The three signs of social media hysteria - and how to avoid them

According to a new report from Fenton on social media (download here after noon ET), there are several stages to what I would call social media hysteria.

Stage 1: Urgency.  As in, “Everyone’s doing it. We need to do be doing it. Set up a Facebook page. And start tweeting!”

Stage 2: Existential Handwringing.  As in, “Wait, what are we doing here? We’ve gotten some fans and followers but are we really attracting more donors and members this way?”

Stage 3: Disappointment.  As in, “This social media thing is a bust. It takes a ton of time and I’m not sure we’re getting enough out of it.”

Fortunately, this kind of angst is preventable by setting goals and measuring them in simple but meaningful ways.  Specifically, Fenton lays out an elegant framework:

“See” Metrics. These metrics track eyeballs or impressions.  They measure your exposure - though not necessarily your impact.

“Say” Metrics. These metrics are when people take your messages and repeat them verbatim across their networks.  This gives signs people may be more engaged with your cause.

“Feel” Metrics. These metrics track the degree to which people get involved with your message - they comment on your Facebook content or they react to your Tweets.

“Do” Metrics. These are the best - people donating, volunteering, signing a petition etc.  It’s where you want people to be!

For each metric, ask yourself:

Who is engaging?  What are they responding to?  What are they saying?  What does is mean?

This kind of questioning will lead to smarter reflection and better results.  Don’t wring your hands - just put on your thinking cap!

4 Things your supporters want

Too often, we forget the needs of our supporters in the pursuit of our own needs.  And when we do so, we end up with double paucity: our supporters get neglected and we attract fewer resources to our cause.

People are complex, but as I’ve said along with my friend Mark Rovner, they have at least four needs in common.  When you fulfill these needs, you are better able to meet your own.

1: To be SEEN and HEARD

So acknowledge them.  Making someone feel seen and heard is the most powerful thing any of us can do with online communications.  On the other hand, not listening is the root of most problems, personal (just ask your partner!) and professional (just ask your co-workers!).

2: To be CONNECTED to someone or something

People are sociable creatures, and giving is a social act.  Engage by connecting to what your audience (NOT YOU) wants to hear.

3: To be part of something GREATER THAN THEMSELVES

We need to lay out the grand vision of our cause.  We should show how together we can leave the world a better place.  That means a hopeful, inspiring message.

4: To have the security of TRUST

People are starved for a sense of trust.  Use an authentic messenger, show where the money goes and honor the trust others have put in your organization with their support.

Want loyal supporters?  It’s not about gimmicks.


Cartoon my Tom Fishburne, The Marketoonist.

• Be thankful.  It’s the most important and most neglected basic.

• Be clear.  Show where the money goes.  Consistently, over time.

• Be accessible.  Make sure supporters can find you when they need to.

It’s not about gimmicks.  You don’t need loyalty cards.  You simply need to behave in a way that inspires loyalty.

How should you think about mobile?  Here are some answers.

  • Fri, February 17 2012
  • Filed under: Mobile

As I mentioned recently, I’ve been working on free e-guide to mobile strategy in a partnership between Network for Good and Convio.  It is now available!  Download it here.

This guide walks you through the right questions to ask in considering mobile, the basics of a mobile strategy and tips on implementation.

Enjoy!
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The great power of making your audience part of your story

People crave connection.  And when you ask someone to support your cause, you are inviting one of the deepest connections possible.  You are giving people the ability to change lives, the gift of attachment to others and the benefit of being part of something bigger than themselves.

(If you don’t believe me, just check out these personal mini-stories about Generosity Day!)

One of the best ways to make this connection visible and powerful is to include your audience in your story. 

Here’s a great example of that principle in action from Neuromarketing’s Roger Dooley.  St. Bonaventure University uses Facebook Connect to render their online experience for prospective students deeply personal and highly connected.

Check out the site yourself here, but some of the fun ways they connect with prospective students include: creating a college ID with your photo, describing how far the college is from where you live, and referencing how it will be to transition from your exact high school.  You become part of the story—and a student in spirit.  Nicely done!

How can you bring your community into your story?  You should.  After all, we’re all part of the same big narrative of changing the world for the better.

Do you have a video?  Submit it for an award!

  • Wed, February 15 2012
  • Filed under: Video

Forget the Oscars, I love the DoGooder awards.

