prudent use of funds

• Limited use of “push” strategies to avoid follower fatigue

• Regular blog updates describing their readiness and training
Tactics
• Deeper focus on team members’ history and background
• Scenario planning and discussion of potential contingencies

• This timeframe is focused on “maintenance,” to keep donors

Impact and followers interested and aware of Team Rubicon
• Some donations and suggestions to help preparedness
• Ability to raise awareness in advance of an event

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During a Team Rubicon response

• Drive cash donations (primary), as well as in-kind (secondary)

Objectives • Create large-scale awareness, including media presence
• Highlight Team Rubicon’s unique mission and tactics

• This is a “new model” in disaster response, that is impactful,

Experience
exciting, and fast-paced
• This is a transparent organization that will match “donor to
dollar” to make sure financial support is prudently spent

• Most aggressive use of push tactics, with very regular short-

Tactics form updates through all channels
• Targeting of the media to act as a PR “force multiplier”

• This timeframe has the greatest potential for fundraising and

Impact to generate the stories that will “grab” the audience
• Social media outreach must be maximized during response

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Impact during a disaster

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After the team departs

• Reveal the impact that Team Rubicon had because of their

Objectives unique mission and tactics
• Continue to drive fundraising to prepare for future disasters

• When all is said and done, Team Rubicon is a high-impact

Experience
organization that made a large impact by arriving early
• The conventional institutional response was greatly assisted
by the “gap-closing” effect of TR’s presence

• Continue push updates, but begin to decrease frequency

Tactics • Post more detailed long-form updates, taking on more of an
after-action stance than the direct narrative
• Follow up with victims helped as they receive conventional help

• This will be a great time to get the Team Rubicon team

Impact engaged directly with followers and the media
• Continue to draw support, but especially reinforce donors
feeling that this was a worthwhile organization to support

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After the disaster stabilizes

• Continue to increase awareness by demonstrating the

Objectives effectiveness of TR’s approach in the overall assessment
• Cement the reputation of TR as a critical component of any
disaster response

• Team Rubicon was critical during this disaster, and without

them there would be greater suffering and more difficulty for
Experience
conventional, institutional responders
• TR went above and beyond to account for everything that
happened and every dollar that was spent
• Continue long-form updates and increase documentation
Tactics with a formal after-action review and donor report
• Encourage affinity efforts and begin to shift followers’
mindsets back to the “before” timeframe.

• This is the best time to create a permanent bond between

Impact the organization and its followers and demonstrate how
critical Team Rubicon is to disaster response and recovery

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Social Media Tools

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Your current social media tools

-  Blog on website

-  Facebook

-  Flickr

-  Twitter

-  YouTube

-  LinkedIn

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Using Posterous to instantly update your blog

-  Email Posterous and they will post a formatted version instantly to your blog

-  Will also post to Facebook, Twitter and Flickr

-  You can send videos, photos, audio files and documents

-  They will re-size photos for you and create an image gallery on your blog

-  They will transcode your video to work on the website

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A new, updated blog

-  Posterous will transcode your video

-  Posterous will convert your audio

files to into a web MP3 player

-  Posterous will organize your photos

into an image gallery

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iPhone application will keep followers up-to-date wherever they are

-  AppMakr

-  $299

-  Converts blog posts into easy to read application on iPhone

-  Updates in real time

-  A vast array of companies have used AppMakr

-  US Army

-  Seth Godin – a blogger

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Fundraising

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Overview

Off Cycle Fundraising

  Rubicon Website: Recurring Gifts and Improvements

  Off Cycle Messaging

  Grant Tips and Prospects

  Registry Campaigns

Fundraising During Disaster Relief

  Text Messaging

Other Ideas to Later Pursue

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Rubicon Donation Website

Improve Existing Donation Page

  Add recurring gift option

–  Small monthly fee on PayPal TR account
–  Benefits: creates a low cost stream of predictable revenue
–  According to research sponsored by MasterCard International, only
3% of donors report using credit cards to make automatic donations,
but 28% say they would probably or definitely consider making
recurring donations if it were offered to them by their selected
charitable organization.
–  Challenge: small administrative burden
–  Announce in email solicitation

  Note: Leave donation amount blank (http://googlecheckout.blogspot.com/2009/12/google-checkout-for-non-profits-in-2010.html)

  Consider grouping donor page by levels of giving

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Off Cycle Messaging

American Red Cross

  A gift of any size to the American Red Cross will save the day when the next emergency
strikes. When a neighbor’s house burns down. When someone needs lifesaving blood
transfusion. When a family needs to contact a deployed service member in an
emergency. When a child needs a hug and a blanket. The gift that saves the day is the
gift you give today. Your gift supports the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross
down the street, across the country and around the world.

