A Perfect Storm in Pasadena

I am currently in Los Angeles working with the Donate Life Rose Parade float committee on developing and executing social media strategies. The Donate Life Rose Parade float is the organ and tissue donation and transplantation industry's single largest public relations effort. In 2009 alone, the award-winning float and its participants were the subject of 300 media stories, spreading the donate life message of hope and inspiration to millions of Americans. But the national transplant waiting list continues to grow. More than 100,000 Americans are awaiting an organ transplant. The float wants - and needs - to do more.

Within the next few weeks, the Donate Life Rose Parade float will unveil an online community for past float riders and floragraph families to assist the committee in offering families the opportunity to have a personal, dedicated rose on the float.

The Donate Life float blog will also debut, sharing stories from float design and construction to the final decorating day. Supporters can follow the extraordinary journey of a Rose Parade float and those intimately involved in its execution.

These social media strategies will be integrated into the current media strategy of pitching float rider and floragraph family stories to national, regional and local print, television and radio media. Links to story placement will be sent out to float supporters via Twitter and will also be present on the float's to-be-constructed Facebook page.

This is a true experiment of how the use of social media can enhance an already successful public and media relations strategy. I will be chronicling the successes and failures of this project in this blog to illustrate how one nonprofit entity utilized social media.

Will the combination of "old" and "new" media strategies create a proverbial "lake effect" for the Donate Life float? Will these strategies inspire more Americans to become organ and tissue donors? I think the Donate Life float has all the ingredients to create a perfect media storm in Pasadena.

Social Media Fund Raising: Winds of Change

The February 9 Chronicle of Philanthropy daily e-mail featured ideas from blogger Hildy Gottlieb who postulates that social media fund raising is downright destructive because "it does not solve the causes of problems." Eventually, according to Ms. Gottlieb, this inability for small monetary donations to make an impact leads to donor apathy and a total abandonment of philanthropy.

I do not agree. While social media fund raising strategies should not be the sole source of funding for a nonprofit, they absolutely should be explored and integrated into the overall fund raising plan. Nonprofit organizations, by definition, exist to offer solutions to our most pressing social problems. These problems - homelessness, poverty, hunger, health and wellness for example - have very few permanent solutions. The public knows this. Whether a financial gift is made in response to a direct mail piece, an e-blast or a Twitter request is irrelevant. A gift was made to help a nonprofit attempt to provide a solution to a social problem that may, ultimately, be unable to be solved.

Furthermore, I have seen evidence that utilizing social media fund raising actually increases donor participation. One only has to remember Barack Obama's presidential campaign and the unprecedented amount of money raised to realize the power of mico donations given over the Internet. But one need not run for President of the United States to start a wind of social media fund raising. Just look at Paull Young.

Tomorrow, February 12, Twestivals will occur in more than 160 cities across the globe. Twestival, co-organized by Paull Young, encourages Twitter communities to come together to raise $1 million dollars through micro donations for charity:water. The premise behind Twestival is "if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but working from a local level, [they] could have spectacular impact." I think this is the essence of social media fund raising - it allows individuals who are passionate about an idea or cause the power and the voice to have a positive impact on the world. Will $1 million bring clean water to all who need it? Probably not. But, because of Twitter and Twestival, thousands of individuals across the globe know the need and are committed to doing something about it.

The Cleveland Twestival event is from 6-8 p.m. at Harry Buffalo on East 4th Street. Purchase tickets here.

On this Twestival Eve, I believe winds of change are coming for nonprofits and how they devise their fund raising strategies. While nonprofits will continue to need large financial gifts and grant money, an increasing amount of funding will come from micro donations on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter or through events created by supporters and spread virally through social networks.

Will the winds of change be constructive or destructive to your nonprofit?

Twitter Storm

Twitter is currently the fastest growing social networking site, growing an unheard of 600% in 2008 with four to five million users. Avid users are quick to extol all its virtues; non-users usually look perplexed at the relevance of a Web site based on simply answering the question "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less.

The truth is, Twitter is becoming extremely valuable to businesses, organizations and nonprofits especially when integrated into existing communication, marketing and development strategies. Here's why:

• Ability to connect with current and potential customers/supporters
  
• Raise awareness of your brand, products and/or services
  
• Share stories, anecdotes and quotes from your industry
• Engage in meaningful, two-way discussions

But there is a caveat. In order to experience all the benefits of Twitter, you must obey some of the unwritten Twitter rules:

• Listen first. Great explanation of why here.
  
• Do not spam. Twitter is about sharing and conversing. If all you do is self-promote your company, product or service, you will lose, not gain, followers.
• Be yourself. Some companies have success using their corporate brand name and logo as their Twitter account. I believe people would rather connect with people, not brands, so consider using a real person within your organization as the "face" of your Twitter account.
  
• Be authentic. Speak honestly. Be willing to lose control of your marketing message. It's okay. Really.
  
• Be passionate. Nothing is as infectious as true passion for a cause, a product or a service.

Still skeptical? Here's how a few organizations leveraged Twitter and the influence of their followers:
Houston coffee shop increases business via Twitter
The Blood Center of Central Texas increases blood donations via "Tweet Up"
Governments use Twitter for emergency alerts and more

So, what are you doing to create your own Twitter storm?

A Torrent of Comunication

At no other point in history have individuals been more connected to each other and the world around them than they are today. Face-to-face communication is no longer the primary means to communicate. The rules of interpersonal communication are being redefined as are the rules that govern advertising and traditional media. The American consumer today is far more sophisticated and educated than ever posing challenges for corporations and nonprofits attempting to make the consumer aware of their products and services. Before, the tools for sharing, connecting and communicating were left in the hands of an elite few. Now, those tools are available to everyone, giving individuals citizens the power to create a virtual storm.

As communicators of all kinds wrestle with how to deal with "new media" and the age of tech-savy consumers who now have a platform to voice their opinions, I will use this blog to discuss the creative integration of "traditional" media, marketing and communication strategies with the new non-traditional ones that are making waves. You will also hear about real companies and nonprofits who are using these strategies in innovative ways to reach their consumers while maintaining authenticity, encouraging meaningful conversation and attempting to make the world a better place.

The environment is ripe to create a perfect storm for professional communicators, marketers and media professionals. If executed correctly, you can enjoy a flurry of positive feedback, brand awareness and committed customers. Now who doesn't want that?