Now in its 6th year, the DoGooder Nonprofit video awards program is presented by See3 Communications and YouTube in association with Cisco and the Case Foundation. The awards are completely free to enter and open to any eligible nonprofit organization in the U.S., U.K, Canada and Australia that created video in 2011.  The submission phase goes until February 29th, after which the public will have a chance to vote for the winning videos.  (See3 is the wonderful agency that brought you the Generosity Day video!)
This year, winners have the chance to win one of four $3,500 prize donations along with great products worth an additional $3,500 provided by the Cisco, a free registration to next year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference provided by NTEN and a special prize to recognize fearless use of video provided the Case Foundation. And… drumroll…the winning videos will be announced at this year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference hosted by NTEN and featured on YouTube’s homepage on April 5th. (The YouTube part is sort of like having your nonprofit video seen during the Super Bowl - last year’s winners enjoyed over 1 MILLION new views after being featured here for just one day.)  For nonprofits, video is a great way to share your mission, messages and goals. The medium educates, communicates urgency and tells honest, human stories that move people to create change.

For more details, go here.

And that’s not all…. TechSoup also has an award program—their 2012 TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge.  Nonprofits can submit a one-minute video or five-photo slideshow to win award donations from TechSoup’s partners.  The deadline is February 29, so hurry.

Submit a one-minute video here.

Or five-photo slideshow here.

Or register for a free webinar on post-production (2/16) with David J. Neff of Lights. Camera. Help.

You are wonderful.  Happy Generosity Day!

  • Tue, February 14 2012
  • Filed under: Fun stuff

Please take a moment and check out today’s post.  (If you can’t see the videos, please click through to the post online.) There are some important things I have to say to you on the occasion of Generosity Day, when we all do good indiscriminately.

First, you are amazing for devoting a big part of your life to a good cause.  Here’s a video from the team at Network for Good (created by Laura and Allison) thanking you for your work.

Thank you!

And thanks to Sasha for inspiring this all in the first place.

My eight-year-old daughter showed me how Generosity Day is done by spending the past week writing a handmade note to each of her classmates highlighting something special about them.  Here’s what she wrote to a classmate and teacher.

Today should be all about love, as our friends at Jubilee remind us.

 

This Valentine’s Day, thank your supporters, be kind to those who confound you and love everyone you can.  Make it Generosity Day!

And please share what you do here. 

Is your organization bright, bold and visually salient?

Dan Ariely of Predictably Irrational fame had an interesting recent post on Tropicana’s marketing debacle.

Remember that?


Photo from businessblunder.com

This redesign cost Tropicana a 19% plunge ($33 million) in sales in two months.  The company trashed the new look.

Dan Ariely points out that the initial explanation for the consumer revolt was the emotional bond that consumers had with the old packaging.  But further investigation revealed something more: The change made it harder to spot Tropicana on a store shelf or to differentiate it from other brands.  He wonders, “Is it plausible that simple visual features of choice options, such as a package’s color or brightness, influence consumers’ choices?”

According to a group of vision scientists, the answer is yes.  In a study, they found:

When consumers chose between items they prefer (such as a Snickers bar) and visually enhanced, i.e., brighter, but less preferred options (such as Sour Skittles), a significant portion of their choices was biased toward choosing the brighter, less liked, item. This visual saliency bias, or bias toward brighter-colored items, was even stronger when consumers made choices while being engaged in another cognitively demanding task, akin to talking on a cellphone while shopping in a grocery store.  Finally, the bias toward visually brighter items was especially strong when consumers did not have a strong preference for one item over another (i.e., choosing between Snickers and KitKat bars, which consumers stated they like almost equally).  The latter two variations of the experiment is highly representative of today’s competitive market place and consumers’ tendency to multitask.

So what do Skittles and OJ have to do with us?

I wonder if there is a lesson here.  While these studies are focused on bright colors as influencing impulse buying, I do think the concept of visual salience has broader application. Just as simple, easy to read type can make people more friendly to your words, I think bold, recognizable colors may help make people pay attention to you.  It’s at least worth a test. When you’re promoting your cause in a crowded, noisy space like on a bulletin board, at an event or side-by-side with other organizations online, try to visually stand out.  Ask, are you catching the eye?  How’s your visual salience?  I think it helps - and there’s a reason the cover of my book is bright orange and yellow:)

And for more on the topic, here’s an infographic via Karen Zapp with more on the influence of color.

Video: My thoughts on the art of in-house persuasion

I recently had the privilege of speaking with Susan Herr and the Communications Network about the art of in-house persuasion.  Susan summarizes the essence of this issue eloquently here. 

