Stephanie Dickard's blog

Did you notice the new Facebook group changes? No? Well not many people have either... some things you need to consider:

Facebook generates a bar at the top of the group page with photos of members who have recently interacted with the group. Depending on the group, this can be an invasion that members are not prepared for. These photos (blurred above) when hovered over display a member's name and a link to their profile page. Granted, you can access a list of group members, but never at this level of fanfare.

The group in the screen shot above is the Maryland Music Network, a group that connects the Maryland music community online via Facebook (read more here). But for more identity sensitive groups, like those moderated by The MAGIC Foundation for medical conditions, this change has been percieved as a privacy concern.

Privacy aside, this is a big chance for branding for an organization or group.

1. Design a banner that is exactly 800 pixels wide by 200 pixels high.

2. Within the 200 pixels leave a 32 pixel bar at bottom to leave room in your design for the bar Facebook genreates from your group information.

3. Upload it to your Facebook group as an admin at the top right corner of the banner of images.

Here is what The MAGIC Foundation did for their parent groups:

This new feature for Facebook groups is a chance to display information about your group in a snap shot, but an even greater opportunity for branding your organization on the internet.

If this is any inclination of where branding for Facebook pages might be going, sign me up.

Engaging with their greater community

Nonprofits are typically the kings and queens of networking and cross promoting with one another, because they have to so they can survive. Most are out there for the greater good and can easily compliment one another despite the possibility of being in “competition” with one another. That is such a fine line for businesses in the for-profit world, the idea of marketing together with another similar business is daunting and seems counter-productive…but in the social media world it is seen as strategic.

Asking for awareness over money

Nonprofits thrive on donations, but they flourish more with awareness. They know this, so they ask for it over money when it comes to social media. Sure, they solicit donations for their causes, but they still say thank you the same way for sharing their messages that they do for money.

Manners go a long way on the internet and those manners get nonprofits support whether it’s big or small. The same way nonprofits need to know when to ask for money, businesses need to know when to sell and when to give the spotlight to a cause or industry news.

They know their voice

One of the most challenging aspects of defining a business’ online identity is finding their voice. You must find the accurate tone and language to convey what your business is and what you may be passionate about, whether it is related to your craft or not. Nonprofits are inherently passionate about their cause and the industry associated with it.

I’ve been planning events for over ten years, and well if you include the countless family extravaganzas and rallying together volunteers for ridiculous tasks that number is probably doubled just on frustration and learning the hard way alone.

Remember putting together events without social media, you know when you actually had to go out and talk to people or pick up the phone? It all has changed, but that does not mean your strategy should be all that different. The “build it and they will come” philosophy just leaves you with an empty room and eventually your ramblings about “what went wrong” leads to blaming the current economy.

So, here are my four mistakes of event planning with some easy suggestions to make your next event a success:

Relying on Facebook

Do not rely on Facebook for anything at all. I currently have over 20 event invitations in my Facebook inbox. I can barely tell what is relevant to me, I might be missing out on a killer art show or concert, but I wouldn’t know because some band from Texas invites me to all their gigs even though I’m over 1,500 miles away and my one aunt only uses Facebook to invite me to events that are “inspirational stories”. 

So what do you need to? You need to send emails, you need to use other websites, and you need actually call and invite people. The Internet is there to assist you, it is not there to do everything for you.

No central location for information

You need one place to direct possible attendees for information, not a Facebook page, an event, a ticket site, and your website. Don’t get me wrong, you need all those things but you need to be directing everyone to one place, and that one place is your website.

The real price of free events

Having a free event can seem appealing, however you’ve added no value to your event. If someone just doesn’t want to get out of bed that morning or something else comes up they have lost nothing in that exchange for other plans. You, the planner, on the other hand have empty seats and considerably less attendance. Of course, if you have a reputation for stellar events or were blessed with an amazing speaker or two, you might be ok.

