Transcript Online Organizing 101 What We’ll Cover • • • • • • Who’s Online? Why People Respond What the Internet Can Do Internal Organization Online Tools Track & Engage.

Online Organizing 101
What We’ll Cover
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Who’s Online?
Why People Respond
What the Internet Can Do
Internal Organization
Online Tools
Track & Engage
Who’s Online?
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project
April 2009 Survey
Why People Respond
• Engaging them where they
spend a large amount of time
• Tapping into what they’re
already interested in
• Connecting with them visually
through video and pictures
• Timeliness and sense of urgency
• Meaningful action
What the Internet Can Do
Online organizing allows you to:
• Scale your actions
• Connect with people you couldn’t
possibly visit in person
• Articulate a clear theory of change
in a transparent way
• Empower supporters to take action
in their own communities
• Engage new audiences
from http://www.cheswick.com/ches/map/
Online Organizing
• Should be integrated into
every corner of your org
• Complements and improves:
– Fundraising
– Communications
– Field plans
– Volunteer program
Fundraising
Online
Presence
Field/Organizing
• Must have an offline
connection
Communications
Internal Organization
• Who has responsibility for new media initiatives?
• How much time do they have?
• How can you coordinate with other departments in
your organization?
• How can you develop an event calendar &
organize around milestones and key dates?
• Who can be an internal ally in this work?
Online Tools
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Website
Email
Online Fundraising
Blogs
Social Networking Sites
Video
Metrics
1. Website
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Email signup form
Organized navigation & content
Clean design – don’t mumble!
Pictures & photos
Sharability
Bio/About/Issues section
Call to action buttons (e.g., donate, volunteer)
Promote presence on social networking sites
Home Page Example
Issue Page Example
2. Email
From line (voice of the org)
Subject line (engaging and action-oriented)
Clean design – don’t mumble!
Content
– Short paragraphs with a link
– Conversational
– One “ask”
• Frequency
• Landing Page
• Email calendar
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Email Examples
3. Online Fundraising
• Empower supporters and provide a way for them to
take action
• Set goals and deadlines
• Use personal stories whenever possible
• Be transparent (explain where the money will go)
• Make it as easy as possible for supporters to donate
Donation Page Example
The form is on
one page. It’s
not a multiple
step process.
4. Blogs
• Articles that contain news and commentary and that
might include video and pictures
• Don’t just recite/re-post a press release
• Be engaging and exciting; give readers a reason to
return
• Utilize free blog software
• Connect with other bloggers – don’t blog in a silo
Blog Examples
5. Social Networking Sites
• Emphasize two-way communication and
collaboration
• Take advantage of the networks of your supporters
– exponential expansion
• Let people know how they can get involved
• Be super-responsive to questions that are posted
• Select which social network(s) make the most sense
Facebook Example
Twitter Example
Social Networking Examples
There are a lot social networking sites out there!
6. Using Video
• Has emotional bandwidth and immense capacity for
storytelling
• “Going viral” is like becoming famous – no one has control
over it and it’s usually the result of really hard work
• Focus on content and message
• Understand the process of making a quality video and plan
accordingly (pre-production, production, post-production)
• Utilize free video hosting sites
Video Example: Fidelity
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Created by Courage Campaign
Inexpensive production cost. Photos of supporters holding similar sign (built a campaign asking
for photos). Set to music of Regina Spektor (used with her permission).
http://www.youtube.com/v/b-awVQkTeVE
7. Metrics
• Monitor your initiatives and
track the progress against
your goals
• Learn from your successes
and failures
Google Analytics
• Listen to feedback
• Try new things
TubeMogul
7. Metrics
Some metrics to follow:
• Website: visits, unique visitors, page views, search
words
• Email: open rate, click-thru rate
• Fundraising: avg. donation, number of donations
• Blog: trackbacks
• Social network sites: number of members/new
names, video/photo views, wall comments
• Video: views, comments
Example: 350.org Day of Action
350.org: Action Resources for Offline Ask
350.org: Video
Watch the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kg1oOq9tY
350.org: Social Networks
350.org: Email
Contact Info
New Organizing Institute
(202) 558-5585
[email protected]
www.neworganizing.com
www.twitter.com/neworganizing