Communication + Engagement Strategies for the Future

Transcription

1 Communication + Engagement Strategies for the Future AGB 2014 Foundation Leadership Forum Michael Stoner president, mstoner Web: mstoner.com Linkedin.com/in/mstoner Slideshare.net/mstonervt 1 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

2 mstoner.com linkedin.com/mstoner 2 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

3 mstnr.me/tkxwlu mstnr.me/18gbqct 3 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

4 Amara s Law We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run. Formulated by Roy Amara, past president of The Institute for the Future: mstnr.me/1edsysn This poem was written by a teacher in the 1920s in response to predictions about how education would change with the introduction of the radio and motion picture: Antiquated Mr. Edison says That the radio will supplant the teacher. Already one may learn languages by means of Victrola records. The moving picture will visualize What the radio fails to get across. Teachers will be relegated to the backwoods, With fire-horses, And long-haired women; Or, perhaps shown in museums. Education will become a matter Of pressing the button. Perhaps I can get a position at the switchboard. From Larry Cuban, Teachers and Machines, pp Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

5 welcome to our mobile, social, online world 5 5 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

6 Implications of this brave new world New channels for engagement Leading by tweeting Building the.edu brand New approaches to fundraising The end of Facebook 6 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

7 campaign a focused effort to achieve goals using a variety of channels appropriate to the results sought. We used this definition in the CASE/mStoner/Slover Linett Survey of Social Media in Advancement More: mstnr.me/xjiuee. We also used in in Social Works. 7 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

8 1. new channels for engagement 8 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

9 channel use & growth in advancement Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Blogs Flickr Web.edu Vendor community Home-built community Geosocial Pinterest Instagram Google+ Tumblr % Use % Growth Research from CASE/mStoner/Slover Linett Survey of Social Media in Advancement More: mstnr.me/xjiuee. This chart shows the percentage who say they use each social media channel (at all), and the lighter green shows how this has changed since last year. The lower section shows the social media channels we asked about this year for the first time. While Flickr shrinks, Instagram grows; Pinterest and Tumblr may be taking some of the share that Blogs held in the past. Many of these channels are video or visual channels: illustrating the significance of these media in our mobile, social, online world. 9 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

10 91% of your audience uses ; 76% uses Facebook and Twitter at least once a day. And 70% use Instagram. Source: emarketer, Social Usage Involves More Platforms, More Often : mstnr.me/19ph5rg. Some 73% of online adults now use a social networking site of some kind. Facebook is the dominant social networking platform in the number of users, but a striking number of users are now diversifying onto other platforms. Some 42% of online adults now use multiple social networking sites. In addition, Instagram users are nearly as likely as Facebook users to check in to the site on a daily basis. These are among the key findings on social networking site usage and adoption from a new survey from the Pew Research Center s Internet Project: 10 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

11 @mstonerblog modifications of a widely shared infographic about social media 11 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

12 Lessons The technology & tools aren t so important: how they facilitate connection & service to to your constituents is. Agility is essential as audiences adopt new channels. New channels demand new styles to content & sharing via smartphones favors content bursts: visuals, videos, short text updates. 12 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

13 2. leading by tweeting* More and more leaders are adopting social media as key tools in communicating with various audiences. Why would they do this? 13 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

14 Weber Shandwick; source: 14 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

15 #SocMe risks for #highered CEOs Time. Inability to control the conversation. Mis-interpreted or controversial statements. Unproven channel: Hard to demonstrate ROI. Discomfort with norms of communication in SM. Performance anxiety: Mistakes are public. From: Michael Stoner, Why College Presidents Aren t More Social, posted 19 April 2012; source: mstnr.me/pwx2mi 15 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

16 Reasons to be social Engage directly with constituents, in channels they choose to use. Demonstrate thought leadership. Reach media & other influencers. Be a cheerleader for the institution. Improve personal & institutional reputation. From: Michael Stoner, Why College Presidents Aren t More Social, posted 19 April 2012; source: mstnr.me/pwx2mi 16 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

17 Paul LeBlanc President, Southern New Hampshire University I can only do a little bit of walking around. I can send out formal communications but they don t allow me to talk about aspects of my life that are more personal.... [social media] allow me to reach a lot of people and give them a more personal view of my thoughts and my life. I really love that. Comment from interview with Michael Stoner, Presidents & Social Media*: Paul LeBlanc, Southern New Hampshire University, posted on 10 September 2012: 17 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