And here’s the interview.  (As as aside, I confess to some monkey and genius tendencies on my worst days.)  Fortunately, I’m surrounded by colleagues who do excellent in-house persuasion and collaboration.

Katya Andresen on the Art of In-House Persuasion from Communications Network on Vimeo.

Please take this Valentine’s Day pledge

  • Thu, February 09 2012
  • Filed under: Fun stuff

This February 14, let’s re-boot Valentine’s Day for good. 

(Thanks to the video wizards at See3 for generously contributing this video to the movement!)

Instead of forging V-Day connections with one person via chocolate, candlelight and a card, let’s forge G-Day connections with as many people as possible – including complete strangers – by saying YES on February 14th to every opportunity to be nice, help out, or delight with generosity.  It might mean tipping 100%.  Or telling a colleague how much you appreciate them and agreeing to that long-delayed lunch.  Or saying yes to that nonprofit canvasser on the sidewalk. 

Please pledge to participate here.  On this site, individuals and nonprofits can post how they are celebrating G-Day.  (It’s also a nice way to share your good work with a big audience, hint, hint.  Talk about your organization’s generous actions!) 

Thanks in advance for saying YES.

How to make a magnificent mini-impression

People decide very quickly whether something appeals to them - usually in a matter of seconds.  If you work in communications, marketing or fundraising, it’s wise to remember to focus on that mini-impression formed in the first few instants of engagement.

You can be sure the Super Bowl advertisers knew that - heck, they were spending $116,667 a second to make a good impression.  They didn’t always do a good job, but there is a lot to learn from their successes and failures.

In the Harvard Business Review blog this week, Ron Ashkenas shares reflections on the three things needed for the best possible mini-impression, drawing on lessons from the Super Bowl.  He says to think about your favorite commercial and three things that might have made it great.  Did it:

1. Capture attention. Which part of that commercial stays with you? What technique did the advertiser use to draw you in?

2. Convey a clear message. Consider the key message for the target audience. What did the company try to convey, and how did the advertiser use that to connect with viewers? How did they frame the message to make this point?

3. Differentiate.  Think about what distinguishes your advertiser from the rest. How did the company use the commercial to portray its unique brand?

Now think about how this applies to your work.  What attention-grabbing technique can you incorporate into your next important conversation?  How can you ensure your audience walks away with your most critical takeaway? Are you making clear what sets you apart from others?

Good advice.  You don’t have to have an insanely large marketing budget to master the mini-impression - you just need to remember these basics.  In fact, if you have a small budget, these tenets are even more critical.  You want to leave a big impression right away, every time you get the chance.

 

Two things it’s easy to forget with social media

In the reactive, fast-moving, turbulent world of social media, it’s easy to be swept up with a sense of false urgency.  Yet two of the most valuable things you can do involve slowing down:

1. Pausing to think.  Before you run off to spend time on a channel, you want to figure out WHO you’re trying to reach online, WHERE they are, and HOW to best communicate with them.  A little intentionality now saves oodles of lost time later. 

2 Stopping to listen.  Really listen.  It’s so tempting to fire off a response or jump into a conversation.  But before you do, pay close attention to what’s being said and the emotional tenor involved.  Acknowledge it, respect it and then join the conversation.  You can learn far more in consciously listening to your constituency than you ever will in reading the pronouncements of gurus.  We must see and hear others with the same energy we exert on seeking recognition of ourselves. 

When it comes to connection, which social media is all about, we need the ears and eyes of others paired with our own to be complete. 

Venn Heaven: How to map your champions online

Tom Webster of BrandSavant Blog had a fascinating post this past week on the overlap - or lack thereof - of 1) your base of supporters and 2) social media mavens.  It’s important you understand how much overlap you have, so you know how to use social media effectively to build your brand.

He drew a series of Venn Diagrams, which I am showing here:

So which is ideal?

The first looks good, because you have some overlap between supporters and social media champions.  That overlapping area is a great start to a core of online enthusiasts - and it can grow as that group reaches out to their circles of influence.

The second is obviously bad, because you almost no overlap between people who love you and people who spread messages.  And if you pay attention on social media only to the people who are talking about your issue but aren’t supporters, you’ll alienate your base because the two aren’t intersecting.

The third one is interesting.  It looks great until you think about it as an echo chamber.  You just have the same champions zealously supporting your cause to each other, over and over, online.  That’s no way to grow a community.  Also, if you keep catering to this group, more and more narrowly, you’ll end up with a shrinking echo chamber, pleasing a more and more select group of people.

