Trudel | MacPherson
Fundraising Strategies: Making Social Media Mission Critical
Professional Development Workshop at the Performing Arts Exchange 2012 Miami, Florida
Trudel | MacPherson principals, Rory MacPherson and Mary Trudel headlined at South Arts’ annual booking conference for East Coast presenters. Drawing on data from our national How Strong Is Your Social Net national survey, and hundreds of practitioner interviews, we explored best practices in using social media to generate contributed income. Skills and tactics highlighted ranged from crowd-funding to donor cultivation to sponsorship trades and eyeball farming.
The PowerPoint presentation of our workshop is available here. A few highlights:
Nationally only 5% of arts groups report use of social media has delivered mission critical or major results. 70% of survey respondents report achieving either good or some results but a significant percentage – 24% — report no results.
Our workshop highlighted the importance of treating fundraising as part of a continuum of audience engagement. Noting that “You can’t ask someone to marry you on the first date,” Mary described a cultivation approach which rewards and engages prospects at every level of interest. Major donors expect tangible rewards and recognition such as building naming rights and personal attention. We suggested that every level of engagement requires a “What’s in it for me?” response. Prospects, casual donors, subscribers, regular attendees and increasingly loyal donors can be cultivated by creative use of access and prominence, moving audiences to become fans, donors and evangelists for your organization.
We discussed effective use of social media is building engagement on steroids! The best organizations understand that their greatest assets are — to use a Facebook word – their friend relationships with audiences, visitors, fans and patrons. These groups can be mobilized to help but you CANNOT make those friends in a crisis.
Friends are made on the frontlines through individual experiences that bring fans closer or push them away. We’ve reviewed 8 important elements of effective engagement which can solidify engagement and make social media mission critical for your fundraising:
1. It’s Not One Size Fits All
2. Make it Personal + Concrete + Time Sensitive
3. Connect with Values and Value Connections
4. Listen and Respond
5. Cultivate Productive Partnerships
6. Eyeball Farming Only Works with Friends
7. Measure What Matters
8. Involve the Whole Organization
We’d love to hear about your experiences making social media mission critical in fundraising. Do be in touch.
As part of the global Communicating The Museum Conference at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Trudel | MacPherson and Sen Associates presented back to back Strengthening Your Social Net: Adapting to a Connected Future workshops on June 28th
Mary Trudel and Jai Sen addressed delegates at the international Communicating The Museum Conference held at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Noting that, “Adopting digital and social media is no longer optional,” Mary and Jai reviewed the larger, long-term technology issues affecting visual arts organizations and museums.
Based on our landmark How Strong Is Your Social Net? study of digital and social media adoption and usage among arts organizations, we presented an overview of digital media attitudes, successes, and challenges facing visual arts organizations and museums specifically. Looking at the issue from a macro view gave participants an opportunity to compare their experiences with others’ and shape their strategies by making more informed decisions about which technologies to adopt.
Participants completed a brief questionnaire during the session comparing their results and institutional attitudes with the national sample. Respondents indicated minimal resistance to adopting digital and social platforms with only 30% reporting “some resistance” and 35% describing resistance as “only a little.” Most respondents reported solid results from their social media efforts – especially increased website traffic and positive audience feedback — with only 10% noting audience response as “indifferent.”
A majority of respondents reported adding video/audio/mobile content and scannable codes with a smaller percentage mentioning games, contests and interactive exhibits. Most respondents measure results via website analytics with more than half also tracing influence and press/media coverage.
Full results of the live survey follow:
1. To what extent have you encountered resistance within your organization around adopting digital and social platforms?
• Only a little (35%)
• Some (30%)
• None (26%)
• A lot (9%)
________________________________________
2. How have your audiences responded to your technology programs?
• Positively (62%)
• Mixed (29%)
• Indifferently (10%)
• Negatively (0%)
________________________________________
3. Do you consider your organization to be well-suited for enhancements of the museum experience through the implementation or expansion of any or all of the following technologies?
• Video content (41%)
• All of the above (35%)
• Audio tours or content for mobile devices (29%
• Interactive experiences around exhibits (29%)
• None of the above (12%)
• Virtual tours (12%)
________________________________________
4. What types of technology-based programs have you implemented at your institution?
• Video content (56%)
• Enhanced content (38%)
• Scannable codes (for example, QR codes) (38%)
• Games or contests (25%)
• Virtual or interactive exhibits (25%)
• Other (19%)
• Virtual tours (19%)
• Augmented reality (6%)
• None of the above (6%)
• Way-finding and location awareness (0%)
________________________________________
5. In what areas have you seen the best results using social media and digital communications?
• Increased website traffic (75%)
• Positive audience feedback (63%)
• Increased social media influence (63%)
• Partnerships with peer organizations or businesses (31%)
• Increased admissions (25%)
• Press or media exposure (19%)
• Stronger sponsorships or funding (6%)
• Other (6%)
• None of the above (0%)
________________________________________
6. How are you measuring your results?
• Website analytics (94%)
• Social media monitoring and influence measurement tools (56%)
• Press or media coverage (56%)
• Tracking fan activity in online communities (25%)
• Online surveys or feedback via your website (25%)
• Coded offers (19%)
• Staff time spent (6%)
• Revenues (including donations and grants) (6%)
• Other (6%)
• Increased revenues (0%)
Trudel | MacPherson Principals Mary and Rory Lead Workshop at NJ Thrive Arts Conference 2012
Photo credit: Laura Pedrick Photography
Hosted by Art Pride New Jersey and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the conference brought together more than 100 New Jersey arts organizations from all across the state. The conference theme reflected the importance of seamlessly integrating marketing, development and advocacy into all aspects of daily business. T|M was invited to review findings from our national How Strong Is Your Social Net? Research project and compare responses from the more than 35 NJ arts groups who took the survey with national data. We also moderated an interactive workshop designed to improve and integrate organizations’ communications strategies and audience engagement plans.
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