April 30, 2013
Building an online presence is something many nonprofits are beginning to do, allowing potential donors and those interested in the organization to learn about its culture and other information. Looking into social media use could be an especially good idea as recent research from integrated consumer insight provider Experian Marketing Services revealed U.S. residents are spending more time on such sites than people in any other country.
Social media use continues to grow
The survey showed, on average, Americans spend 16 minutes of every hour online on social networking sites. Nonprofit organizations would be wise to capitalize on this opportunity to interact with people on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Ari Zoldan, president and CEO of Quantum Media Holdings, told Fox Business the popularity of mobile devices has only increased social media consumption. People are now constantly checking social sites and partaking in online conversations with various organizations.
"It's a total time zap," Zoldan told the news source. "If you think about it, we don't go anywhere without our mobile phones, we're always connected with social media."
Consumer devices can lead to instant connections
Americans are using social media at home, at work and even during their commute. If nonprofits publish engaging content and ask thought-provoking questions, they have a better chance of quickly growing their following. Smartphones can allow for real-time conversations on social media, and the survey found on average, Americans spend 15 percent of their time on their mobile phones accessing their social media pages.
"With smartphones and tablets becoming more powerful, our data clearly indicates the difference between mobile and traditional desktop usage further enabling the 'always on' consumer mentality," said Bill Tancer, general manager of global research for Experian Marketing Services. "Marketers need to understand these differences, as well as regionally, to ensure campaigns can be tailored for better and more effective engagement."
Opportunities for nonprofits to attract potential donors and increase interest in the organization has never had higher potential, thanks to Facebook and Twitter. However, managers at nonprofits should be sure to create a social media marketing strategy before getting started on any platform. Being consistent of social media is key, and there has to be a designated person, preferably with marketing experience, at the nonprofit that manages the social sites.
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We’ve been a member of First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program since 2011 and highly recommend joining. The program is terrific and allows us to earn interest on our own funds while still meeting the state’s requirements on unemployment payments. In addition, the staff are great and always helpful sorting out any questions we may have. Thank you all!
CCSCT was approached by First NonProfit to discuss its Unemployment Savings Program and ways the program could significantly reduce the amount of unemployment taxes we were paying. At the time, our agency was paying approximately $80,000 per year. First NonProfit conducted an analysis to determine if making the switch would be in our best interest, and it clearly was based on our circumstances. The first year on the program, CCSCT saw a 70% reduction in its unemployment costs and each year, continues to experience further reductions as a result of having minimal claims. Some additional benefits of the program including having a fixed annual cost, an interest-baring reserve account, professional unemployment claims management and representation at all unemployment hearings. This has been one of the best decisions we have made.
We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
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