Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the issues highlighted by Causes leaving MySpace and ideablob suddenly shutting down. One of the biggest issues that has come out of the blog posts and the conversations in the comments is the idea of data. To review the other blog posts about these topics, visit the Causes post, ideablob post or the guest post for Tactical Philanthropy.
This evening, Joe Solomon pointed out a great example that touches on data, social media, 3rd party platforms, and being proactive with getting your supporters connected directly with your organization – all things we’ve touched on in the conversations about Causes and ideablob! That example? Greenpeace International on facebook.
When visiting the Greenpeace International facebook page, visitors see the Take Action tab as default, instead of the typical facebook wall or information pages. Why I think this is a great example of leveraging the tools within a 3rd party site:
- Data: GP is letting supporters connect with the organization directly by giving their email address straight to the GP database, not the facebook database. If anything were to happen to the facebook fan application, or facebook all together, GP would still be able to communicate with supporters.
- Action: It’s not just about getting email addresses, but also cutting straight to chase: take action! This strategy ensures that users (whether they are already “fans” or not) are given opportunities to take action as soon as they visit the page.
- Community: Remember that using social media platforms is all about going where your community already is and making supporting your work part of the process they already have online. That doesn’t mean that because a user first found you on facebook (maybe through another friend’s actions, etc.) does not also mean that they only want to connect with you in that same platform. Some users may only want to be a “fan” of your work on facebook, others may want to be on your email list or become a major supporter, fundraiser, or activist on your behalf. This is an example in providing options, and not assuming a 3rd party platform connection is all that’s wanted.
Thanks, Greenpeace, for being a great example and a leader!
Thanks for finding this example on Facebook! I think you are absolutely right – go where the supporters are, and ask them to take action. I’m working with one nonprofit right now that is designing a custom landing page for its facebook group with the exact same purpose – gather email address, urge them to act. Social media is about moving people to act, and Greenpeace has it right. Nice to see another example of this thinking.
Thanks, Debra! Happy to share great examples when I find them 🙂
Would love to see the page you are working on, either once it’s up or no to help share ideas!