So you’re starting to get the hang of things. You’re on Twitter and Facebook. You may have found other channels that work really well for your organization. You’re drawing support and starting conversations with your new following. What’s next? How do you continue to grow?

Here’s a quick tip: leverage what you already have.

When someone wants to find you, they’re most likely going to search for you through a search engine, like Google, and end up on your homepage. That’s great. Your site should enable a visitor to learn more about your organization, what you are about, your vision, who you help and how they can help. But then what? How do you leverage a website visit into an opportunity to engage potential supporters on social media channels?

It’s simple. Make your social media presence known to your website visitors. Use visual cues that are recognized by your audience, telling them how to connect with you.

Unfortunately, editing your homepage isn’t as easy as writing an email or a blog post, but if you have some basic resources, it can be a worthwhile investment. Luckily, you don’t need to have icons or imagery developed. A number of resources give icon sets for social networks that can be used on your website for free. Fasticon is a great example, offering a free pack that covers most social networks that you would be participating in, and you can download it by clicking here.

Now you must decide what to use and where to put it. Don’t get carried away adding icons for every tool that you have ever tried, but instead, use those that give the visitor an opportunity to truly connect with your organization. Where are you talking? Where are you most likely to see a response and strike up a conversation without a long lag in-between? It should be Twitter, and it is very likely to be Facebook or potentially MySpace. And if you offer a blog, or related feed, you can use the standard orange RSS icon to denote that there is a feed that they can subscribe to.

Where should they go? Simply: up top. It’s best if you are able to fit these icons near the top of your page, or at least “above the fold”. That means that users on a standard computer screen would see it without having to scroll down. That’s where you want your most important information to be, so it isn’t missed. Let that content draw the visitor further down the page.

Want to see it in action? View a snippet of our company’s blog directory page below which utilizes this strategy, and click here to learn more about us, our team and their thoughts. Make sure to check out Social Enchilada for more social media tips!

Now, if that logical next step is for them to connect with you, make sure you are connecting back. Follow those who are following you. Say hi. Ask them about their interests and see if you can answer any questions. Be talkative and post open ended questions that will evoke a response. Yalebot recently posted a list of ten great tips that will help you make a real connection with your followers, as well as to grow your network. They are geared toward Twitter, but many are applicable elsewhere. You can read them here.

You’re really starting to get a hang of this social media thing, aren’t you? I hope your new connections continue to grow at a quickening pace - and even more so that it translates into the help that you and your team are looking for.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, drop us a line or you can find my information below. I’ll do my best to help.

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Twitter:
 @At1MP
Phone: 407.756.1377

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This week our Charity Spotlight shines on The Warrick Dunn Foundation.  Warrick Dunn - NFL Superstar, Philanthropic Leader and Seminole Alumnus - has set the bar on how to kick butt when it comes to garnering support and awareness for his foundation. The non-profit is supported by diligent and caring employees who tweet, blog, Facebook and write grants, all while aiding single parents in obtaining home ownership.  Read about how the Foundation’s Executive Director, Jennifer Maxwell, has utilized social media, and other tools to do fundraising and outreach, so that they can provide those that are less fortunate with opportunities of a lifetime.

Please tell us a little bit about the Warrick Dunn foundation and how you have been able to help.

The Warrick Dunn Foundation is dedicated to providing opportunities for economically disadvantaged single parents and their children who have demonstrated a commitment to achieve financial independence and stability. The founder, Warrick Dunn, is the son of Betty Smothers, a hard-working police officer and single mom who was killed in the line of duty when Warrick was a senior in high school. Sadly, she was never able to realize the American dream of owning her own home. That dream has become the mission of the Warrick Dunn Foundation, and every family we help honors the unbreakable spirit of Mrs. Smothers while achieving the stability that comes with homeownership.
To date, we have assisted 86 single parents and 233 children and dependents in four cities Warrick has a personal connection to: Tampa and Tallahassee, Fla., Baton Rouge, La., and Atlanta, Ga.