Missing fundamental details

So there’s two weeks until your event and you are still figuring out the major details? This, my friend is not a good sign. You should have your major who, what, when, and why covered and publicized at least a month a head of your event, the sooner the better.

Navigating the email marketing world can be a headache. I know this because I spend most of my time working with MailChimp and Constant Contact for my client’s email marketing campaigns… writing, finding the right images, and editing. Let’s not forget link checking and most of all making sure the email will display correctly once it is sent out into the world.

So which provider should you choose? Sure, it is all on personal preference and expertise. I openly admit that I favor MailChimp over Constant Contact on the basis of usability and the fact they provide quirky links and quotes to lighten the mood (things like “Stephanie, May the chimp be with you” and this video). But there are some features of Constant Contact I wish MailChimp had.

Over the next few weeks I'll be posting about exploring the difference between the two regarding: media, editing, usability, and more.

But before I get into details – which do you prefer and why?

Related Posts:

Using Email Marketing & Website Contant for Community Building

Since the release of the new Facebook groups interface back in the Fall, I have been creating, monitoring, and participating in several groups. The major changes to the way Facebook groups function made me wonder how interactions would change or what new conversations would spark.

Without even actively seeking out new Facebook groups they have followed me wherever I go. Between taking classes with Marketing Profs University, virtual office space for I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business, and trying to build bridges in the fragmented Maryland music scene with Maryland Music Network - checking in with Facebook groups has become a part of my daily routine.

Logo by: Michael Muccioli

I created the Maryland Music Network for musicians and promoters in the Maryland area to join forces and network. As of today, we have nearly 400 members who post about shows, equipment for sale, opportunities, and community news. The discussions have been lively, debate heavy, and somewhat productive. While there are a lot of voices in one room, important conversations and new projects have been born on Maryland Music Network's Facebook wall.

Could these types of conversations happen without this Facebook group? Probably, but this group has given musicians and other music industry professionals a virtual room to sit in and network across genres and location.

Three Things I've Learned from Facebook Groups

Easy sign up within Facebook's interface increases membership 
Instead of trying to move users from where they are comfortable within Facebook's framework, keep them there right there. Not only do most people check Facebook every day, users will not have to remember to log into another site for updates.

Great for non-traditional offices
Convenient place for virtual office space - whether it has a professional or water-cooler tone.

Terrific for questions
Social media has always been a great place when you are looking for an answer, Facebook groups are perfect to reach out to a targeted audience for topic-specific questions. 

The social web space is simultaneously attached and fragmented—mostly everyone is present, but not connected. Sure, everyone is on Twitter and Facebook, but how do you find your community? Whether your community is mainly offline or is thriving already on social media, it is important to have certain portals of information available on the web or by email.

Over the past several months, I have been assisting the Highlandtown Arts & Entertainment District by developing content for their website and monthly newsletter. The quest began with the question-- How do you pull your community together online?

Highlandtown's Arts & Entertainment District (a.k.a. ha!) is the largest arts district in the state; encompassing Highlandtown, Patterson Park and portions of Canton and Greektown.  This organization meets monthly with community members and artists to organize the promotion and planning of events within the district. How do you keep such a buzzing community connected? Well with monthly email newsletters and actively updating website content—that’s how.  

Actively updating your website’s content gives your visitors a reason to check back in on your business or organization. For Highlandtown Arts, their active website gives artists and neighbors the information they need for upcoming events, contests, call for entries, and more. While your website acts as the information portal for your business or organization, a regularly schedule email campaign allows your organization to feature clear call to actions and useful information for your subscribers.

Highlandtown Art’s newsletter now includes vibrant content that features local artists and organizations to their email list with a monthly spotlight and event listing. These new features keep their mailing list connected to the Highlandtown Arts District, whether they are near or far.

Dynamic websites and email newsletters filled with rich content are easy ways for communities to stay connected and well-informed of events and opportunities. What other techniques do you use to keep your community connected?