Gary’s Social Media Count and Fundraising
Making a pretty strong case for paying attention to user uptake among Facebook, Twiiter, blogs, iPhone applications, and other user applications, Gary Hayes has created a flash application that displays some pretty compelling data as well as some interesting lack of usage as well. Facebook “Cause” giving had many non-profit organizations licking their chops over what could have been a major opportunity to tie into the 300 million Facebook users and their wallets. Instead of Facebook users embracing a new opportunity to give money, they have instead held fast and many examples of failed revenue generation.
Why?
While Facebook offers a very easy method for requesting “Cause” donations, it does not offer the kind of recognition that I think comes from making a contribuiton to an organization through their stand alone website. So why don’t individuals take the next step and just contribute through the organization website after the Facebook prompt ? Good question.
Often Facebook requests for donations come from 2nd tier friends and this takes some of the legitmacy of the request away. Or maybe we don’t want to help those 2nd tier friends look like the next pillar of good. Either way, the great expectations of Facebook giving have fallen short.
What does this mean for social media fundraising opportunities? Lots, in that while individuals may not cough it up on Facebook, we can still communicate organization needs via social media and leverage opportunities to raise awareness and activate brand ambassadors in a coordiante fundraising campaign. In fact donating is a personal experience and how we present it to givers is extremely important. Thus while Facebook has not opened the flood gates it offers us the guidance to target our non-profit campaigns and keep it very personal.