Thursday, June 14, 2012

Digital Marketing and the non-profit world

As an individual that is new to the business world, rather more interested in non-profits and social enterprises, I find myself trying to blend the tactics/metrics of one with the limitations (financially) of the other. Advertising is not often an expenditure that non-profits can afford with their limited budgets and yet very necessary in a competitive world for funding and donations. Digital marketing provides a venue that can be very affordable for small enterprises and non-profits. I came across a blog and an interesting tool to help calculate the ROI on a social media campaign for a non-profit. Thought I would share it, if anyone is also interested in similar fields:

Blog is www.frogloop.com
and the ROI calculator is:
http://www.frogloop.com/social-network-calculator

1 comment:

Ilana Kievsky said...

Not-for profit organizations tend to have a VERY limited budget. Since social media reduces costs and human efforts, it has made CFOs' lives a bit easier. However, this has not been social media’s only benefit. Fundraising has become an endless as well as exhausting task for the development department. Today and as a consequence to the global economic crisis, people are a lot more concerned on what they spend their money. Therefore, NPOs have become more and more dependent on contributed income. And not surprisingly, contributed income has become more and more difficult to find. With so many NPOs racing for a decreasing amount of money, there is an urgent need to strategically define the target audience and become closer to them as possible. It is precisely social media what allows one to contact people 24-7, learn about them, know them, meet them, and eventually make them fall in love with your organization. People want to feel connected and included before they consider contributing big gifts. Therefore, social media becomes the perfect way to get not only noticed, but to engage potential donors with your mission. Facebook, twitter, blogs, Pinterest, among others, allow marketers to post updates, announcements, event information, and tell stories that may help convince audience what makes your organization special. As non-profits begin to engage their own communities in these online conversations, they are able to reach more people than ever before. Engaging with your community online is crucial! The more channels you use to communicate with your current (and potential) supporters, the greater your chances of converting them into donors, volunteers, and advocates.

Social Media for Nonprofits is the world’s only conference series dedicated to social media for social good and to date has earned a 92% approval rating from over 2,500 nonprofit leaders across the USA. The organization will hold a conference this current year during November. Sessions are designed to provide attendees with concrete insights and takeaways, showcasing best practices, pitfalls to avoid, and free, helpful resources for nonprofits and causes (www.socialmediafornonprofits.com).