“By learning how to effectively Focus, Grab Attention, Engage, and Take Action, everyday people can produce extraordinary results” – whether they are trying to provide clean water, find an organ donor, or change a kid’s behavior through fun.

One of the challenges of social media for me has always been generating original, timely content. However when you really ENGAGE your constituency, you can create forums for creating user-generated content. Who wouldn’t like to have other people write your message for free (kind of like I’m doing here, but for my own blog)? One of the key tenets of social media is to not merely broadcast, but to interact with your followers and the people you follow. As you’re creating your social media platform, you can design it to inspire involvement through empowerment with the folks that already share your passion for your mission.

This is obviously targeting nonprofits, the organizations that typically lead the charge for social change. One example is WildAid (@WildAid), an organization based in San Francisco and operates in China, India and Ecuador, Canada, the US and the UK. Their mission is “to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes by reducing demand through public awareness campaigns and providing comprehensive marine protection”. They have a done a tremendous job of getting their message out through the power of TV, transportation, outdoor, video, internet and print media. By creating “culturally sensitive customized multimedia public awareness campaigns”, they have shown attitudinal changes in these markets. Coupled with social media, their goal is to expand those campaigns and start engaging supporters and donors to contribute to (and expand) their messaging as well.

Enabling people to become activists is one way to use social media to drive social change. You can do that by delivering the unexpected and building trust. There are so many different vehicles to broadcast our messages; every organization can now be there own media outlet, revealing their messages in multiple mediums, languages and markets for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. Typically the biggest investment is in human resources to create and implement a strategy.

Storytelling is another way to drive social change in any medium. We all have stories, and as an organization you can capture those stories and post them on your Facebook page, Twitter feed, or YouTube channel. Uniting an idea with an emotion is a powerful way to convey a message, and with social media it’s never been easier to share those stories of inspiration.

Look at what you’re doing currently, and then review your online presence and how it integrates with your social media efforts (if you have any). Driving social change can sometimes be a challenging journey, but with a thoughtful strategy and consistent message, you will be able to tell your story in ways that further your mission. It’s like a full-page editorial in the local paper – I’ve heard people say “you can’t buy that kind of coverage”. The reality is, that’s a function of effective public relations – but that’s another blog post.

David Contois is a marketing strategist and nonprofit consultant based in San Francisco. You can learn more about marketing your organization, social media, print & web design by subscribing to our RSS feed here. David can also be followed on Twitter @BSGrpor @dcontoisand on Facebook.com/BluSkyeGroup.

Branding

Facebook can be a great resource for generating brand awareness. Make sure to be consistent with whatever other collateral you have for your business, especially your web site (if you have one). I understand that as businesses create marketing materials, over time they may become outdated. If you’re ready for a makeover, when you create a business page on Facebook, start with a fresh look.

Drive Web Traffic

Facebook can act as a portal point for driving traffic to your site. One of the objectives for our Facebook page is to share information we find useful and hope people go to our site for more interesting information. Even better, they may have a need for our services and see if we might be able to help each other. It’s all about building relationships.

Customer Engagement

Using Facebook can be a great way for communicating promotions, contests, polls, events and to post discussion topics. It’s always more interesting for the customer to feel they’re getting a behind-the-scenes look as well. For social networks to be effective, every post shouldn’t just promote your business. If you’re constantly a megaphone for business, most people will  be reaching for their earplugs, and not building a relationship with you (the goal, I think…). Give your customer (or potential customer) useful information and share things you find interesting as well.

New Customer Acquisition

Facebook provides an opportunity to find consumers you may have not otherwise discovered. By joining other people who create a business page on Facebook, especially businesses that may be like yours, you’ll be in front of people looking to expand their network and could potentially need your services.

Reputation Management

When you create a business page on Facebook, it can be a useful tool for seeing what users are saying about you and your brand. Also your Facebook profile can now be indexed in search results and can provide another favorable listing in the organic search results of the engines. Remember if you have a FBML (Facebook Markup Language) tab on your page, anything in that window is also searchable (I know it’s kind of’ techie, but for those of you that know about those things…). Here is a tutorial that will show you how to use the static FBML App to create a custom tab.

Client Retention

When you create a business page on Facebook, it provides another opportunity to build a relationship with your customer. You can highlight projects you’re doing with them and successes they are experiencing. The beauty of networking includes cross-promotion where everyone benefits.

Access to the Social World

Aka the cool factor. You never know who is using Facebook. The perception that social media is “IN” and the fact that you are using it effectively could help influence their perception of your brand. Having said that, there are still some who are anti-Facebook so it could also affect the perception about your brand. I’d roll the dice. The fact remains is that Facebook continues to gain popularity and it is not going away anytime soon.

