go small or go home

These days marriage isn’t only about joining two hearts in holy (or other) matrimony. Apparently it’s also about joining two hearts to community.

Recently Alex and Kristin used their wedding as an opportunity to raise money for  charity: water, a non-profit working to bring clean drinking water to developing nations. Instead of cappuccino machines and monogrammed silverware, the couple asked that wedding guests donate $50 to fund an entire well to provide drinking water for 250 people.

Charity: water tracked the campaign on their website, presenting photos of the special day and announcing the final amount raised… to the tune of $6,440. The happy couple included a touching note on the campaign web page to add that personal touch. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity! With your help, we really can make a difference in this world. We can’t wait to see all you in a few months! Love, Kristin and Alex. In addition, guests added comments next to the donated amount such as Filthy water cannot be washed -African Proverb Such a thoughtful gift!

Now switch to another marriage that recently happened using social media channels. For those who haven’t seen the current string of Old Spice commercials, all I can say is, you’re missing out on one of the best social media based ad campaigns in the past, er, year or more (at least). To date, there have been over 1o million views of the original ad. Needless to say, using the word ‘viral’ to describe what Old Spice accomplished is appropriate here.

Old Spice has ditched its stale image of  being a product people buy for their dads on Father’s Day to being, well, sexy as all get-out. Recently the revamped Old Spice guy played by  Isaiah Mustafa actually proposed to a girl for another guy on Twitter. When you see the video, you might better understand why she accepted.

Now check out the old Old Spice ad from 1971. Why else would women patiently wait for their men to return from sea…

The other day a client asked me a question that comes up a lot, mostly after I tell an organization what is needed for them to build an online presence.

“What’s the point for us to use social media? We have a hard enough time keeping up with the stuff we are doing now.”

Having worked in the not-for-profit sector for many years as a communications coordinator, editor, writer, media relations adviser, publisher, fundraiser, eco-tour guide, educator, gardener, support worker, designer, volunteer coordinator–there’s more, but you get the picture–I don’t take this question lightly. I know how much work goes into these organizations. How there are never enough hours in the day, and how it often feels it all won’t get done unless you clone yourself and everyone you work with.

“Social media IS the stuff you’re doing now.” That’s the cheeky answer that pops into my head after hearing that question. Sometimes when we don’t like the answer we are given then we need to rephrase the question. This means approaching the problem from a different perspective so we can view it differently, maybe even see it more clearly.

Let me explain.

Building an online presence shouldn’t be seen as an add-on to what not-for-profits already do, but rather as part of the continuous flow of what is already being done to accomplish your mission and tell your audiences about the great work you are doing. It’s about capacity building, nurturing community, communicating to members, stakeholders and the general public. Seeing what your partners are doing, trading stories “from the field” in order to learn from each other, and so on. All the stuff organizations already do, except now they are doing it online. You wouldn’t want to miss a conference involving your community partners so why would you opt out of discussions and the opportunity to hear their news by not having an online presence through social media?

To rephrase the question: “Social media, why bother?” you might rather ask,

How can we take what we do here (e.g. advertising, e-newsletter, discussion forum) and translate it into that?

What are we doing when we do that new thing? Our goals are the same as before so our outcomes should be also.

How can we cut down on all the things we do and be more effective in order to make room for building an online presence that grows and saves us time and money in the long run?

How much and what?
This basic list will give you an idea of how many hours to carve out for social media endeavors per week. We advise you to develop a game plan that answers the questions who, what and when. Above all, don’t leave it up to the social media muses as those blog posts, tweets and Facebook updates will never get done!

Now you just need to get your team on board, come up with a list of stuff to write about and you’re own your way. Some people find it helps to schedule updates at the same time each day. Others just squeeze it in between a conference call and a sandwich. Keep building!

Facebook

Frequency: 1 to 2 updates per week

Focus: Not-for-profit and partners, local and international

Content: Events, publications, interviews, discussions, etc., campaign (e.g. member, fundraising) links to media (e.g. video clip, photos), contests, fundraiser, blog/web updates

Twitter

Frequency: 5 updates per week

Focus: Not-for-profit and partners, local and international

Content: Not-for-profit and partner events, contests, fundraiser, replies (@twittername), updates to blog or website, announcements, quotes, media links (e.g. video clip, photos)

Blog

Frequency: 1 to 2 posts, threads, updates a week

Focus: Local and global

Content: Local/international discussions, debates, topics, ideas, etc.

