What are the Three Rs of Digital Advocacy?

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What are the Three Rs of Digital Advocacy?
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Learn how to

• Effectively build and retain a loyal membership
  base.
• Dramatically increase online fundraising and
  donor efforts.
• Promote your organization and its goals through
  dynamic online grassroots activism.

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Focusing onThe THREE Rs

• Recruit new members
• (Both paying and non-paying members)
• Retain existing members
• (Lower attrition rates)
• Revitalize members
• (Revitalized members become activists. Activists
  recruit new members.)

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RECRUITING Two major methods

• Traditional (Door to Door)
• Digital (Mouse to Mouse)

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RECRUIT Examples of Digital Recruiting

• Digital Word of Mouth
• Advocacy through Actions (excited visitors can be
  inspired to become members)
• Newsletters (extend outreach, lower costs,
  frequency)
• E-Mail a Friend (viral marketing)
• E-cards
• Blogs (Web-logs give personalization to
  organization)

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RECRUIT Digital Word-of-Mouth

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• Members must understand that it is not only
  acceptable, but they are encouraged to
  communicate ideas to others. Surprisingly, many
  members feel powerless to help the cause.

• Turn your members into RECRUITERS.
• Existing members must be empowered to spread the
  word
• Members must have compelling issues to talk about
• Members must communicate while ideas are fresh
• Instead of just Disseminating Information,
  INSPIRE DIALOGUE.
• Members must have adequate tools to allow them to
  communicate effectively

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• Subject matter is critical. ont just thing about
  delivering the message, make sure the message is
  clear an concise. The more to the point, the more
  likely it will be communicated to others
  correctly.

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• People have a tendency to communicate about the
  most recent news first. Shelf-life of
  word-of-mouth is very poor. Even worse, the less
  compelling the information is, the more likely it
  is to be communicated incorrectly (the telephone
  game).

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• Tools help ensure the associations message is
  communicated correctly. Incorrect communication
  can actually damage the associations mission.

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RECRUIT Advocacy through Actions

• An Action is worth a Thousand Words
• Digital Advocacy (lobbying, activism, etc.)
• Online Petitions
• Group Events (online signup for conferences,
  rallies)
• eFundraising (Breast Cancer Walk)

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RECRUIT Newsletters

• (Whether print, electronic or both) Newsletters
  are essential to getting your message out.
• Online newsletters allow non-members to find out
  about your organization with little/no additional
  cost.
• Newsletters can be tailored to individual members
  with campaign specific information.
• Newsletters inspire Action (as mentioned
  previously).

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RECRUIT E-Mail a Friend

• E-Mail a Friend allows visitors to easily share
  interesting information with friends, family and
  acquaintances.
• Personalized messages from a trusted source are
  more likely to be read.
• Because it comes from a trusted source, E-mail a
  Friend drives traffic to your organizations web
  site.

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RECRUIT E-Cards

• Surprisingly, E-Cards work!
• E-Cards increase awareness and visibility among
  potential members.
• E-Cards can contain both personalized messages
  and promotes your organization and its mission.

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RECRUIT BLOGS

• BLOGS (short for Web Logs) are personal
  websites which are easily updated by
  non-technical users.
• The BLOG Phenomenon.
• Personal Websites containing BLOGS are growing
  virally as much as 25 per week.
• BLOGS influence 50 Billion searches a week.
• BLOGS are an untapped resource.

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RETENTION The Hidden Problem

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• Associations often times are inundated by cranky
  members. It is often easier to concentrate on
  getting new members than keeping old ones. Keep
  this in mind For each thrilled member one to
  three others may experience positive information
  about your organization. For each upset customer,
  nine to twelve people mind hear about how awful
  your organization is.

• Recruiting efforts sometimes overshadow retention
  efforts.
• Balancing recruiting and retention high
  attrition rates can make recruitment efforts
  pointless.
• For each thrilled member, one to three others may
  experience positive information about your
  organization.
• For each upset customer, nine to twelve people
  might hear about how awful your organization is.

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• Lowering of member-care, and not properly
  communicating the value of existing members may
  cause some to leave, or seek satisfaction
  elsewhere.

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• Loosing members equal to or faster than gaining
  them is unacceptable. Look for problems with
  communication about the mission. Members might be
  receiving mixed messages.

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• Members like to feel they are getting their
  moneys worth from an organization.

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RETENTION Communication is Key

• Online tools Facilitate Better Communication
• EMPOWER MEMBERS Create better activists using
  online tools.
• KNOW YOUR MEMBERS Use online tracking to build
  an in-depth personalized relationship with your
  members and donors.
• INSPIRE DIALOGUE Create an online community
  using Forums, Chat, personal websites (blogs),
  surveys.
• MAKE AN E-DIFFERENCE Online activism gets your
  message across to elected officials and industry
  leaders.

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REVITALIZE Fuel Growth

• Revitalized Members will
• Inspire others to join (Recruitment)
• Remain loyal (Better Retention)
• Initiate new fundraising efforts
• Actively participate in grassroots advocacy
  (online community, online activism, conferences,
  rallies, events)
• Promote your organization and its goals.

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REVITALIZE The Sacred Bond

• Create strong bonds Marry your members to the
  cause. Keep your members informed and active with
  fresh content, new events, and open dialogue.
• Cement trust by creating a reciprocal
  relationship.
• Winning team Showcase your achievements. As
  your organization demonstrates its
  accomplishments, members are more likely to
  continue supporting your cause.

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SUMMARY
The Three Rs of Digital Advocacy will empower
your organization to

• Effectively build and retain a loyal membership
  base.
• Dramatically increase online fundraising and
  donor efforts.
• Promote your organization and its goals through
  dynamic online grassroots activism.