Engaging volunteers through social media Maria Dehne @ig_md34 @mdehne34 Engaging volunteers through social media - adult volunteer coordinator, cmc - Social media chair, cava socialmedia@cincycava.org Maria dehne
CAVA on social media #cincyCAVA “Like” Cincinnati Association of Volunteer Administrators “Follow” @cincycava “Join” Cincinnati Association of Volunteer Administrators “Follow” @cincycava
# hashtag What they are…… What they are not…… Hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links; in your photos, on your timeline, or page. This helps people find posts about topics they are interested in. Hashtags mark topics that are searchable. #cincyCAVA Tips: -create #hashtags for each event to help your volunteers track all the related information and see what other users are saying. -when creating a hashtag, avoid being vague. For example, #volunteer will bring up thousands of hits.
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA… POKE, PIN, TAG…. ….a way of interacting with others using online tools or platforms to: Keep up to date with friends and family Share ideas or opinions Get ideas or reviews of places to eat and stay It can also be use to communicate with prospective volunteers, and recruit, train, and keep in touch with current volunteers by….. Keeping volunteers and supporters up to date Helping spread news and ideas Attracting new volunteers Providing an experience not based on a location
Successful social media campaigns Social Media Should be: Brief Timely Actionable “There are natives in the land of modern media, mostly under 40…. And then there is us immigrants.” - Adult Volunteer, age 70
Social media and volunteer engagement What do you need your volunteers to do? Sign up for an event, shift or orientation What do you want your volunteers to know? Initial trainings, new policies/procedures That you appreciate what they do What would you like your volunteers to share? With you, the world, each other? Feedback on new programs or opportunities Support and passion for you org and mission Experiences with other volunteers even if they work different days or in different cities
Engage your audience with compelling content Multimedia: Use photos and videos to engage your audience. Be Inspirational: Get your audience thinking about what they can do to help Ask questions: What do you think about…? What would like to see…? etc Use Humor: Should be a gentle way to let audience know that the people behind the computer have minds and hearts. Keep potential volunteers informed Share your news: This is basic. But important. Regular posting of your accomplishments, announcements, and events help to remind your fans of the vital role you serve in your community. Education: Your knowledge is valuable- use it to educate your social media audience. Events: Invite your followers to events, and make sure you’re posting after the event. Event photos and videos allow you to show off your hard work. Make sure to tag sponsors, other organizations, etc. Recruit new volunteers Share links to your volunteer opportunities: You can post the link and add a description on Facebook and Twitter, etc.
Few tips for using content to engage volunteers via social media Listen: Be engaged in what supporters and prospective supporters care about. Leverage stories: The best way to engage anyone is tapping their emotions. Storytelling is a great way to do this. Gather stories of impact. Stories help to: - attract new volunteers because it is a great way for them to meet others with similar interests. - encourage volunteers to volunteer again. When they share their experiences, their friends remind them how awesome they are for volunteering. Create sharable content: People love videos and pictures. Create content that people will want to share with their friends and family members. Do unto others: Others like to be mentioned, ReTweeted, shared, etc just as much as you do. Updating your message: How do you talk to prospective volunteers? Do you have established calls to action graphics and keywords? Encourage conversation: Successful social media is viral- and unlike the flu, the side affects are beneficial.
facebook Great for: Building a community of many different groups Sharing photos, videos, stories, events all in one place Building relationships with volunteers Saying ‘thank you’ and promoting that to your whole community Getting feedback or ideas from volunteers or community members
Examples of using facebook to engage volunteers
twitter Great for: Promoting new or upcoming volunteer opportunities Immediate volunteer needs or reminders Sharing news or events When you need the ‘ripple effect’- ReTweeting can help spread the word Participating in or building support for an event or a topic- hashtags
Examples of using twitter to engage volunteers
pinterest Great for: Showcasing the impact of your work. Engaging people who are visual people/learners. Sharing your impact to increase your orgs visibility while attracting new volunteers and gaining donors Digital archive
Pinterest- examples of how other orgs use:
Examples of how to use instagram to engage volunteers Tips: Consider holding a photo contest. People love these. Prizes are great, but getting regrammed/reposted is also fun! Share what goes on in the office, in the field, etc. Get creative! Share photos that showcase what is important to your cause and organization. If you or your organization have an Instagram account, you also have a web link for your account. For example: www.instagram.com/musichallcincy
Other examples of online volunteer engagement Cincinnati Zoo Handlers Lighthouse Youth Services Great for: Gathering videos to be promoted in other places- website, Facebook Providing orientation and trainings available on the volunteer’s schedule Professional development for your volunteers- new information Saying thank you! Volunteer thank you videos-
Scheduling social media
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John Haydon - Digital Marketing: advises nonprofits on marketing strategy and the effective use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other tools. He is the author of Facebook Marketing for Dummies, a regular contributor to Social Media Examiner and the Huffington Post. Email: john@johnhaydon.com Website: http://johnhaydon.com/ Facebook: Search “John Haydon - Digital Marketing Twitter: @johnhaydon
Using social media Do: Start small- pick one medium and build from there Commit to regular updates- you can’t build a community if you aren’t posting information on a regular basis Recruit a team of volunteers to help you Promote!- Volunteers can’t follow you if they don’t know you’re there Consider putting your social media handles in your email signature Don’t: Get overwhelmed. It’s ok to pick the sites that work for you Leave up old information- if it doesn’t work or it it’s out of date, take it down
Maria Dehne @ig_md34 @mdehne34 socialmedia@cincycava.org Questions?