101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits E-Book

Melanie Mathos

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 284

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

The ultimate social media field guide for nonprofits--with 101 ways to engage supporters, share your mission, and inspire action using the social web 101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits features 101 actionable tactics that nonprofits can start using today, and most of the featured resources are free. Broken down into five key areas, this unique guide explains the steps and tools needed to implement each tactic, and provides many real-life examples of how nonprofits are using the tactics. With this book as your guide, you'll learn how leading nonprofit professionals around the world are leveraging social media to engage constituents, communicate their cause, and deliver on their mission. * Presents immediately useful ideas for relevant impact on your organization's social presence so you can engage with supporters in new and inventive ways * Features 101 beginner to intermediate-level tactics with real-life examples * Offers a workable format to help nonprofits discover new ways of deploying their strategy * Includes nonprofit social media influencers from leading nonprofits around the world including National Wildlife Federation, March of Dimes, and The Humane Society Nonprofits know they need to start engaging with supporters through social media channels. This field guide to social media tactics for nonprofits will feature 101 beginner to intermediate-level tactics with real-life examples to help nonprofits discover new ways of deploying their strategy and meeting their social media objectives.

Leseprobe

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: Setup

1. Claim Your User Name on Facebook

2. Brand Your YouTube Channel

3. Claim Your Venue on foursquare

4. Create a Branded foursquare Page

5. Create a Custom Twitter Background

6. Brand Your Facebook Page

7. Add Multiple Administrators to Your Facebook Page

8. Set and Display Rules for Your Facebook Community

9. Allow Supporters to Post Content on Your Facebook Page

10. Monitor Facebook Page Activity with Alerts

11. Use Commenting Tools that Authenticate with Social Accounts

12. Add a Facebook Like Button to Your Web Site or Blog

13. Add a Twitter Follow Button to Your Site

14. Include the ShareThis Sharing Button

15. Create a Flickr Pro Account

16. Publish Photos Under a Creative Commons License

17. Submit Your Photos to Flickr Groups

Chapter 2: Communicate

18. Use Collaboration Tools to Manage Twitter Accounts

19. Create Twitter Lists

20. Display Names of Staff Contributing to Twitter and Facebook

21. Connect with the Top Tweeters in Your Area

22. Monitor Local Twitter Activity Using Hashtags

23. Make Your Tweets Retweetable

24. Sign up for Tweets for Good

25. Recruit New Staff and Volunteers

26. Start, Join, and Organize Conversations with Hashtags

27. Promote an Event or Campaign with a Hashtag

28. Contribute to Mission-Related Twitter Hashtags

29. Use TwitPic to Share Photos and Videos

30. Display RSS Feeds on Your Web Site

31. Display Live Twitter Content on Your Web Site and Blog

32. Feed Your Blog to Twitter and Facebook

33. Use Facebook Social Plug-ins on Your Site

34. Add Events to Your Facebook Page

35. Integrate Other Social Channels with Facebook

36. Include Social Channels in Contact Information

37. Integrate Supporter Photos with Other Channels

38. Submit Content to Social News and Bookmarking Sites

39. Create a Wikipedia Entry

40. Create a Social Media Newspaper

41. Make a Buzzworthy Video

42. Participate in a Video Contest

43. Livestream Your Events

44. Provide Instant Access to Content with QR Codes

45. Share Presentations and Documents Online

Chapter 3: Engage

46. Create a Facebook Welcome Tab

47. Encourage Action with Facebook Custom Tab

48. Encourage Supporters to Share Facebook Content

49. Launch a Like Campaign

50. Use Facebook as Your Organization’s Page

51. Ask Your Facebook Fans a Question

52. Get Creative with Avatars

53. Add a Tweet Button to Your Web Site or Blog

54. Empower Supporters to Take Social Action

55. Build Real Relationships with Social Communication

56. Ask Influencers to Share Your News

57. Engage the Blogging Community

58. Broadcast the Backchannel Buzz at Your Event

59. Organize a Twitter Chat with a Hashtag

60. Organize a Tweetup

61. Reward Your Supporters for Checking In

62. Add Mission-Related Tips on foursquare

63. Create a Custom Badge on foursquare

64. Participate in Giving Contests [with Caution]

65. Launch a Social Contest on Facebook