Flickr

Frequency: Once every two weeks by organization or uploaded by partner or other

Focus: Not-for-profit

Content: Groups, events

YouTube

Frequency: More infrequent; depends on needs of organization

Focus: Commercial or ad, events (e.g. fundraiser), local and global

Content: Activities (e.g. conferences), short clip on YouTube (2 minutes or less) about organization

Social media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. No one actually knows how. When finally done, there is surprise it’s not better. –Avinash Kaushik, Google’s analytics evangelist

Not sure I agree with this statement, but it made me laugh when I read it and it’s a good starting point for this blog post. I suppose it’s true that social media is like teen sex in the sense that the more practice a person has at something, generally speaking, the less effort and more fun that person has. I could extend the metaphor by saying social media can make neophytes into bumbling idiots, lose confidence in our ability to perform, but I think you get the point.

Let me put it this way, you wouldn’t expect to play tennis a few times and suddenly become as good as Serena Williams. When you first start playing most of your time is taken running after the ball that you didn’t hit, trying to get it over the net and cursing each time you don’t. The same goes for social media. When you put the time in and put the time in and put in the time… eventually you begin to see some results.

This is a lesson that many not-for-profits are learning as they integrate social media into what they do. Although it is often an uphill battle for organizations that are strapped for resources, I constantly marvel at how so many have risen to the challenge presented by these new technologies to come out stronger, more savvy and creatively charged.

As technologies keep changing, not-for-profits must learn new stuff  just to keep up. Organizations often have a hard time adapting to constant change and as a result sometimes give up trying.

Remember that social media is an imperfect beast so try not to strive for perfection. Better yet, think of the infamous Nike slogan “Just do it” and you’re more than halfway there.

Spring has finally sprung, as they say. In our city, which is Vancouver, Canada, tulips and other colourful numbers are in full bloom while the luscious pink magnolias and cherry tree blossoms are fading.

When I was a girl, each spring my mom would wash the curtains from all the windows and hang them to dry in the sunshine. She would yank the sheets and blankets off all of our beds, wash them and repeat the process. After that, she removed the carpets from the floors and beat them with a broom outside because, frankly, they had been cooped up all winter (like the curtains and sheets), and who (or what) doesn’t require a little fresh air and sunshine from time to time.

While I do a trimmed down version of spring cleaning at my home, we at Go Small see spring as a perfect time for not-for-profits to take stock, and decide whether to recycle, reuse, or throw away as the case may be.

Go Small spring cleaning checklist

• Review your web copy to see if it needs refreshing (it usually does)
• Compile a focus group of stakeholders to help plan for the future
• Find cost-effective ways to recycle winning ideas and products
• Repackage your riches using up-to-date tools
• Clear out old mailing lists and other stuff from your computers 
• Examine your print materials to see if they reflect where your organization’s at
• Find fresher, sunnier ways to involve your audience through online conversations

Happy Spring!

We’re not leaving the continent of Africa quite yet. An inspiring project came to my attention from Uganda, Rwanda’s neighbour to the north.

The project is called ZoomUganda and it uses the little-known though increasing prevalent technique called “photovoice” to bring attention to Matale, a community in southern Uganda where more than half the children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.

Created by Caroline C. Wang and Mary Ann Burris in 1992 to enable rural women of Yunnan Province, China to have a say in policymaking affecting them, “photovoice” enables individuals who are typically subjects, to be creators, as they document their world.

Sponsored by the Harambee Centre in Portland, Oregon, ZoomUganda involves 12 girls who were given 12 cameras and 24 hours to tell their stories. Another part of the project was for the girls to keep journals wherein they captured their hopes and dreams. Proceeds from the project will benefit St. Andrew’s Secondary School in Matale, Uganda.

Photovoice is a powerful tool for organizations, whether working in the Global South or in the Deep South, to help citizens take control over how the world perceives them.

