Eli – Page 39 – The Digital Nonprofit – a project of TechSoup Connect Canada

Somebody learned something at NetSquared Camp!

David Suzuki Foundation Healthy Oceans campaigner Jodi Stark attended NetSquared Camp last weekend. And she learned something! Yay! So these unconferences are worth doing.

Jodi’s story

Last weekend I went to Eli’s NetSquared Camp where I learned that an image coupled with some text is BY FAR the most liked, shared and commented on item you can post on Facebook.
Daren Barefoot and Theo Lamb from Capulet Communications presented some very recent (and still unpublished) research that looked at the posts of 25 top NGOs (including the David Suzuki Foundation) and analyzed what type of materials got the most traction.

A compelling image or infographic topped the list. It received significantly more likes, shares and comments than any other post, including video.

So, in the spirit of learning and experimenting, I decided last week to test this out and created this image on Facebook.

And guess what? It worked! We posted this on Saturday and in short order, we got:

1000 shares
180 comments
342 likes

(The DSF page was also liked by 1000 more people this weekend. We can’t attribute this to the image, but we do know that with 1000 shares, we got huge exposure to lots of new Facebook friends).

We also got:

3050 visits to the blog from Facebook (4500 total visit)
560 people who followed up and signed our action

As predicted, this is significantly higher than most of DSF’s FB posts. This blog received almost double the amount of views than any other healthy oceans blog in the last year, and that doesn’t include the number of eye balls who saw the image on FB but didn’t link to the blog).

The post is currently #2 (out of 158) post for ‘engaged users’ for 2012 (i.e. # of unique people who have clicked anywhere on the post).
The post is currently #5 (out of 158) for ‘most talked about’ (i.e. # of unique people liking, commenting or sharing the post).

The best part is – it’s fun and easy to do! Laura Lefurgey-Smith, our intern, did a great job with the image and was great to work with.

So, I encourage all of you in your work to think about an interesting, intriguing, odd or otherwise catchy image and some very short text to go with it. I think it’s a powerful entry point to our work.

Eli at the NTEN’s NTC conference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIf-dxgdKG8

I joined the NetSquared Global Leadership Council at the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference. Good times!

But I was ambushed by Vanessa Rhinesmith, who interviewed me and fellow meetup leader April Kyle.

I joined the NetSquared Global Leadership Council at the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference. Good times!

But I was ambushed by Vanessa Rhinesmith, who interviewed me and fellow meetup leader April Kyle.

The ten most engaging Facebook posts

… as told by Darren Barefoot and Theo Lamb at NetSquared Camp 2012.

NetSquared Camp discussion proposals

NetSquared Camp is next Saturday. Yowzers! There are just 15 tickets left, so if you’re able to come please RSVP now.

The event is going to be an unconference, which means the participants (that’s you!) are in charge of the “programming.” But for those who need the illusion of certainty in life here’s a few discussion proposals from the NetSquared Camp community. There’s no guarantee that all of these sessions will emerge on April 28th – they may merge, morph or otherwise be modified.

Discussion proposals

The Science of Facebook Pages for NGOs: Darren Barefoot and Theo Lamb

We’ve just completed some research into what actually works in terms of garnering likes, comments and shares on Facebook pages. We analyzed 1000 posts from large environmental NGOs and are keen to report on our findings. Learn who’s doing Facebook well, and what really works to increase engagement.

Video: Amy Severson

Video can be a powerful tool for learning and inspiring. But how do you create, capture, present and talk about it? From what questions you should ask before starting, to the technologies available, what does it mean to the non-profit and to the community?

The Donation Form: talking nuts and bolts: Benjamin Johnson

Who has the best donation form in the biz? What are all the parts of the donation experience and what have emerged as best practices? Are there any themes running throughout the participants in regards to struggles, challenges, tools, etc?

Video Security: Dominic Linder

If anybody else is doing video subscriptions I would love to hear about what they are doing to prevent their videos from being downloaded (more than just having them in a secured login area).

Emotionally Intelligent Fundraising: eliasarjan

How can Emotional Intelligence be activated to improve our abilities to engage donors and generate funds? What are the key elements that lead to successful fundraising campaigns? Why are some people better suited to fundraising and how do we select and motivate them?