66. Build Stewardship Through Video

67. Ask Supporters to Share Photos or Videos

68. Hold a Video Response Contest

69. Create a Flickr Group to Support Your Mission

70. Hold a Photo Contest

71. Create a Photo Petition

72. Organize a Petition on Twitter

73. Socialize Your Internal Communications

74. Treat Your Social Networks Like V.l.P.s

75. Create Your Own Online Community

Chapter 4: Fundraise

76. Raise Money with Causes

77. Encourage Supporters to Make a Wish

78. Create a Facebook Donation Tab

79. Hold a Tweetathon

80. Launch a Sponsored Tweet Campaign

81. Organize a Fundraising Campaign through Twitter

82. Increase Conversions with Video Overlays

83. Use Video Annotations as Calls to Action

84. Enable Social Giving with Peer Fundraising Tools

85. Launch a Check In for Charity Campaign

86. Participate in Social Buying Platforms

87. Submit Your Organization to be Featured on Philanthroper

88. Ask Supporters to Pledge Social Actions

89. Participate in Social Gaming

90. Take your Fundraising Events to an Alternate Reality

Chapter 5: Measure

91. Analyze Facebook Activity with Insights

92. Understand Your YouTube Audience

93. Track Referrals from Social Sites

94. Measure New Visitors from Social Channels

95. Track Link Performance with Short URLs

96. Monitor Your Organization’s Name on Twitter

97. Measure the Reach of Your Tweets

98. Calculate Your Twitter Influence

99. Create a Social Media Listening Dashboard

100. Use Social Media Monitoring Applications

101. Get a Strategy

About the Authors

Index

Copyright © 2012 by Melanie Mathos and Chad Norman. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Mathos, Melanie, 1979-

101 social media tactics for nonprofits : a field guide / Melanie Mathos, Chad Norman.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-118-10624-2 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-21887-7 (ebk);

ISBN 978-1-118-21888-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-21889-1 (ebk);

1. Social media. 2. Nonprofit organizations. I. Norman, Chad, 1973- II. Title. III. Title: One hundred and one social media tactics for nonprofits.

HM742.M37 2012

302.23—dc23

2011039739

We dedicate this book to all the do-gooders out there—the nonprofit professionals who are taking risks, following their hearts, and coming up with some of the most unique, inspiring, and authentic social media communications anywhere.

Foreword

I have spent the last 32 years working in, for, and with nonprofit organizations. Most of that time has been spent helping nonprofits think about strategy as well as the mindset changes and skills required to embrace new online technologies to support their mission-driven work. As I witnessed the birth of the World Wide Web in 1992 and later Web 2.0, nonprofits often face challenges adopting new tools because it requires taking the time to acquire and internalize new skills.

When I started blogging in 2003, blogs and nonprofit social media use were only in their infancy and nonprofit leaders typically viewed them with a high degree of skepticism about their value. This was one of the main reasons I wrote the book The Networked Nonprofit with Alison Fine because I wanted to help the millions of staff people and board members of nonprofit organizations, get over the fear of change and make their way into this new, social world.

The Networked Nonprofit was aimed at helping nonprofit leaders take those first steps to be successful managing social change today in an age of connectedness and to pave the way for organizational adoption. It walked nonprofit leaders through the process of transitioning their thinking and orientation from managing organizations to participating in and managing social networks. But that is only halfway down the path to successful outcomes.

In my role as Visiting Scholar at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation where I am studying the interaction of social media, networks, and nonprofits, I have the honor of working with scores of nonprofits who no longer question whether or not to embrace social media and online networks, but how to do it effectively.

My capacity building, coaching, and training work with nonprofits uses a “Ready, Set, Go” framework. The “Ready and Set” involves identifying who they want to reach, articulating clear and measurable results, and an integrated communications strategy. The “Go” is the implementation where I provide coaching and time-saving tips—much like the nuggets provided in this book. Putting a new way of working into practice can be difficult, but having practical, time-saving tips can make all the difference in the world.