World Vision
  In the wake of a crisis, it is children who suffer most. World Vision stands ready to protect
them by delivering crucial assistance within 24 to 72 hours of a disaster. When Chile was
struck by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake, World Vision was able to begin an immediate
response. Your gift to World Vision's Disaster Response Fund will help us prepare for and
respond to disasters around the world. World Vision urgently needs your support to help
children and families suffering from disasters around the world, including earthquake
survivors in Chile and Haiti. Your donation of any size will help us rush life-saving
emergency supplies like food, water, blankets, and shelter to those who need it most. We
are often one of the first organizations to begin relief work after a disaster, and we remain
on the ground for the long haul, rebuilding communities and restoring hope.

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Off Cycle Messaging

Team Rubicon (Draft)

  Although our efforts in Haiti and Chile have ceased, your your gift today
will help Team Rubicon quickly equip and supply rapidly deployable teams
to help those in need when the world’s next catastrophe strikes. When
Chile was struck by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake, Team Rubicon was
able to….. Your gift supports our lifesaving work around the world and will
help save lives.

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Basic Grant Strategy

Grant/Foundation Money:

  Most grant money available is for specific capacity building

  Difficult difficult to get grants to have cash on hand for future or current disasters

  Therefore, think about what capacity Team Rubicon needs to grow

In-Kind Support
  Come up with list of resources you need/use during disaster relief

  What corporations would be able to provide this in-kind

  Go after corporate in-kind support now

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Basic Grant Strategy

Prospect:
  KEY: Building relationships
  Ask board members and other volunteers for their connections
  Subscribe to Foundation Center ($19.95/month) to begin searching for foundation
giving (736 hits from grantees interested in “Disasters”).
  Identify “competitors” in space and look at annual reports to identify prospective
fundraising sources

Watch Outs
  Don’t apply for money that requires you to create extensive new programming or
that comes with extensive and cumbersome reporting

Future Resources
  We will provide development contacts at SAGE and NCLR
  Foundation Center Classes

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Prospects

Merck Foundation http://www.merck.com/corporate-

responsibility/community-impact/community-
disasters-emergency/home.html
American Express http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/gb/
red.asp
FedEx http://about.fedex.designcdt.com/
corporate_responsibility/philanthropy/
disaster_relief
GE Foundation http://www.ge.com/foundation/
disaster_relief/index.jsp
Western Union Foundation http://foundation.westernunion.com/
ourProgramsDisaster.html

Sandy River Charitable Foundation http://www.srcfoundation.org/

Humanity First USA http://usa.humanityfirst.org/index.php?

option=com_content&task=view&id=43

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Online Registry Campaigns

  DoJiggy.com: online services for

managing pledges

  $450/year and can handle up to

100 users

  Very low administrative support

needed – user-driven

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Text Message Fundraising: Cons Outweigh Pros

Pros
•  Easy Transaction for Donor
•  Capitalize on Large Profile Events
•  Incorporate into Advertising/Media
Campaigns
Cons
•  Must be Vetted and 501 (c) 3
•  Large Setup Fees ($3k-$10k)
•  Short Code (e.g. “Haiti”) Fee
•  $500,000 Minimum Revenue
•  Donation Capped at $10
•  Can’t Access Donors Contact Info
•  Lag in Revenues (30 - 90 Days)

5 Real Challenges for Nonprofit Texting Campaigns:

http://mashable.com/2010/02/04/non-profit-texting/

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Other Fundraising Ideas

•  Events: Small Cocktail Parties (esp. with alcohol sponsor/host sponsor)

•  Email Append: Acquire emails that are not in your database

•  Use news/updates as reason for e-mail solicitations

•  Look for fee-for-service opportunities

•  See http://www.charitywater.org as template for entire website and other

fundraising ideas

•  Salesforce.com Foundation for CRM solutions - foundation.force.com

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Tactical and Other Considerations

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 TEAM RUBICON COMMUNICATIONS
GEAR
Objective: Find and utilize communications gear with voice
and data standards that pertain to real-time situational
information exchange and reports by and for Team Rubicon
before, during, and after response.

World Cellular Comms

Coverage Map

World Internet
Coverage Map

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 COMMUNICATIONS GEAR

Inmarsat BGan Satellite Communication Equipment

•  Allows 10 computers to be connected

•  Broadband Internet and offers voice and fax services.