18 It would be fair to say that I have an uncommon relationship with [a key government] Minister... as a direct function of us communicating through Twitter.... That relationship has inturn spawned direct facial meeting contact and influenced initiatives, projects and developments. And now is influencing the allocation of resources. President Canadian College Cited in Dan Zaointz s thesis, #FollowTheLeader: A Study of Best Practices in Social Media Use by University and College Presidents in Canada and the United States, submitted 3 October 2013, McMaster University. Entire quote: It would be fair to say that I have an uncommon relationship with our Minister of...as a direct function of us communicating through Twitter. We have a 40-something-year-old Minister...who has an advanced education and he is also the...of the Province and he has an obsession with using Twitter. If you know that to be true, as a President, and if you are worth your salt, in terms of the development, maintaining and nurturing of external relationships that would inturn convert into influence, you would want to take advantage of that fact and to develop and nurture that relationship via social media. That relationship has in-turn spawned direct facial meeting contact and influenced initiatives, projects and developments. And now is influencing the allocation of resources (Canadian college president #3). (page 43) Icon from IconFinder ( 18 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

19 See Meet K-State s Kirk and Noel Schulz: #Highered s First Couple of Social Media : mstnr.me/1fwnrma 19 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

20 Kirk H. Schulz President, Kansas State University People want to interact with me and social media helps to make it work. Overall, my approach is effective it s working. I can document that with higher fundraising numbers and data on alumni engagement. Comment from interview with Michael Stoner conducted on 27 September See blog post, Meet K-State s Kirk and Noel Schulz: #Highered s First Couple of Social Media : mstnr.me/1fwnrma 20 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

21 Alumni(Participation Fundraising( Growing(Enrollment Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

22 Lessons Constituents will expect leaders to be more transparent. There are risks in using social media as a leader, but those risks can be managed. Sharing via smartphones favors content bursts ideal for leaders on the go. Presidents to follow on social media: Kirk Schulz, KSU: Facebook: Facebook: Noel Schulz, KSU: Santa J. Ono, University of Cincinnati: Paul LeBlanc, Southern New Hampshire University: 22 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

23 3. building your.edu brand 23 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

24 mstoner s definition of brand * A brand is what you stand for in the minds of the people you re trying to reach, influence, and move to action. [*yes, we re influenced by Groundswell] 27 more definitions of brand in this blog post, 30 Branding Definitions, by Heidi Cohen: mstnr.me/hz97c9 mstoner definition of brand strategy :... is the art & science of discovering, understanding, articulating, and evolving your brand. 24 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

25 in our online, mobile, social world, Everything is connected to everything else. [mstoner s first law of branding: mstnr.me/mflob] 25 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

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28 Everything is connected to everything else is Barry Commoner s first law of ecology and mstoner s first law of branding. It s essential to keep in mind when structuring communications and marketing activities. Because of the way the world works today, it s easy for organizational anomalies to be observed and amplified. Consistency counts. Not only in appearance (do your communications look like they come from the same organization?) but voice. Furthermore, your online presence doesn t occur in a vacuum but is also connected to everything else you do: Compelling brand: aspirational but grounded in institutional reality. Powerful stories: reinforce brand, multiple media, well-told, shareable, demonstrating value. Compelling creative: a strong visual vocabulary for your brand & stories Strong channel strategy: well-managed, connected, curated Your campus & your staff 28 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

29 Lessons Your channels must tell similar stories and mutually reinforce each other. Focus on the channels you own. Your website is your most important asset: it must be up-to-date and wellmanaged. 29 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

30 4. a new style of fundraising 30 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

31 Campaigns involving social media Roughly, what percentage of your campaigns included social channels? Alumni Engagement 81% Brand/Marketing 65% Fundraising/Development 59% Student Engagement 54% Types of campaigns in which social media played a role Admissions 41% Other 6% Research from CASE/mStoner/Slover Linett Survey of Social Media in Advancement More: mstnr.me/xjiuee. In the past two years we probed if (and how) institutions were using social media in campaigns, which we define as a focused effort to achieve goals using a variety of channels appropriate to the results sought. This definition can (and sometimes does) include efforts to raise money, but is intended to acknowledge that social media is often incorporated into initiatives that have objectives other than fundraising. Here s how institutions reported using social media for fundraising purposes in 2013: Keeping donors up to date on institution news: 77% Annual fund solicitations: 58% Thanking donors for their contributions: 52% Keeping donors up to date on campaign or fundraising news: 49% Inviting donors to donor events: 48% Annual fund follow-up reminders: 30% Referring to or reminding about solicitations received through non-social channels: 25% Capital campaign solicitations: 14% Other: 6% 31 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