The trick, as Tom points out, is knowing which Venn diagram you have so you know where you have problems and where you have opportunities.  That’s the hard part.  You have to listen and engage very carefully to gain this understanding.  As he notes:

Two of these Venn diagrams could kill your business – if you make decisions based upon social data and don’t know what your diagram looks like. Luckily for you, it isn’t rocket science to draw your brand’s diagram – if you do the work. This is the kind of work I do for clients every day, but the most important thing you can do to determine these things about your customers is simply to ask them. Only when you calibrate your social data mining with other online or offline research can you know the nature of your two circles. Figuring out the size of these circles – and the extent to which they overlap – is the key to making social media data useful.

Ask you donors and champions if they are online and where - and see how they react to opportunities to spread the word online.  Do a little homework so you know where to focus your efforts.

I recommend reading and subscribing to BrandSavant for more on how to draw a picture of your online brand - and how to act accordingly.

It’s good advice.

Jobs at Network for Good

  • Fri, February 03 2012
  • Filed under: Personal

Network for Good, where I work, is hiring.  Among the positions is a business development position for those interested in cultivating corporate cause partnerships.  Next week, we’ll be posting an additional position in marketing.

Check out our job listings here.

Brick wall redux: Practical tips for leading change

Today, I finished reading John Kotter’s book, A Sense of Urgency*.  It’s full of good advice on how to spark a burning desire for your agenda.  If you are frustrated, you should buy this book and read it right away.

What I learned was complacency and “false urgency” are the biggest barriers to getting things done.  Complacency is comfort with the status quo, generated by past success or perceived success.  False urgency by contrast comes from failure.  It’s essentially unproductive panic and activity.

True urgency, on the other hand, is a very good thing.  It is the visceral, highly motivated urge to do something important, day in and day out.

So how do you create that?

The single most important thing you can do is to appeal to the heart not just the head of your colleagues.  (This reminds me of the elephant in Switch.)  As Kotter says, “Excellent information, by itself, with the best data and logic, can win over minds and thoughts but rarely increases needed urgency… A logical case that is part of a heart-engaging experience can win over hearts and minds and increase needed urgency.”

He then told the story of a corporation spending months on strategy and consultants and committees to make his point in terms both vivid and scary.

He offers four key tactics.  Here they are with my commentary:

1. Bring the outside in: Don’t just navel gaze!  Reconnect internal reality with external opportunities and risks.  Bring in emotionally compelling data, people, videos, sites and sounds.  Put front and center stories of your customers, competitors, donors and beneficiaries.  Send out scouts to experience front-line, real world circumstances.

2. Behave with urgency every day: Don’t be content - or anxious.  Show the real sense of urgency - fire in the belly for a worthy and clear aim.  Free up time in your day to think straight - because clutter and fatigue undermine urgency.

3. Find opportunity in crisis: Handled right and with caution, a crisis can destroy complacency and inspire sound action.  But remember: Crises alone don’t create urgency - in fact, they can create paralysis.  And manufactured crises create resentment.  If you have a crisis, use it as a rallying point.  If you don’t have one, don’t stand around waiting for one!  Create urgency through other means.

4. Deal with the Nonos: Remove or neutralize those who are complacent or creating destructive, false urgency.  The NoNo is ready with ten reasons why the current situation is fine, why your problems don’t exist or why you need more data before you do anything.  A skeptic is fine - even good.  But NoNos aren’t about healthy questioning.  They’re about automatically shooting down change.  Kotter says not to bother co-opting a NoNo - it won’t work.  Nor will ignoring them, because they are good at creating mischief, not to mention organizational civil war.  So what do you do?  He offers three options:

NoNo Option A: Distraction.  Send the NoNo on a special assignment suited to her skills or give them lots of other work.  Or get them riled up about something else.
NoNo Option B: Removal.  Fire the NoNo.
NoNo Option C: Immobilization.  Kotter says “lightweight” NoNos can be exposed in public and social pressures can be used to neutralize their behavior.  But calling out someone only works if they aren’t powerful or hard core.

Of course, if you do all of this, you will be successful - and generate a new round of complacency, Kotter points out.  So you have to keep working the tactics, again and again.  Urgency is needed all along the way.  Sigh.  The work of a change agent is never done, my friends!

A Sense of Urgency by John P. Kotter - Free videos are just a click away

*Hat tip to birthday girl Jocelyn Harmon for giving me a copy of this excellent book!

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