I know how difficult it is to make the leap into effective practice with a new technology tool. In 1992, the New York Foundation for the Arts hired me to serve as the network weaver for ArtsWire, an online network of arts organizations and artists. ArtsWire was an online community that allowed both artists and arts administrators to use the Internet to connect with one another, but also learn how to use online communications technology to support their missions.

As the Internet became more mainstreamed, my job changed dramatically—from providing ongoing technical support in using the online community platform to providing training in strategic online technology plans. As the World Wide Web opened up the possibility for any nonprofit to have a web presence and use e-mail instead of fax machines, I was also responsible for designing and delivering trainings to nonprofits on these topics. I taught hundreds of workshops to thousands of arts organizations to help them establish their very first web site, use e-mail to connect with supporters, take the first foray into online fundraising, or how to use search to find information online.

When I started the work, I didn’t know a modem from a microwave. While I was lucky enough to be given a front row seat in the creation of a new field for nonprofits—using the Internet to increase the impact of their work, I was not a natural-born techie. I had the passion to learn, but when I taught myself I would often fail and it would result in hours of wasted time. What helped me was working side by side with a small group of Internet geeks who generously and patiently showed me all the shortcuts and shared tips that helped me be more effective helping nonprofits to embrace the Internet.

This book, 101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits, is like having two very tolerant and technologically savvy friends sit down with you and share their wisdom and experience about social media tactics. Melanie Mathos and Chad Norman have patiently and generously shared their best time-saving tips to help your nonprofit get to the “go” of using social media channels quickly and successfully.

Beth Kanter

Author, Beth’s Blog (www.bethkanter.org)

Co-Author, The Networked Nonprofit

Acknowledgments

I want to thank my husband, parents, sister, and all of my family for their unwavering support of all that I do. Dating all the way back to third grade when my parents let me take computer programming classes for fun, to my sophomore year in college when my mom subtly suggested that I may want to declare a major at some point (which turned out to be journalism), they helped me become me.

I also want send a special thanks out to my writing/geek muses: my Aunt Janice J. Apostolou, a poet and shining light; my husband, Gary Mathos, who makes sure I hear about the latest tech news and am in on the beta; my friend and the co-author of this book, Chad Norman, who conquers fun projects like this with me and helps me explore my inner geek; and all of the many people with whom I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering. Most of all, I am eternally grateful to my sweet daughter Elyse, who was such a good baby during many, many phone interviews.

Melanie Mathos

They say the nerd doesn’t fall far from the tree, so I first want to thank my parents for teaching me to love tech. They encouraged me to creatively explore technology through programming, photography, and publishing—they loved it when I made stuff. Then there’s my best friend and wife Jennifer, who has always led me out into the waves. I couldn’t have finished this project without her daily support, encouragement, and inspiration. But I’m most thankful for my greatest creations of all time, Cooper, Graham, and Zoe, who keep me motivated to not only do good, but to do it all.

I also ned to give a shout out to Mary Colson, George Huffman, Kevin Swan, Raymond Minnis, and Steve MacLaughlin for putting me on the right path at the right time. And a million thanks to my friend and co-author Melanie Mathos. I’m glad our lives will forever be linked by our nptech geekery and willingness to take on insane challenges like writing this book.

Chad Norman

Introduction

There are a lot of books about social media strategy—this isn’t one of them! 101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits features 101 actionable tactics that anyone managing or supporting a social media program for nonprofits can start using today—and most of the featured resources are free.

First, before you go any further, we’re assuming you have a social media strategy in place . . . right? Experimenting with social media is fun and exciting (and can be a great way to kill some time), but it’s key to start with a well thought-out plan that supports your organization’s overall marketing, communications—and yes—even your fundraising strategy. (We know, we know, it’s hard to imagine a day when development and marketing actually work together, but it is happening right now as we speak at some of the nation’s most successful nonprofits!)