The Viral Effect

Social media takes word of mouth to a whole new level. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd… Facebook is attracting quite a crowd.

And Finally, Remember…

Facebook business pages are connected to individual profiles. So if the staff person who manages your FB page leaves, your page will go with them. I recommend creating a generic individual profile and connecting that to your business page.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. I’ve found that Facebook can drive significant traffic to your website as your fan base grows. And it gives you a totally independent way to interact with potential customers or supporters.

David Contois is a marketing consultant and graphic designer in San Diego. You can learn more about marketing your business, graphic design, web design and search engine optimization by subscribing to our RSS feed here. David can also be followed on Twitter @BSGrp or @dcontois and on Facebook.com/BluSkyeGroup.

I have always been passionate about the creative side of the business, but only recently about the “business side”. I always looked at quoting jobs, invoicing, marketing, planning, hiring, managing, recruiting and accounting as necessary evils. These were things that I needed to get through in order to design logos, websites, and whatever else I found interesting.

Now I’ve chosen to view the “business side” of my day as a creative project as well. The importance of planning is something I’ve always encouraged for my clients, but never made the time for myself. As weird as this now sounds to me reading it, I like financial projections. Ugh. I like planning for business and working strategically to make it happen. I like filling in the columns and making adjustments for the jobs that didn’t come through, looking through a creative lens to problem solve cash flow. Before, I would just stress and go to the gym (or maybe a martini, depending on my mood).

Now I’m able to balance project planning with marketing strategy for BluSkye Group. I’ve been able to build partnerships with a public relations professional, photographer and SEO strategist to build my business. In some cases it’s cost me money, and in others it’s cost me time (or both), but I’m able to now focus on my business with the same creative eye I’ve been trained to build an intuitive web site. And I really love it. What it has “cost” me is far outweighed by the relationships I’ve built and the expertise I’ve received.

I’m not sure why I’m writing this… more as a self-realization and maybe as a ray of hope for those out there that aren’t sure they can do it all, all the time. I’m still not there – I’m pretty good at some of the things most of the time lately. I’m still amazed how I can be dead set in my views on something, then open up unexpectedly and it’s a whole new world. Just when I feel comfortable relying on past decisions and my proven modus operandi, I’ll accept the things I cannot change and focus on the things I can. Voila. It seems so easy afterwards.

For me I guess the most important thing is having a sense of optimism, that things are going to work out one way or another. They may not work out exactly as I planned, but then I’ll figure out another way to tackle that challenge. Sometimes the most unexpected things give me the opportunity to grow out of necessity rather than thinking that’s what I want. I’m afraid of doing things differently sometimes, but when I accept I’m going to screw up now and then, life seems simpler. And then somehow I get it right more often as time goes on. When I let go of my fear of the unknown, I am more confident and feel better about myself.

For what that’s worth, I really love building a creative business and how it helps me grow as a designer, a marketer, and as an individual. I’m thankful I have some skills that other people find useful and I’m constantly amazed at how many other business owners are going through the same things as me. I’m not sure why I’m amazed. We’re not all that different – at least for today.

David Contois is a marketing consultant and graphic designer in San Diego. You can learn more about marketing your business, social media, print & web design by subscribing to our RSS feed here. David can also be followed on Twitter @BSGrp or @dcontois and on Facebook.com/BluSkyeGroup.

What are you going to get here you can’t get someplace else? Thoughts on what is cool about Twitter, how to Vespa your way around Twitterspace, and some mistakes I’ve (hopefully) learned from. Other than that, maybe you’ll see something you think is CRAZY, and you can comment.
You don’t have to read every tweet.

You don’t have to follow everyone that follows you.

Twitter may not be the best place for sarcasm. It’s tough to differentiate between good humor or kinda mean. Play nice.

It’s okay to unfollow someone. It’s not personal, there could be lots of reasons. And it could be personal.

Don’t just tweet links to your own company or website. It’s okay maybe 15% of the time IF you have something new or interesting to say, more than that is relentless dribble.

Use direct messages the same way as a web-based version of the text message. Some folks have been criticized for sending direct messages that say “thanks for following me” with a direct product pitch (I have to admit guilt here, but progress, not perfection.).

A complete bio and image are suggested for your Twitter account. People like to know who’s behind the keyboard.

Be yourself. It’s okay to and welcome to be different. Does it really matter whether you have 30 or 3,000 people following you if you’re getting what you need?

Follow anyone you like. I mostly follow people I want to meet for various reasons. Usually I like their perspective or the info they provide.

Be community-minded. Don’t just blurt out info or links, be SOCIAL (ie. social media).

If someone direct messages you and you find that you can’t message them back because he or she isn’t following you, a simple @reply stating, “I went to send you a direct message back but you’re not currently following me” is good manners.