What is your most memorable story about someone that the Warrick Dunn Foundation has helped?

Right before I took over as Executive Director, I participated in our most recent home giveaway to the family of Shawn Palic, a single mother of three beautiful children, two of which she adopted when their need for a loving home was brought to her. She took them in, even though the family lived in a trailer at the end of a dirt road. She kept working and kept pushing on, which is exactly what the Warrick Dunn Foundation is all about: financial independence earned through hard work. It stands out in my memory, not only because of the compelling story, but because I was able to participate hands-on and see the fruits of my labor on Shawn’s face when she opened the door to her new life.

What social media networks has the WDF used, and what has been most effective? Who are you hoping to connect with?

We use Twitter and Facebook the most. Twitter is probably better for connecting with the fans of our founder, Warrick Dunn, whereas Facebook brings in a lot of people who are simply moved by his story and what the foundation does. Through these outlets, we hope to connect with a different kind of audience than what our usual outreach has been able to do in the past.

Has the celebrity of Warrick Dunn changed how people connect with your organization online?

Warrick’s name has definitely helped the Foundation kind of reel in his fans and give them a sense of involvement in what he’s doing and a sense of engagement in their own communities. Because he has programs in four cities—all of which he has personal ties to—it lends a certain accessibility to his celebrity that resonates with his fans and converts them to foundation followers.

How are you currently keeping in touch with those that have been helped? What tools might help you to do so more easily or effectively?

In order to track the progress of our families, as well as make improvements for future programs, we commissioned a survey in 2006, which helped us reconnect with who we’ve helped over the years. In addition, every home we give away is furnished with a computer from Aaron’s Sales & Lease, which we see as a valuable tool for the families to reach back to our foundation and out to other organizations.  We are also interested in the possibility of creating a way for our recipients to contact each other and share tips on everything from how to manage money to how to bake a casserole for four kids.

In a short time, the Warrick Dunn Foundation went from being nominated to a contender for our Top Ten. How were you able to mobilize so many of your supporters?

We reached out to our contact base through e-mail (ConstantContact), newsletters and social media. I think it was embraced by so many people because it’s a way for them to help our foundation even if they don’t have the time to volunteer or the money to donate. Numerous Twitter breaks during our workday probably contributed, too. And voting is so easy!

Are there any new social media tools you have recently discovered? What network or facet of social media are you most interested in learning about to help the foundation?

We only just jumped on the Twitter bandwagon about two months ago, and our most recent endeavor, which seems so obvious now, is Facebook Causes. The potential for donations is the draw for Facebook. Our traditional methods of fundraising are not quite as effective in this economy, so we’re having to diversify. We are still learning a lot about Twitter, and we are looking into blogs as a more in-depth way to share the stories of our program recipients and expand our reach into the blogosphere, which is hopefully a welcoming place. 

Do you have any advice to share with other charities that are learning to use online media to communicate with their constituents?

There are so many options, so it’s important to centralize your communications to one focus. Use Twitter and Facebook to reach out and pull people into your network of supporters, instead of just isolating each social media outlet to its own entity until it becomes more of a distraction. Social media is a fun, interactive, engaging and unpredictable way to get your message out there, but remember it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to build it and maintain it.

In 140 characters or less, tell us what excites you most about CommuniCause.
@CommuniCause encourages nonprofits to branch out by tapping into the dynamic world of social media, gaining support one tweet at a time.

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Thank you for taking the time to talk with us Jennifer! It’s been a pleasure to learn about your organization, and I’m sure that your insight will help to guide our readers in their quest.

Don’t forget to visit the Warrick Dunn Foundation on their Website, follow them on Twitter and add them to your network.

We’re down to just over a week left for voting. If you’ve got an ace up your sleeve, it’s time to use it! We’re excited to feature a handful of charities in our final week, but wish we could feature all of you. As always, contact me if I can answer any questions!

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Twitter:
 @At1MP
Phone: 407.756.1377

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