So where do the tactics fit in? Borrowing from the POST method (a systematic approach to social strategy from Groundswell authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff),1 in its most simple form, a social strategy should consist of a four- step approach:

1. People—Where are your constituents engaging and how can you best reach them?

2. Objectives—What do you want to accomplish?

3. Strategy—What do you want things to look like when you’re done?

4. Technology—How are you going to get there?

Tactics fit in nicely with technology—and that’s where we are fast-forwarding to with 101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits. If you haven’t conquered the first three steps, don’t cheat! Find your people, determine your objectives, and create your strategy, and then when you are ready to dive in, pick up your trusty field guide, and get to work.

Using This Book

Each of the 101 tactics are numbered and broken down into five key areas: Setup, Communicate, Engage, Fundraise, and Measure. Each tactic will explain the steps and tools needed to implement it, and many are accompanied by a real-life example of a nonprofit using the tactic. You’ll read how leading nonprofit professionals around the world are leveraging social media to engage constituents, communicate their causes, and deliver on their missions.

If you have a strategy in place, you can use the Tactic Checklist to find social media ideas that meet your goals. It’s like a formula—pick a desired outcome then choose the tactics needed to make it happen. The numbers make it easy to flip through this field guide and find the tactics you need. Here are three examples of strategic outcomes and the tactics that can help make them a reality:

Connect with your local community: 3, 4, 21, 22, 25, 60, 61, and 86Raise more money for your organization: 77 through 90Increase traffic to your organization’s web site: 11, 14, 23, 26, 28, 32, 38, 44, 48, 93, and 94

These groups of tactics will form the framework of your plan, giving you a method to your social media madness. Read about each tactic you have identified, decide if it will help you meet your goals, and get started.

As you work your way through the field guide, you too will be able to make an immediate impact on your organization’s social presence and engage with supporters in new and inventive ways. Pretty soon, you’ll be a social media guide, serving as a mentor to up-and-coming social-medialites!

The learning never stops. Visit our web site, 101socialmediatactics.com for online resources and additional tactics.