Check your links before you tweet them (absolutely).

When retweeting, it’s okay to drop the secondary source and just retweet the original poster of the information. (RT @ceoSteveJobs First the iPhone was left in a bar and now the bars have left the iPhone. I hate irony. via @dcontois – you can drop “via @dcontois”).

Be personal. Twitter can humanize you in the eyes of your followers (who might want to do business with you in the future).

Be honest, interesting and unselfish. Contribute topics of interest to you by replying to tweets on that subject.

Spread out your tweets. I try to schedule mine (with Hoot Suite, but there are others) every hour or couple of hours throughout the day. There is nothing more annoying that rapid fire tweets. It’s a good way to get unfollowed.

Content, content, content. Interacting with other users is important, but I want to see your thoughts too.

Decide whether you’re separating personal from professional– and stick to it! I Try not to duplicate posts to both your personal and professional accounts, particularly if lots of your followers follow both. (that’s another one I’m still working on).

Be selective with who you follow, and who you allow to follow you back. There are SO MANY people out there tweeting, focus on the ones you really want to build relationships with.

Do not engage in conflict. Isn’t there enough out there already?

Agree? Disagree? Couldn’t care less? Love to hear anywho… thanks for reading.

David Contois is a marketing consultant and graphic designer in San Diego. You can learn more about marketing your business, social media, print & web design by subscribing to our RSS feed here. David can also be followed on Twitter @BSGrp or @dcontois and on Facebook.com/BluSkyeGroup.

Most of the nonprofits out there are doing great work, so what makes you stand out from the crowd? Positioning yourself with an intuitive, easy-to-use format lends credibility to your organization and educates the visitor. Your website lets them to learn more about you, assess your legitimacy and review your financial solvency. Designing nonprofit websites with fundraising as a focus gives visitors an opportunity to support your good work.

Many goals in designing nonprofit websites are distinctly different from other types of site. Here are some guidelines on critical elements you should include.

Home Page: Get Right to it!

Please don’t waste the visitor’s time with a page that shows heartwarming photos or clever uses of type. If you have a flash intro, get rid of it. Visitors don’t want to sit  through it every time they visit your site. Guide them directly to information that educates them to your mission and your purpose.

Put Your Mission Statement on Your Home Page

There should be a prominent spot for your mission statement on your home page. Assume your visitors have no knowledge of who you are or what you do. Hopefully, in your strategic planning you’ve crafted a succinct mission that communicates “who you are” easily.

“Donate Now” on Every Page

You want this to be prominent on every page. Your confidence as an organization will come across in your message and it’s natural thing to financially support organizations that you agree with. Think of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). They do telethons on a regular basis and let people know their work is made possible through the support of viewers. It’s no secret nonprofits thrive through financial support from a variety of sources. Don’t be shy – be proud of the work you do and excited to be an online cheerleader for your cause.

Some of the larger nonprofits have their own secure server to accept donations. More typical is to use a service like Network For Good, which for a nominal fee caters solely to nonprofits by providing a highly customizable option ($29/mo + 3% per transaction). Donors that may not be as comfortable with technology and financial transactions may feel more comfortable dealing with a fiscal agent that specializes in financial activities.

Make it Easy to Volunteer

Nonprofits appreciate donating human resources as well as dollars. Each nonprofit can use volunteers in different capacities and with different time commitments. Mama’s Kitchen uses over 600 volunteers a month to prepare and deliver meals to people with AIDS or cancer. A Reason To Survive needs art teachers regularly and folks for specific projects throughout the year. People really feel like their making a difference with a hands-on opportunity.

There’s More Than Cash (Really)

Designing nonprofit websites for fundraising includes more than cash. There are many ways to support an organization, including writing a check. There are in-kind gifts, where a donor can give a couch for your lobby or supplies for your programs. Car donations are a critical part of some organization’s revenue stream. Having a wish list on your site enables you to list all the supplies you can use (and won’t have to purchase).

Whatever the opportunity, make it a visible part of your website.

Make it Easy to Find the Financials

Annual reports, financial statement and recent 990s should be at the visitor’s fingertips. Financial transparency shows you stand behind how you use your donations and makes the organization accountable to its stockholders (donors).

These are just some of the things to highlight when designing a nonprofit website. Is there something else you can think of? What has your experience been? If you already have a site, how do you market it without a lot of cash investment? I’d love to hear your ideas… til next time.

David Contois is a marketing consultant and website designer in San Diego. You can learn more about marketing your business, social media, print & web design by subscribing to our RSS feed here. David can also be followed on Twitter @BSGrpor @dcontois and on Facebook.com/BluSkyeGroup.