Social Media

Run Facebook Ads Through MailChimp

Run Facebook Ads Through MailChimp

MailChimp recently announced their easy integration with Facebook Ads.

Why should you care?

Easier interface for beginners

Setting up Facebook Ads can be a bit overwhelming for people new to the process. MailChimp’s clean layout and step-by-step process feels much easier.

Everything in one place

Speed up your production time and get campaigns out the door faster by handling your email blast and Facebook ad campaign at the same time.

Easy multi-channel campaigns

Did you know you can limit your Facebook ad campaign to just the people on your email list? Cool, huh? A great way to focus your campaign, test your content and create overall lift in response rates.

No Additional Cost

Using MailChimp to set up your Facebook ad campaign costs nothing more than if you did it all directly through Facebook.

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I’m a big fan of MailChimp, especially as they continue to grow. Sure, there are some more sophisticated mass email products out there. But for the vast majority of nonprofits and small businesses, MailChimp can’t be beat for it’s simplicity, easy integration with other products and continual improvements.

P.S. No, MailChimp doesn’t pay me to rave about them. But I did get a free t-shirt once.

 

Get going on email marketing and Facebook ads.
Even if you don’t use MailChimp, for many nonprofits and small businesses, email and Facebook are the best options for gaining traction.

NathanRun Facebook Ads Through MailChimp
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3 Tips To Reach Older Generations Through Digital

3 Tips To Reach Older Generations Through Digital

“But our audience is older. We need some other way to reach them than digital.”

Really?

According to the 2016 Neilson Social Media Report, a whopping 77% of Americans age 50+ now have smartphones — up 12% since last year.

So what does that mean for you?

1. Don’t discount digital marketing

Don’t think of digital as an add-on to your strategy for reaching people 50+. Make it part of the core. Consider digital only campaigns targeted specifically at that age group. They usually have more money than a younger generation and they spend / give more online than offline. So if you strategize well, your return on investment could be amazing.

2. Use multi-channel digital marketing

You’re thinking Facebook, right? Sure, it’s the best bang for your buck right now and should definitely be a core part of reaching that 50+ crowd. But you’ll skyrocket your response rates by targeting those same people with an email. And be sure to have a fantastic website landing page for that campaign.

3. Get fancy with digital marketing

Wanna do even more? Re-target people who didn’t respond to your campaign the first time. Use a pop-up lightbox to increase quick conversions. Try A/B testing your headlines, images and offers to see what’s driving response.

Bottom line: We all live in a digital world.
Reaching people age 50+ through digital is just a matter of smart strategy.

Nathan3 Tips To Reach Older Generations Through Digital
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3 Keys To Effective Social Media For Nonprofits

3 Keys To Effective Social Media For Nonprofits

At a conference last week, a woman said to me, “My nonprofit needs to boost our social media presence, but we don’t really have staff or money. What should we do?”

I couldn’t help her with staffing or money. But I gave her three key components to help any nonprofit — large or small — establish a powerful social media strategy.

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Great content is the lifeblood of social media. Her first priority needs to be setting up a blog as “home base”. This is where she’ll post great stories, photos, events and other news. Then, when she shares this same content on social media, she’ll always link back to the blog post to drive traffic to her website.

Next, she needs to set up a content calendar. This ensures that compelling content will be released on social media consistently. Note the focus on both quality and quantity. But if forced to sacrifice due to staffing or money limitations, I always recommend focusing on quality — posting great content, even if it means posting less often. Why? Because you’re building a reputation and earning your audience’s trust that your content is worth taking time to read.

Lastly, she needs to balance her content by focusing on these three simple topics:

1. Celebrate

Make your audience feel great! Nonprofits are notorious for posting sad-looking photos of children and animals to guilt people into giving. That can work (see Activate below), but proceed cautiously and use it sparingly.

People come to Facebook to see what’s up with friends and family. Act like family. Post photos and updates that make people feel good about supporting you. Show success. Be real. Be conversational. Show behind the scenes of everyday life at your nonprofit.

ACTION POINT: Gather feel-good photos and stories to share.

Make it an agenda item at every meeting to ask, “What can we celebrate? What goals have we reached? What good news is happening for the people / animals / environment we’re helping at our nonprofit?” Then add those to your content calendar.

2. Educate

Help your audience learn! Become a trusted resource on the topic your nonprofit specializes in. Brainstorm a bit. What misconceptions do people have? What surprising facts and figures can you share? What do you wish the public would understand? Do people really know what you do?

ACTION POINT: Create and share resources that inform.

Publish “top ten” lists like “10 Myths About (your topic)”. Share new reports from government agencies or other nonprofits. Make infographics — compelling visuals that explain facts / figures. Show how a donor’s dollar flows through your nonprofit to create a positive result.

3. Activate

Give your audience a way to help! Your social media audience has some of your most loyal supporters and champions. Post an urgent need, and they’ll likely jump right on it.

ACTION POINT: Create a variety of ways for people to help.

This is the time to show those photos of hungry people, devastated forests, and other needs. Save them for when the need is truly urgent.

Keep in mind that not everyone has money to give. Ask for dollars, sure. But also provide volunteer opportunities. Even better, give them something they can do on their own — like purchase items and pack care kits for people in need. People want to help. Get creative and show them a variety of ways to get involved.


Celebrate, educate, activate. Feel, think, do.
A great way to balance your nonprofit’s social media content calendar.


ADD YOUR THOUGHT:

What advice would you give to a nonprofit trying to ramp up their social media?

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Nathan3 Keys To Effective Social Media For Nonprofits
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