32 For Columbia s Giving Day in 2012, hourly prizes spurred donations and leaderboards spurred engagement and conversation. 32 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

33 In Columbia raised $6.8 million: 5,380 gifts from 4,940 donors. 40% were new or reactivated; 50% made their first online gift. Trustees pledged $2.5 million in seed money. 33% of traffic to giving form came via Facebook. 33 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

34 Giving Day channels 2012 offline Postcard mailing Website: GivingDay.Columbia.edu Print advertising in Columbia Magazine Advance social strategies: Facebook Giving Day tab, Twitter conversations Events: Homecoming, Leadership Robust content strategy, including video Weekend, Global Networking, alumni & promotions donor Giveaways: Giving Day buttons, Mobilize alumni volunteers across frisbees, napkins community Trainings: Schools; Volunteers; Social media online Challenges & gaming strategies w/ leaderboards Facebook ad buys Live webinar 34 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

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36 Case 19: "Embracing Rivalry to Increase Annual Fund Participation: Elizabethtown College and Messiah College," Social Works, pp In the fall of 2011, Elizabethtown College and Messiah College took a long-standing rivalry from the soccer field to the annual fund campaign through a giving challenge between young alumni or those that have graduated within the last ten years called Battle of the Blues. The campaign, which pitted young alumni of the two colleges against one another to tally the highest participation rate, launched in July 2011 and wrapped up on October 31, The E-town Blue Jays came out on top a participation rate of 7.85%; Messiah checked in at a close 7.72%. Melody Bitkoff, director of the Elizabethtown College Annual Fund, says that thanks to the support from young alumni, E-town not only clinched the title but also has made progress toward one of the College s primary fundraising goals: to increase alumni donor participation. To date 9.78% of young alumni have made a gift compared to 7.12% last year and our overall alumni rate for the Annual Fund has increased to date too, from 13.42% compared to 13.19%, Bitkoff said. In addition to s and direct mail, the web and social media was used to heavily promote the giving challenge. First, a dedicated website, was created; this site included details of the challenge, linked to donation forms, and also, each Monday during the competition, updated the current standings. Second, special Twitter hashtags were created to create buzz, provide a mechanism for participants to let their friends and followers know they gave and, of course, to encourage friendly trash-talking between the two colleges. Additionally, the Battle of the Blues website pulled in the Twitter feed from each college s designated hashtag: #goetownblue or #gomessiahblue. Staff members from both College s marketing and development offices also used the hashtag to inform those who may be on Twitter of the campaign s progress and to egg-on or entice their young alums to respond and, most importantly, 36 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January mstnr.me/hgjb3h mstnr.me/13hkizs

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38 Lessons A multi-channel world requires multi-channel campaigns. Engagement precedes donation. Everyone wins when giving is a game. We may see constituents who are engaged, motivated, and in charge. 38 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

39 5. the end of Facebook 39 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

40 Forrester s Nate Elliott says Facebook focuses too little on driving genuine engagement between brands and their customers on average, Facebook only shows each brand s posts to 16% of its fans.... Facebook Must Do More for Brands, Forrester Says : mstnr.me/1bttdrq Five Reasons Millennials Are Quitting Facebook : mashable.com/2013/12/16/quitting-facebook/ Young users see Facebook as 'dead and buried : mstnr.me/1er3ufx 40 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

41 Global teens* respond: Which of the following platforms have you used or contributed to in the past month? *excluding China Forbes.com, Here s Where Teens Are Going Instead of Facebook : mstnr.me/1fhuefb; Still on Facebook but Finding Less to Like : mstnr.me/huwfew 41 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

42 U.S. customeracquisition growth by channel, % of customers acquired Source: Quora, E-Commerce Customer Acquisition Snapshot, 2013; McKinsey iconsumer survey, Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

43 Lessons Things change quickly: new channels emerge & evolve (or die) rapidly. Engagement requires immersion, but beware too much investment in one channel. Don t ignore emerging channels or neglect traditional channels that work. This is only the beginning. 43 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

44 Truth and consequences New channels for engagement Leading by tweeting Building the.edu brand New approaches to fundraising The end of Facebook 44 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014

45 6. Don t be everywhere until you can be awesome everywhere you are. 45 Stoner-AGB-handout.key - 27 January 2014