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From Content to Cash:

Engaging Alumni on Social Media

From Content to Cash:

Engaging Alumni on Social Media

Goooooooaaaaaaals Crafting Content on the Social Web

The Power of Virtual Volunteers Cashing in

Full Disclosure… I don’t know everything

I do know much of what we’re doing isn’t working.

Is social media the savior?

Gooooooaaaaalllls!

Gooooooaaaaalllls! What can social media do for you?

What I WON’T be talking about today…

Follow your people know where your audience plays

Follow your people know where your audience plays

Via Bime.com

Follow your people know where your audience plays

Haste makes waste…of time

Gooooooaaaaalllls! how can social media aid advancement?

Brand exposure

Donations

Event Attendance

Crisis Management

Prospect Discovery

Stewardship

Beware of the office “post it” person

Hey! Can you share this on the

Facebook page for me?

Beware of the office “post it” person

Hey! Can you take this static and unappealing

piece of content and post it on Facebook even

though I have no idea what I hope to get out

of it other than people will see it

because it’s on Facebook.

(translated)

Call Your Shot If you don’t define success, you won’t know if you’re succeeding

Forget what you know crafting killer content

Forget what you know crafting killer content

Ah, ha!

Forget what you know crafting killer content

Authentic Humorous Honorable Assisted

Authenticity be true to your school

Authenticity be true to your school

The Viral Challenge: a social media gimmick

Everyone ‘s to Laugh

Inject Humor into Your Content Strategy

Humor establishes rapport

Humor triggers memorability

Humor creates alignment

Via -@KevinJDaum

Why Make them Laugh?

Water Cooler Talk

Before there was

Facebook, there was

water-cooler conversation

Who shot J.R.??

The Age of the “Digital Water Cooler.”

“There comes a point in all our lives when a single event;

personal or public, envelops us to a point where we cannot

think, speak or focus on anything else. This is not new by any

means; however, social media has taken it to a level which

may or may not be a good thing.” – Patti Schwartz

Real-time reactions

Real-time feedback

Real-time sharing

Real-time engagement

Your Audience is “Working”

The Nielsen Global Survey of Trust in

Advertising polled more than 29,000

Internet respondents in 58 countries.

47% of global respondents agreed

that humorous ads resonated the

most. – Ekaterina Walter

“Start with your customer’s pain point.

Comedy comes from pain, so it’s a rich

area to mine.”

It’s funny because we ask

for money…frequently.

It’s funny because Cornell winters are cold.

“When a brand shows that it doesn’t always take itself

too seriously, it’s a powerful way to demonstrate

authenticity and confidence, as well as connect with

your community.” - Tim Washer, Cisco

Get serious, drop the serious.

Relaxing the Brand

Get serious, drop the serious.

Relaxing the Brand

It’s funny because Cornell winters are cold.

... It’s engaging because ALL alumni endured it.

“Self-deprecating humor is sometimes a

powerful way to humanize the brand. When

a brand shows that it doesn’t always take

itself too seriously, it’s a powerful way to

demonstrate authenticity, as well as

confidence.” – Tim Washer

It’s funny because Cornell

ISN’T like Andy Bernard

Self-deprecating humor is sometimes a

powerful way to humanize the brand. When

a brand shows that it doesn’t always take

itself too seriously, it’s a powerful way to

demonstrate authenticity, as well as

confidence. – Tim Washer

It’s funny because Cornell

ISN’T like Andy Bernard

..but he WAS our commencement speaker.

“Add a funny sidekick. A simple approach is to

have a company expert tell a story and toss in a

few humorous responses along the way to help

you reach a different audience.”- Tim Washer

85,000 views

14,000 views

10,000 views

37,000 views

Power of the President

…and the mascot.

Honor It’s not about us, it’s about them

Honor What can we learn from Game of Thrones?

NOTHING.

Honor What can we learn from Game of Thrones?