Tactic Checklist

Setup

1. Claim Your User Name on Facebook

2. Brand Your YouTube Channel

3. Claim Your Venue on foursquare

4. Create a Branded foursquare Page

5. Create a Custom Twitter Background

6. Brand Your Facebook Page

7. Add Multiple Administrators to Your Facebook Page

8. Set and Display Rules for Your Facebook Community

9. Allow Supporters to Post Content on Your Facebook Page

10. Monitor Facebook Page Activity with Alerts

11. Use Commenting Tools that Authenticate with Social Accounts

12. Add a Facebook Like Button to Your Web Site or Blog

13. Add a Twitter Follow Button to Your Site

14. Include the ShareThis Sharing Button

15. Create a Flickr Pro Account

16. Publish Photos Under a Creative Commons License

17. Submit Your Photos to Flickr Groups

Communicate

18. Use Collaboration Tools to Manage Twitter Accounts

19. Create Twitter Lists

20. Display Names of Staff Contributing to Twitter and Facebook

21. Connect with the Top Tweeters in Your Area

22. Monitor Local Twitter Activity Using Hashtags

23. Make Your Tweets Retweetable

24. Sign up for Tweets for Good

25. Recruit New Staff and Volunteers

26. Start, Join, and Organize Conversations with Hashtags

27. Promote an Event or Campaign with a Hashtag

28. Contribute to Mission-Related Hashtags

29. Use TwitPic to Share Photos and Videos

30. Display RSS Feeds on Your Web Site

31. Display Live Twitter Content on Your Web Site and Blog

32. Feed Your Blog to Twitter and Facebook

33. Use Facebook Social Plugins on Your Site

34. Add Events to Your Facebook Page

35. Integrate Other Social Channels with Facebook

36. Include Social Channels in Contact Information

37. Integrate Supporter Photos with Other Channels

38. Submit Content to Social News and Bookmarking Sites

39. Create a Wikipedia Entry

40. Create a Social Media Newspaper

41. Make a Buzzworthy Video

42. Participate in a Video Contest

43. Livestream Your Events

44. Provide Instant Access to Content with QR Codes

45. Share Presentations and Documents Online

Engage

46. Create a Facebook Welcome Tab

47. Encourage Action with Facebook Custom Tab

48. Encourage Supporters to Share Facebook Content

49. Launch a Like Campaign

50. Use Facebook as Your Organization’s Page

51. Ask Your Facebook Fans a Question

52. Get Creative with Avatars

53. Add a Tweet Button to Your Web Site or Blog

54. Empower Supporters to Take Social Action

55. Build Real Relationships with Social Communication

56. Ask Influencers to Share Your News

57. Engage the Blogging Community

58. Broadcast the Backchannel Buzz at Your Event

59. Organize a Twitter Chat with a Hashtag

60. Organize a Tweetup

61. Reward Your Supporters for Checking In

62. Add Mission-Related Tips on foursquare

63. Create a Custom Badge on foursquare

64. Participate in Giving Contests [with Caution]

65. Launch a Social Contest on Facebook

66. Build Stewardship Through Video

67. Ask Supporters to Share Photos or Videos

68. Hold a Video Response Contest

69. Create a Flickr Group to Support Your Mission

70. Hold a Photo Contest

71. Create a Photo Petition

72. Organize a Petition on Twitter

73. Socialize Your Internal Communications

74. Treat Your Social Networks Like V.I.P.s

75. Create Your Own Online Community

Fundraise

76. Raise Money with Causes

77. Encourage Supporters to Make a Wish

78. Create a Facebook Donation Tab

79. Hold a Tweetathon

80. Launch a Sponsored Tweet Campaign

81. Organize a Fundraising Campaign through Twitter

82. Increase Conversions with Video Overlays

83. Use Video Annotations as Calls to Action

84. Enable Social Giving with Peer Fundraising Tools

85. Launch a Check In for Charity Campaign

86. Participate in Social Buying Platforms

87. Submit Your Organization to be Featured on Philanthroper

88. Ask Supporters to Pledge Social Actions

89. Participate in Social Gaming

90. Take your Fundraising Events to an Alternate Reality

Measure

91. Analyze Facebook Activity with Insights

92. Understand Your YouTube Audience

93. Track Referrals from Social Sites

94. Measure New Visitors from Social Channels

95. Track Link Performance with Short URLs

96. Monitor Your Organization’s Name on Twitter

97. Measure the Reach of Your Tweets

98. Calculate Your Twitter Influence

99. Create a Social Media Listening Dashboard

100. Use Social Media Monitoring Applications

101. Get a Strategy

1Josh Bernoff, “The POST Method: A Systematic approach to social strategy,” December 11, 2007, http://forrester.typepad.com/groundswell/2007/12/the-post-method.html.

CHAPTER 1

Setup

The beginning of every social media journey is an exciting time, whether you’ve been tasked with creating a program from scratch or adding a new twist to an existing one. The low barrier to entry of social platforms means nonprofits can begin engaging their supporters right away, so making sure things are in order from the start can make a big difference.

Before you take your organization and supporters on this journey, it’s important to get things set up properly. In a perfect world, you’ll already have a strategy in place, a social media policy rolled out to your staff, and all of your accounts created and beautifully branded. Since that isn’t always the case, it’s always a good idea to look at how other nonprofits have setup their programs.

Tactics like branding your Twitter page, setting up your Facebook uniform resource locator (URL), integrating social media into your web site, and other topics covered in this chapter will ensure a better social experience for your supporters and make life easier for your organization. Think of these setup tasks as the first few steps on the journey—steps you need to take in order to reach your final destination.

Even if you’ve already started the journey, it’s always a good idea to look back, review, and refine the social experience you’re providing. Sometimes a nonprofit will start a social program simply because someone told them they needed to, and this can lead to wrong turns. This chapter will help you stay on track and get the most out of your social media efforts.

Are you ready to begin? Let’s go. . .

Claim Your User Name on Facebook

Creating a unique user name allows you to promote your Facebook presence via a short URL. Instead of saying “find us on Facebook,” you can provide potential supporters with a link that leads them directly to your page. This comes in especially handy in conversations and print marketing materials. With the ever-expanding world of Facebook, be sure to grab your unique URL as soon as possible, before someone else does!