•  Light (less than 4 kg) and mobile (deployable in minutes)

MINI-M CAPSAT Phone TT-3060A

•  Digital phone facilities at 4800bps, allows fax, data
transfer and email at 2400bps.
•  Small size and light. (52x270x200mm, 2.2kg)
•  Each battery has an autonomy of 2h30

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 COMMUNICATIONS GEAR, Part II
M4 / GLOBAL AREA NETWORK
•  Provides access to telephone networks
•  Allows data transfer through an ISDN connection
from 64 to 128 kbps
•  Can transfer large files, animated or still images,
video-conferencing, good quality audio, etc.
•  MPDS connection (Mobile Packet Data Service)
which allows a permanent internet connection.
MOBILE ‘VISIO EMERGENCY’ System
•  Allows satellite transmission of live videos filmed directly at the heart of
an emergency
•  Allows a real-time visual assessment of the situation in the field that can
be transmitted to the NGOs’ or rescue organizations’ crisis centers or
headquarters on the other side of the world.
•  At any time, recipients can communicate directly with the TSF technician
to ask for more visual information (such as scenic views
or close-ups).
•  Gives rescue organizations the means to adapt their action to specific
needs.
•  Images sent to the recipients’ headquarters can also be used to
stimulate international opinion and for fund-raising.
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 OTHER FIELD COMMS GEAR POSSIBILITIES
Portable Satlite Communications
- Airbox CM3

- Magnetically attaches to truck

AllTech Comms

- Cellular on wheels – portable telecom tower w/ trailer system

- Specializes in disaster recovery solutions

Portable Cell Phone Towers

- MOGO Portable wireless cellular amplifier

- Boosts signal strength 10 times, increases transfer speed

- Draws from a 12 volt power supply, plugs into cars

Fire Team Gear

- Small-Squad Motorola MBITR radios, Walkie-Talkies, Blue Force

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 COMMS COORDINATION

Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF)

-  NGO that provides state of art telecoms to UN
-  Deployable anywhere in the world in less than 24 hrs
-  “Support victims and NGOs helping them.”

National Emergency Communications/Deconfliction Plan

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/national_emergency_communications_plan.pdf

Joint Forces Tactical Radios and Communications Procedures Manual

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/6-02-72/fm6-02-72.pdf

‘PACE’ (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) Comms SOP

- Develop PACE comms plan for each region of the world

Team Rubicon Comms Liasion

- Establish at primary NGO / TR base camp`

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FINAL: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, Part I
International SOS Partnership

- International student/employee victim evacuation service

- Connections in every region of the world (local sources)

- Partnership would be symbiotic for SOS-I as well

- We will provide contact information of Operations Manager and Consulting Manager

Annual International Conference on Humanitarian Logistics

- Promotion, build contacts

The Fritz Institute

- San Francisco based emergency aid logistics consultancy (Lynn Fritz previously owned a $450 M logistics company sold to UPS.)

- TR can assess need, immediately report it to Fritz

- Pre-stationed logistics hubs in 123 countries

Red Cross Emergency Relief Teams Assessment

- 72 hour assessment teams

- SAR, Med, Telecom units transmit via IFRC base camps (later-stage use)

- Ian Heigh, lead logistics coordinator, former British SF

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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, Part II
Media Articles Editor Responses

- Los Angeles-based writer, Vince Beiser

- TR response to recent Haiti disaster relief article in Wired

Cutting Edge Companies/ NGOs Promotion Partnerships.

- TR partner with Virgin (airline advertiser flyers), Red Bull, Bono’s One Organization weekly

radio message.

Team Rubicon hold “extreme disaster relief team” media covered training/real events

- Non-traditional insertions into countries (free-fall, small boats, helo-fast rope)

- Further differentiates TR from traditional Response Teams.

Team Real Time Positioning Online

- GPS position/map on front page of website (updated every hour) – blinking icon

- Front-page of website (or command and control center tab) gives viewer/donator “mission

commander-like feeling.”

- Link to operator “head cameras” strategically placed at the scene on the ground

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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, Part III

MapAction.com

- NGO / service that combines scouting and data from UN, Google, Sat imagery. Up to
minute maps of disaster relief areas damage and identifies those needing most help

US Government equipment donations to NGOs

- Quarterly donations to various NGOs

Apple Podcasts

- Promote and push out weekly message from Jake, William, or Drew

- Consistent themes with weekly world updates and commentary

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Questions?

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