Honor Give your audience what they want and/or need

Honor Give your audience what they want and/or need

Honor Give your audience what they want and/or need

Honor Always try to make them the star of the show

Honor Give your audience what They want and/or need

Think beyond content that is self-serving

Honor Give your audience what They want and/or need

Think beyond content that is self-serving… And you just might get the desired response

Assist Even the most brilliant content needs a little help from friends

Assist Even the most brilliant content needs a little help from friends

Assist Even the most brilliant content needs a little help from friends

Assist

when you post something on Facebook, you must boost it

Boost it good.

Assist

when you post something on Facebook, you must boost it

POWER OF THE PERSONAL NETWORK THE RISE OF VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERS

How do we cash in on social engagement?

YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE THE BURDEN OF ROI

WHAT WE

LIKE TO DO

My super power

is engagement!

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE

WHAT WE HEAR

DONATIONS, DONATIONS, DONATIONS!

OUR RESPONSE

engage, engage, engage.

COMMUNITY MANAGER

KRYPTONITE

THE ART OF LISTENING IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

MONITORING

SOFTWARE

MONITORING

SOFTWARE

Are you having a conversation or

just talking through a megaphone?

$115,000 raised

1,300 donors

CORNELL CROWDFUNDING PILOT

Average gift = $88.00

(7 projects)

64% First-Time Donors

13% Lapsed Donors

27% Young Alumni

August 2013 – December 2013

ADDRESSING THE UNENGAGED

PARNTERING WITH RESEARCHERS AND FUNDRAISERS

IT’S NOT

GOOD VS. EVIL

I’m a FRIEND-raiser!

VS.

My ONE friend beats

your one-thousand.

THE BELIEF:

WE SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES

THE REALITY:

WE’RE ALL FUNDRAISERS

FORMING A

PARTNERSHIP

Prospect Research

Gift Officers Social Media

Annual Fund

“We’ve reached out for the last two years and…silence.”

- Cornell Major Gift Officer

TEAMING UP:

PLAYING TO OUR STRENGTHS

Happy VP (and less skeptical)

of Development

REVERSING

THE FLOW

600 ADDITIONS TO MG ANALYZED

• Included alumni, alumni ND, parents, and

friends

• 60% had confirmed profiles on LinkedIn

JUST ALUMNI

• 65% had profiles on LinkedIn

• 15% already belonged to our private LinkedIn

group and we didn’t know it.

July 2014 – August 2014

The Old Prospector

Higher Ed’s Old Prospector AKA Gift Officer

$5M - $10M

$100k - $300k $500k - $1M

$1M - $3M

Industries Finance Medicine Law Energy Media Entrepreneurship

Titles Managing Director Managing Partner Partner Owner CEO/CFO/COO/CMO President Chairman Surgeon/MD Principal

Company Size Myself Only 1-10 250-500 1000-5000 10,000+

Asking the Right Questions

“What class at Cornell was instrumental in helping you achieve occupational success?”

(2012)

Asking the Right Questions

“What class at Cornell was instrumental in helping you achieve occupational success?”

(2012)

(2013)

Asking the Right Questions

(2014)

(2015)

Some like this.

Others like this.

Some people like this.

Other people like this.

FY 2014

• 60 nominees processed

• 96% assessed at 25K+

• 42% assessed at 100K+

• 10% assessed at 250K+

THE SOCIAL MEDIA STAMP

PROSPECT NOMINATION

THE SOCIAL MEDIA STAMP

PROSPECT NOMINATION

FY 2014 Nominees:

• Only 8 made a gift in FY14

• 21 have never made a gift to Cornell

• Total lifetime giving = $42,000 (57% from 2 gifts)

• MINIMUM capacity of nominees = $1.4 million

(assuming everyone has at least $25k capacity)

OVERALL

• 400+ nominees

processed

• 80-85% assessed at

$25K+

• 35% assessed at $50-99K

• 25% - 30% assessed at

$100K+

THE SOCIAL MEDIA STAMP

PROSPECT NOMINATION

New Prospector?

Establish goals and KPIs.

Design compelling, authentic content that competes.

Harness the power of the virtual volunteer.

“Cross the aisle” and collaborate with fundraisers/prospect research.

Listen as much as you broadcast.

QUESTIONS?

@KeithHannon

Keith.Hannon@Cornell.edu

THANK YOU!