If the technique seems a good fit for your organization, then build on your photovoice project by integrating social media such as video and other interactive web capabilities to seriously engage online visitors and connect them to your organization’s vision for social change.

Remember that–where social media is concerned–there are many ways to tell a story.

You know, we talk a lot about using all the different social media tools that are available to not-for-profits, tools like Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. But with the plethora of Web 2.0 doodads out there, it’s easy to lose focus and to start creating and maintaining your various accounts for their own sake. How many of us have discovered that our Facebook friendships and updates seem to have taken over our lives until we’ve forgotten why we signed up in the first place?

So here’s something to remember: whatever part of the social media beast you’re using needs to be integrally connected to your organization’s website or, in other words, your home base. Your website is the official “spokesperson” of your cause, the dependable voice that brings together all the Tweets, blogs and video playlists, and synthesizes them into a harmonious whole.

Now, I could go on forever and ever about this, but instead of boring all of you (and myself), I want to point you to a fantastic example of a website that seamlessly combines all sorts of social media. The Men Who Killed Me is a brand new book of photographs and testimonials from survivors of the Rwandan genocide. The proceeds from this book, which will be hitting retailers across Canada in April, will be donated to Mukomeze, a charitable organization established to improve the lives of girls and women who have survived sexual violence.

The Men Who Killed Me, edited by Anne-Marie de Brouwer and Sandra Ka Hon Chu, photographs by Samer Muscati

It goes without saying that this website and book are extraordinary, but what makes it a picture-perfect example of social media use is how organic and vital each component is to the overall message. When you’re browsing through, take note of how the authors have used Flickr, YouTube and the blog to drive home the reminder that the Rwandan genocide must not be forgotten.

I’ll leave you with just this one thing: a video from The Men Who Killed Me, showing survivors dancing with joy in Kigali. It doesn’t get much better than this.

I just love it when a smart idea translates to more funds for a charity. If I had to pick one smart idea from the loads of incredibly smart ideas not-for-profits generated in 2008, it would definitely be the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) television campaign to raise funds for animal welfare. 

One of the videos that aired this Christmas in British Columbia is the fourth in a series of spots featuring award-winning singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan sitting by a lovable (though apparently somewhat restless) golden retriever who was abandoned at the shelter before being adopted. Viewers see a kitten with needy eyes and a limping dog among its cast of sad, but pet-worthy critters. The video begins with McLachlan’s song Angel, followed by an appeal by McLachlan, winner of three Grammy Awards and eight Junos, for viewers to help abused animals. Donors receive a photo of an animal who has been helped, a free subscription to their publication and a tote bag.

The two-minute video has helped the BC SPCA chapter raise one million more than the year before and has helped animal welfare groups in Canada and the United States raise millions of dollars, far exceeding the amount they hoped for.

The video shows up on TV, on the SPCA’s homepage and appears on McLachlan’s own website where she asks fans to post the commercial on their preferred social networking site.

Why not make 2009 extra special and have one of your organization’s resolutions be to come up with one winning fundraising idea (ahem, using social media…) that would blow 100 so-so ideas out of the water? At this time of economic uncertainty nothing beats a good idea that starts out small and grows.

We’re just launching our Go Small blog during the unusually snowy month of December in Vancouver, BC. The idea for this blog came during the writing of our first e-book called Go Small or Go Home: Not-for-profits harness their smarts using social media. We wrote the book for not-for-profits who want to learn more about social media and who want to integrate and use some of these new tools to continue to do what they do best–only better. That might be helping women start new businesses, providing food and shelter for those who are on the streets or providing services for new immigrants.

Working with not-for-profits in the area of social marketing, branding identity and strategic communications, we saw a need for a blog that looks at remarkably dynamic and resourceful ways that not-for-profits are using the new technologies so that other organizations can read their stories and experiments and learn.

Why “go small”? Well because not-for-profits are used to working in small, unsuspecting and ingenious ways in order to follow their vision and serve their stakeholders. There is no shame in being a small organization, in fact, it is something to be proud of, and especially when your reach is so great and you accomplish so much.

I think that’s about all you need to know about this blog. Stay tuned for posts on how others go small with amazing results.