What You Need

A Facebook page with at least 25 likes

How to Do It

1. Visit facebook.com/username.

2. From the interface, choose which page you would like to select a user name for.

3. If your desired name is not available, try and try again—maybe an acronym will work instead!

A Closer Look

Things you should know about Facebook user names:

Make it easy to remember. Think clear, descriptive, and simple when selecting your user name. If you have a Twitter account, you should consider using the same handle. If your organization’s name is long, you may want to use an acronym (if it is easily recognizable.) Generic words like “flowers” or “pizza” are not available for use at this time.Make sure you are 100 percent positive that the name you choose is the name you want forever before you click “Confirm.” Changing your Facebook user name once submitted is not an option, even if you misspelled it.Usernames are not transferable. This is a good thing! It protects Facebook from the creation of fake accounts and protects users from “squatters” who are merely setting up an account to claim a name and retain it for future use or sale.Facebook has a process for protecting intellectual property rights. If you go to select your user name and it is already taken, the only protection you have is if you are the legal trademark owner for the term. Facebook offers a user-name intellectual property-infringement form that you must fill out to reclaim your name.

Brand Your YouTube Channel

If your nonprofit is using YouTube to host videos and engage supporters, taking the time to brand your organization’s channel should be part of the plan. You may be posting your videos on Facebook or your blog, but people will still be visiting your YouTube channel. That’s why it’s so important to have your organization’s brand well represented. YouTube offers additional branding options through its Nonprofit Program that can turn your channel into a great destination.

What You Need

A YouTube account, a YouTube Nonprofit Program membership, and someone to design your graphics

How to Do It

1. Create a YouTube account for your organization if you haven’t already done so.

2. Apply for YouTube’s Nonprofit Program by visiting www.youtube.com/nonprofits, and pressing the “Apply” button.

3. Determine the overall look and feel of your YouTube channel, including incorporating your organization’s branding, colors, and so on.

4. Design the header, avatar, and background.

5. Go to “Channel Design” and change the colors and modules you want to use on your channel.

6. Access the “Branding Options” section of your channel and upload your icons and banners.

A Closer Look

A well-branded YouTube channel can be an important social media outpost for your organization, so take the opportunity to make it look as professional as possible. The YouTube Nonprofit Program provides many benefits, several of which involve branding and design.

Once your YouTube channel has been accepted into the Nonprofit Program, you can begin customizing your channel. YouTube’s Channel Design section will help you set the colors and styles of your channel, which should match your organization’s web site and branding standards as closely as possible. You can then upload custom icons, backgrounds, and banners to complete the design.

Because there are so many ways you can customize your YouTube channel, be sure to look around at what other nonprofits have done. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Here are four nonprofits that have well-branded YouTube channels that you should check out:

United Way Worldwide has a really solid, great-looking channel. It features a header linking to its web site, perfectly matched styles, and a great youth-focused background image. www.youtube.com/unitedwaypsasBoys and Girls Clubs of America takes a simple approach with its channel, featuring a design that matches its web site. A current campaign is featured in the header, which is a great way to encourage supporters to take action. www.youtube.com/bgcastaffThe Nature Conservancy has a well-branded header on its channel, which also contains two HTML buttons called “How You Can Help” and “About Us.” A Google Checkout donation option is also included near the bottom of the channel, which is another great benefit of YouTube’s Nonprofit Program. www.youtube.com/natureconservancyAmerica Jewish World Service has done a great job combining a custom header with the background graphic to create a seamless design. The organization also uses a second banner in the left column to drive traffic back to its web site. www.youtube.com/ajwstv

In the end, you just need to strike a balance between being creative and professional. And while creating a great-looking channel is important, don’t overlook producing compelling videos that people actually want to watch (see Tactic 41).

Claim Your Venue on foursquare

Claiming your venue on foursquare is easy to do, and the reason for doing it is just as simple—to become the “manager” of the venue. Once you claim your venue, foursquare offers organizations a free set of tools to help attract and retain supporters. By becoming the manager, you will be able to edit venue information, including name and address, and will also have access to analytics and offer specials. The approval process generally takes 7 to 10 days and is relatively painless. (If you don’t have a physical location, see Tactic 4.)

What You Need

A foursquare account and a physical venue

How to Do It

1. Log in to foursquare. It is a best practice to create a separate business account to link to a venue as manager information is public.

