F2F Beats “Like” Every Time

Mary Schmidt

Jan 20, 2012

This is the first post in my new blog category, Do Good. Do Well.  Each Friday, I’ll be writing about how we can leave the world a little (maybe even a lot) better than we found it.

From How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media: “An astounding 97 percent of nonprofits are using social media, far surpassing even the business world,” says Nora Ganim Barnes, co-author of a study released last year by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research.

Makes perfect sense. Social media enables people to make connections. You need connections to build relationships. Relationships meanlong-term, committed donors and supporters.

However, think about it.  How much emotional investment do you really make when you click a “like” button?  Or share an article? Or retweet?  If you’re like me, it’s a matter of a second and then I move on. 

I’m a “do gooder” from way back.  Volunteer work. Nonprofit boards. Fundraising.  Etc. etc. etc.  And, the biggest challenge is ALWAYS how to get people hooked on your particular cause.  After all, there are literally millions of groups that need help (In New Mexico alone,  we’ve got over 200 nonprofits.)  Even if someone really, really wants to help…the choices can be overwhelming. But, hey, I hit that “like” button, I’m a good person!

...and then there are those photographs we all get in the mail and flip past in magazines.

“Unfortunately, statistics about an organization’s work aren’t as emotionally engaging as a photograph of a child in need. Numbers and percentages don’t appeal to our sense of compassion, and looking at graphs feels too academic to be enjoyable for most people.” - How Nonprofits Make Data Fun

Certainly, photos help.  Videos do too.  But we’ve all seen a lot of those too. 

So, how can a nonprofit get new supporters?  Well, here’s how Global Hope Network International hooked me.

I got to know one person, face-to-face, over a three-day conference.  Jeff Power, the US Partnership Director put a real 3-D face on the group, backed by a brain full of good ideas and a heart full of commitment. (He’s also just a little crazy and a lot funny.)

We talked a lot about social media (since we were at a social media conference).  He told me that some of GHNI’s supporters were terribly disappointed in their efforts to get people to adopt a village.  Seems “I’ve got 700 friends!” doesn’t often translate to success.  (Same goes for Twitter followers.)  That’s why Jeff spends so much time getting out and meeting people, in addition to his international trips to the GHNI villages.  He also explained that GHNI doesn’t simply throw money at a problem; they work to help the poorest of the poor” villages become self-sustaining. And, they hire locals to help with the work.  It’s all about solving the problems instead of simply treating the symptoms. (For example, much of the aid goods shipped around the world end up rotting on docks or on the black market.)

So, yes, as a problem-solver by nature, I’m hooked.  I’m working with some other bloggers in a systematic approach to social media, so we can adopt a village….maybe two.  Who knows? Maybe even more.  The F2F component will remain critical throughout. 

Check back next Friday.  There’s more to come as we nail down details with Jeff and his team.  I’ll also be talking about our progress in that systematic approach, with lessons learned and research findings.

And, if you’d like to get involved right away, simply email me or leave a comment below.

In Do Good. Do Well., Social Media For Skeptics