Engaging Volunteers on
September 25, 2014
#vmlearn
Who are we?
2
#vmlearn
John Haydon @JohnHaydon johnhaydon.com
Using Facebook to Engage Volunteers
• The problem with Facebook
• Brand voice versus Friend voice
• How does the newsfeed algorithm affect my Page’s reach?
• When time and day should I post updates?
• How can I optimize each type of update (text, images, links)?
• How do I ask people to volunteer on Facebook?
• What about a content calendar?
• How can I determine what content my Facebook fans like the most?
What we’ll be discussing
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Get a notepad and pen
Taking notes will increase the likelihood that you’ll take action. Also, you can jot down resources I mention that ARE NOT in the slides.
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
The problem with Facebook...
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
People don’t use Facebook to connect with brands or nonprofits
The problem with Facebook
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
70% of us trust brand recommendations from friends, but only 10% trust messages from those same brands.
- Forrester Research
The problem with Facebook
People don’t trust what you say...
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
The problem with Facebook
So where should I start?
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
First, you must understand your current fans, grasshopper.
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Facebook Graph search lets you search Facebook’s massive database of interests.
Use Graph Search to analyze your fanbase
How can I effectively grow my Facebook fan base?
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
How can I effectively grow my Facebook fan base?
Use Graph Search to analyze your fanbase
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
1. My friends who like [your org] 2. Favorite interests of people who like [your page] 3. Favorite interests of people who like [your org] and [competing page] 4. Groups of people who like [your org] 5. Pages liked by people who like [your page] 6. Pages liked by women who like [your page] 7. Pages liked by men who like [your page] 8. Fans of [your page] and [another page] 9. Restaurants in [your city] visited by people who like [your page] 10. Pages like by people who live in [your city] and like [your page]
How can I effectively grow my Facebook fan base?
Try these ten graph searches to start with...
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
#1: Start with your database!
Your Community!Subscribers!Donors!Volunteers
How can I effectively grow my Facebook fan base?
A 2012 report by Pew Internet says 75 percent of adults are engaged in volunteer work.
Friends
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
#2: Select best segment for promotion.
Your Community!Subscribers!Donors!Volunteers
How can I effectively grow my Facebook fan base?
A 2012 report by Pew Internet says 75 percent of adults are engaged in volunteer work.
Friends
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
#3: Encourage your community to tell their friends!
How can I effectively grow my Facebook fan base?
A 2012 report by Pew Internet says 75 percent of adults are engaged in volunteer work.
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
How can I effectively grow my Facebook fan base?
Convert
Click a link or scan a
QR code
Pinterest (content is key here)
Email (strategically
target segments)
Twitter (partners,
peers, advocates)
Friends
Friends
Incentive
NetworkCommunity
Photo contest Exclusive content Event participation
People in your database Friends of your community
Opt
imiz
ed m
essa
ging
Events
PR
Other channels
Clear articulation of people and objectives helps determine which strategy to use.
Clear definition of objectives helps determine strategy and KPIs.
Convert = join an email list, like a Facebook Page, sign a petition, etc.How to use Facebook to recruit volunteers
Create a plan!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
When should I post content to my Page?
Use Insights!
Insights shows you what days and times your fans are online.
When should I post content to my Page?
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Post links
Your content should be made for mobile
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
When you shorten a URL, you are taking away information the user needs to be able to decide if they should click the link or not.!!
In fact, research has shown that long URLs get 3x as many clicks as short URLs.
Post links
Don’t post short URLs
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Post links
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Post links
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Post links
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
But... links get the least engagement
!
!
!
Post links
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Post pictures!
Images get more engagement.
Post pictures!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Images also capture more physical space in the newsfeed
Post pictures!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Post pictures!
Great photos tell a story
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Great photos tell a story
Post pictures!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Resources for creating great images: !Curation: Google Plus, Reddit, Flickr, Fotolia (paid) !Editing: Pixlr, Photoshop, Over, ColourLovers.com
Post pictures!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Twitter for non-profits: Fundraising and friendraising
How can I optimize photos for the most engagement?
Use Canva to create images
Post pictures!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Ask questions!
Comment rates on questions are more than double comments on non-question updates!
from HubSpot
Ask questions!
Questions work!!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Less than 140 characters boosts engagement
Keep it short!
Ask questions!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Closed questions
Ask questions!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Closed questions take advantage of the brain’s built-in auto
complete feature.
Lower hurdles enable more action
Ask questions!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Examples that work:!
Ask questions!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Twitter for non-profits: Fundraising and friendraising
Examples that work:!
Ask questions!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Don’t forget the call-to-action!
Don’t forget the call-to-action!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Don’t forget the call-to-action!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Don’t forget the call-to-action!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Don’t forget the call-to-action!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Make sharing emotional and
conditional
Don’t forget the call-to-action!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
http://pinterest.com/johnhaydon/powerful-updates-from-nonprofit-facebook-pages/
More examples of awesome updates
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
So how do I ask people to volunteer?
Share stories, use CTAs, experiment!!
So how do I ask people to volunteer?
So how do I ask people to volunteer?
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
So how do I ask people to volunteer?
So how do I ask people to volunteer?
Share stories, use CTAs, experiment!!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
So how do I ask people to volunteer?
So how do I ask people to volunteer?
Share stories, use CTAs, experiment!!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
How can I use other channels to boost engagement on my Page?
How can I use other channels to boost engagement on my Page?
Leverage email
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Promote individual posts that have recently performed well.
!
This gets your email subscribers to join these conversation on
Facebook, which then reaches their personal friend networks.
How can I use other channels to boost engagement on my Page?
Leverage email
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
How can I use other channels to boost engagement on my Page?
Leverage your library!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Create a content calendar
How can I use a content calendar to get organized?
Watch this video to learn how to create a private Google calendar
Use Google Calendar!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
How can I use a content calendar to get organized?
Watch this video to learn how to create a private Google calendar
Use Google Calendar!
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Boosted Posts
Step #1: Rank posts by engagement rate.!!!
What are the best ways to Boost page updates?
Boosted Posts
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Step #1: Rank posts by engagement rate.!Step #2: Select top performing posts!!!
What are the best ways to Boost page updates?
Boosted Posts
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Boost Top Hits
Step #1: Rank posts by engagement rate.!Step #2: Select top performing posts!Step #3: Selectively boost!!!
What are the best ways to Boost page updates?
Boosted Posts
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
What are the best ways to Boost page updates?
Boosted Posts
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Q&A
Founder of Inbound Zombie - a non-profit social media consultancy in Cambridge, MA
Instructor at Marketing Profs University
Author: Facebook Marketing for Dummies, 3rd and 4th Editions
Speaker: The Nonprofit Technology Conference, Social Media 4 Nonprofits, Blackbaud’s BBCon, New Media Expo, AFP New Jersey, TechSoup, GrantSpace, Chronicle of Philanthropy, NetworkForGood and various local Chamber of Commerce.
Clients include: Habitat for Humanity, EpicChange, Share Our Strength, Environmental Defense Fund, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston Medical Center, Community TechKnowledge, Scholastic, TechSoup, WaterAid America, University of Massachusetts, Community Music Center of Boston, National Wildlife Federation, Razoo Foundation.
Using Facebook to engage volunteers
Questions?
3
#vmlearn
John Haydon @JohnHaydon johnhaydon.com
Next Webinar:
Making It Last with For-
Profit Companies
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
#vmlearn
October 22, 2014