2. Search for your venue.

3. In the upper right-hand corner, you will see “Do you manage this venue? Claim here.”

4. Click “Claim here” and complete a simple series of questions.

A Closer Look

Social media staffers at The Taft Museum of Art claimed their venue on foursquare to learn more about who was coming and going from the museum (see Exhibit 1.1). According to Tricia Suit, the Museum’s marketing and communications manager, the process was simple. And, since it was free to do, they didn’t have to cut through any institutional red tape to do it. “I think the hardest part was trying to develop the ‘offer’,” says Tricia, “imagining what people would want and how they could achieve it.” (For more on offers, see Tactic 61.)

Exhibit 1.1 Taft Museum of Art’s foursquare page

Source: Courtesy of the Taft Museum of Art; © 2011, Foursquare Labs, Inc. All of the foursquare® logos and trademarks displayed in these screenshots are the property of Foursquare Labs, Inc.

Foursquare provides Museum staff with a new way to interact with visitors. Since foursquare is integrated with the organization’s Twitter account, staff members are able to track when people are at the Museum and offer them specials in real time. “I noticed on Twitter a guest had checked in and was at the café,” says Tricia. “I told her to tell the chef that Tricia said to give her a free iced tea. Through foursquare, I was able to have a conversation with her and help create a unique visitor experience, not just a virtual one.”

The Taft Museum of Art (www.taftmuseum.org) welcomes people of every background to experience a world-renowned collection of Anna and Charles Taft’s treasures in a beautiful historic house.

Create a Branded foursquare Page

Foursquare gives you the ability to create a custom page that will serve as a foursquare homepage for your nonprofit’s brand. This page allows your organization to customize the look and feel, add tips for followers, share links to key resources, and create a custom URL. The ability to leave tips is very useful because you can leave notes for your followers that engage them in the real world, which is great for advocacy-based nonprofits! If you plan on using foursquare in your social media plans, creating a branded page is a great way to build up your community.

What You Need

A foursquare account, a Twitter account, artwork, and a graphic designer for layout

How to Do It

1. Create a foursquare account for your nonprofit if you don’t already have one. This needs to be the same name you used on Twitter (e.g., twitter.com/yourorg and foursquare.com/yourorg). You cannot request a foursquare name that you do not have on Twitter.

2. Create a header image for your foursquare page. It must be 860 × 130, less than 200KB, have a transparent background, and include a foursquare logo.

3. Create a page gallery image. This is to represent your page in the gallery, and must by 185 × 185 and less than 200KB.

4. Visit www.foursquare.com/business and click “Brands.”

5. Click “Create a Page,” and fill out the form.

6. Wait for confirmation that your page has been created, which can take a couple of weeks.

7. Begin adding tips for your followers.

A Closer Look

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) does a fantastic job of reaching out to supporters no matter where they are. This drive to engage supporters out in the real world extends to foursquare, where NWF has built a branded page (see Exhibit 1.2). When asked how this effort began, Danielle Brigida, manager of social media at NWF, says, “I was really hoping to provide direct ways to connect people with nature while it was most relevant to them, and that is why we created the branded page of wildlife watching tips. The more we can connect with an audience that is actually out in nature, the better.”

Exhibit 1.2 National Wildlife Federation’s foursquare page

Source: Courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation; © 2011, Foursquare Labs, Inc. All of the foursquare® logos and trademarks displayed in these screenshots are the property of Foursquare Labs, Inc.

When you visit the NWF foursquare page, you’ll notice the custom banner right away. The logo and imagery in the header creates continuity with NWF’s web site and gives loyal supporters confirmation that they are in the right place. The branding also continues on the right, where NWF has included links to its web site, Facebook page, and Twitter profile.

The National Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org) is inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for their children’s future.

In the Tips section of this page, you can see what NWF is really doing with its foursquare presence. Staff members know that supporters love wildlife and are often visiting outdoor attractions, so they have left tips at hundreds of locations around the world. When supporters check in at these locations, they will receive a tip relating back to NWF’s mission. This could be a reminder of a great bird-watching spot nearby, or simply pointing out a local hiking trail.