Social Media for Non-Profits

As I'm getting ready to present on Social Media Marketing for Non-Profits tomorrow at Philanthropy Midwest Conference, I've come across lots of great research and not all of it glowing in terms of social media's impact on the non-profit sector.

A recent report from Philanthropy Action titled "Social Networking and Mid-Size Nonprofits: What’s the Use?" calls into question the value of social media for mid-sized non-profits.

Can there be any doubt given these examples that social networking and social media are must have tools for nonprofits?

Actually, yes.

In terms of fundraising and attracting volunteers, metrics that most nonprofit boards and executive directors highly value, the available evidence suggests that social media is not very effective.

While there are ample stories of non-profits achieving success through social media, this study is worth a read. Among other things, the authors rightly question the durability of relationships formed through social media, noting that psychologists and sociologists know that durable relationships are based on shared sacrifice, not merely information exchange and that organizations who get participants to become physically active in supporting their cause create much deeper engagements than organizations whose outreach is primarily based on "slacktivism."

Social Marketing and Small Business

Last week, I had the privilege of presenting to the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentorship Program on the topic of Social Marketing. While the bulk of my day-to-day work entails helping larger brands engage consumers through digital channels, including social media, it was fun to spend some time looking through cases about smaller businesses.

I'm indebted to a timely article on the subject from Mashable, as well as an older, but still relevant series on small business social media from Jason Falls. Their sharing definitely made it easier for me to compile material for the presentation.

After giving this presentation three times in one afternoon and having really engaged audiences each time, I've come to a few conclusions:

• There is a huge hunger for good social media training in the entrepreneurial community.
• Small businesses have a real advantage over larger enterprises in pursuing social marketing strategies. It's easier for small businesses to be real and human.
• Being in a room full of successful, motivated entrepreneurs is an incredibly energizing experience. I think next time I feel a case of the business blahs, I'm going to crash an entrepreneurial retreat.

Here's the presentation. Let me know what you think.

Social Marketing

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Social Shopping Gaining Momentum

The launch last Friday of My.Zappos.com is the latest sign that the era of Social Shopping is underway. Social Shopping technology is spreading from destination sites like Kaboodle and Polyvore and being integrated into retail sites like Wet Seal and Zappos.



But while the trend seems to be gaining momentum, and while I'm generally enthusiastic about it, I have questions about how it all shakes out and how many of these Social Shopping initiatives are going to pay off. Some will, I'm sure. Some won't, I'm equally sure.

What's in it for consumers?

For some people, putting items into a wishlist or online closet and sharing them with their social networks is intrinsically enjoyable, but for a lot of us, that's just not enough to justify spending time with a site or application.



Sites like Kaboodle and Polyvore have developed enthusiastic followings by allowing people to create their own styleboards or sets as an expression of their personal style. Other sites, like DPReview.com, provide real expertise, demos and first-hand accounts for products that warrant in-depth research. Retailers rushing to jump on the Social Shopping train need to think carefully about how their Social Shopping implementation will benefit their consumers.

What's in it for the retailers?

Wet Seal's Fashion Community is reportedly responsible for a 10% increase in sales and a doubling of conversion rate. Those results make sense to me because Wet Seal's implementation of Social Shopping is based on creating ensembles, and it's not hard to see how that approach leads to cross-selling opportunities.

Does it fit?

The Fashion Community function makes sense for Wet Seal, because their inventory includes a wide range of products. Retailers with a more narrow range of products, may be better served by integrating their products into a Kaboodle or Polyvore to become part of the mix. Likewise, Social Selling seems to fit Zappos, whose brand DNA is tightly linked to social media. Social Selling probably isn't going to be a fit for all retailers, however.

Still, the Social Shopping train has definitely left the station and is gaining steam. It's going to be interesting to see where this one goes.

Social Media and Ecommerce

The last few months, I've spent a lot of time researching brands who excel at both social media and ecommerce. The first product of that research was a presentation on social media and ecommerce I gave last month at the RAMA CMO Summit, a gathering of key decision-makers from retail brands. It was a great event, and I learned as much from my co-presenters and attendees as I imparted.

My presentation covered five brands -- Zappos, Dell, Best Buy, Wet Seal and Build-A-Bear Workshop. Each is unique in their approach to social media and in the way they integrate it into their ecommerce operations.

Social Media & Ecommerce

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You can download the PDF. Let me know what you think. If you're involved with any of these brands, I'd especially love your input. Did I get it right?

SXSW Recap

For everyone who unfollowed me or defriended me for my incessant Twittering during SXSWi, please accept this as my apology gift. I present for your consideration, my recap of the SXSW sessions I most enjoyed. It's a small slice of SXSW, but I hope you'll find it of some value.

Download PDF Version (with notes)of SXSW Recap.

SXSW Recap

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Link, Poke & Tweet

Last night, I had a great time at the AD2 event "Link, Poke, Tweet - Amping your personal brand." Presenting with John Kreicsberg from Bernstein Rein and Joe Grigsby from VML was a treat, and the audience was great. John took the time to post the presentation on his blog, and I'm reposting for your digital enjoyment.

Link, Poke & Tweet: Amping Your Personal Brand, Digitally

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SXSW - Boring Geek Sex

Bring on the Orgasmatron! That's what I was anticipating from the panel on Virtual Touch and Intimate Computing. It sounded like the perfect thing to spice up my last afternoon at SXSW.



One of the pieces of advice I heard frequently about SXSW was to take in sessions outside your area of expertise. That's one of the reasons I skipped the Agency Integration Models panel and attended the panel on Vitual Touch and Intimate Computing instead. Plus, as an added bonus, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Ariel Waldman, she who blogs about tech, space, sex and cupcakes. What could be better?

As it turns out, agency integration probably would have been sexier than the panel I attended. Sad, but true. The panel was rambling, disjointed and essentially unmoderated. Still there were a few interesting nuggets that came out of the talk, and I thought they'd be worth passing them on.



OhMiBod has been around for a couple of years, but somehow I managed to miss it. The OhMiBod product line allows you to Tune In, Turn On and Feel the Music. It's a personal massager that plugs into your iPod and its vibration varies with the beat and volume of the music.



Syncing stimulation with audio is one thing, but it's generally believed that men are visually oriented than women, so for the guys, there is the Virtual Sex Machine. It syncs stimulation with cues embedded in video files.



And lastly, there is The Real Touch. I can't decide if this device is real or a hoax. It's a USB device, supposedly created by a former NASA engineer. It allows you to experience the physical pleasures of virtual interactions, and that's all I'm going to say about it. The site is Very, Very Not Safe for Work, in case you're tempted to Google it.

So, I guess we're not all that far from the Orgasmatron after all. It still amazes me though, that a panel could take material that is so inherently interesting and controversial and turn it into one of the least interesting sessions of the conference. As Ariel pointed out in a tweet, it served as an object lesson to presenters, don't rely on your topic to keep your presentation interesting.

One last note, the field of haptic feedback, wearable computing and virtual touch is a lot broader than teledildonics and pornographic appliances. At least a couple of panelists attempted to explore the artistic and emotional dimensions of virtual touch. Unfortunately, they were rushed at the tail end of the presentation. I would have liked to hear more from these folks who were actually developing interesting projects and prototypes in wearable haptic devices. Oh well, maybe next year.