We could cover more depending on the time allotted. As for me this is what I teach and do. I’m currently the fundraising consultant and auctioneer for the Vancouver International Fringe Festival http://bit.ly/HIufQj and Artstravaganza

Online Engagement: Terry Coatta

Different styles of interaction are needed to engage people online depending on their expectations, needs, and role relative to the organization. The purpose of this session is to explore the different ways that we can engage with people online.

Top five ways to drive traffic to your site: Kris Klaasen

So, you’ve got a great website for your not-for-profit. How do you drive traffic to it so people will donate money, support your causes, sign petitions, attend your events?

Why I host Net Tuesday Vancouver

OH @NetTuesdayYVR last night: “I’ve learned more here in an hour & half than at three days of the AFP conference. And this was free.” #ntvan

— Chad Leaman (@chadleaman) April 4, 2012

HUGE thanks to Darian Kovacs for putting the event together. This is the first time that a monthly meetup was planned, promoted and hosted without my involvement, and I couldn’t be happier that Net Tuesday is evolving from a solo project into a self-sustaining volunteer-led institution.

– Eli

P.S. I’m also grateful for Chad Leaman‘s good ears.

This is what we are about…

This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capability.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

Notes: Online tools for nonprofits speed date

The April 3 2012 Net Tuesday Vancouver was a “speed date” (think Pecha Kucha or Ignite format) which crowd-sourced practical tools and tips that can help nonprofits GET THINGS DONE. The event was organized by Darian Kovacs and the rest of the organizing team.

Stalwart social media volunteer Kelvin (KC) Claveria documented the event on Twitter using our #ntvan hashtag. I organized and bundled up the tweets using Storify. Enjoy.

Learn with the help of stick figures

Claire Kerr is knocking it out of the park these days with her hilarious slide decks.
If you get a chance to see her speak (she’s based out of Toronto and works for Artez) you should. You will laugh: the decks are funny because they’re true.

Also, she is a hat friend.

Seven Reasons You Didn't Raise Money With Social Media

View more PowerPoint from Claire Kerr

And here’s her Ignite presentation from the NTC 2012 conference.
I am particularly enamoured of “tedious data entry for social good”.

#12ntcignite: The Best Rejected Charitable Sector Conference Sessions of 2012

View more PowerPoint from Claire Kerr

CBC’s Legacy: Past, Present, Future

Net Tuesday is proud to be a media sponsor for this event put on by our pals at Gen Y Media Project, LeadNow.ca and OpenMedia.ca

The best way for the CBC to thrive is to build a community of supporters who have a true sense of ownership over the organization. To this end, as part of a national campaign led by media advocacy groups, Gen Why Media is bringing together seasoned professionals, up-and-coming CBC talent, outside experts, media innovators, and citizens in a celebratory event that will add new energy to the CBC and help articulate a fresh vision for public media.DATE: May 7th, 2012 | 7pm–10pmVENUE: The Vogue Theatre

TICKETS

RSVP

Event details:

• Opening Performance: Percussion drumming representing the variety of cultures that highlight Canada’s diverse talent, cultural innovation and artistic excellence.

• Storytelling: three cultural creators tell stories about how the CBC has been pivotal to their lives, careers and understanding of their country. Stories from: John MacLachlan Gray, Ivan Coyote and Christine McAvoy.

• Visioning (6-minute visual presentations): As the CBC reflects on and celebrates its 75-year history, how do we imagine it’s future? How will the CBC grow over the next 75 years? What areas for growth, change, transformation, and innovation could it pursue? What ideas or models could inspire its next generation of work? Visions from: Wade Davis, Kathleen Cross, Sean Devlin, Steve Pratt, Jarrett Martineau and Nettie Wild.

• Closing Performance: Local Super Group of indie musicians. Performances by: Dan Mangan, Aidan Knight, Hannah Epperson and Zachery Gray.

Learn more about the campaign here: www.reimaginecbc.ca

Net Tuesday Pub Night

Net Tuesday Vancouver – presented by NetSquared

Please join us for Net Tuesday’s first pub night!

We cancelled our regularly scheduled meetup because we found out that you’re shy. You don’t like talking about your failures in public.

What’s the solution to your reticence? Liquor!

But seriously, please come to connect with us in a less formal setting than the monthly meetup.

Sorry – no minors allowed this time.

P.S. Come early if you want free snacks.

Vancouver, BC – Canada

Tuesday, March 6 at 6:00 PM

Attending: 14

Details: http://www.meetup.com/Vancouver-social-media-nonprofits-social-change/events/54630222/