92% of people around the world say they trust earned media, including recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising. Nonprofits have begun to harness the power of social media ambassadors for their giving days to build excitement and spread the word. Ambassadors can help raise awareness, donations, and digital relationships. Unlocking the power of social media ambassadors and activating their communities is essential for your digital nonprofit goals. Here's how to build an ambassador program for your nonprofit.
DEFINE THE PROGRAM
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES?
Are you trying to build awareness, raise donations, sign up volunteers? Will you utilize digital volunteers for years or just a few weeks? Success is easiest with short-term campaigns, like a 24-hour giving days powered by our partners at Kimbia or awareness weeks. Decide why you need ambassadors before moving forward.
WHO ARE YOUR AMBASSADORS?
Ambassadors are individuals who are passionate about your cause who may support you financially. They share with their family and friends the great work that your organization does in conversation and they may pass along some of your stories online. Define the ambassador persona who specifically fits your needs so that you are searching for and utilizing the right people.
WHAT WILL YOU OFFER YOUR AMBASSADORS?
Giving individuals a reason to be an ambassador up front will give an extra push to join your program. You can offer rewards or recognition, but it's essential for ambassadors to know their work is valued. Consider this: 79% of U.S. consumers who've "Liked" a brand on Facebook did so in order to receive discounts or other incentives.
WHAT IS THE AMBASSADOR COMMITMENT?
They need to know exactly what they are signing up for. Make a checklist of the minimum you will ask of your ambassadors- keep it realistic but let them know you'll enable them to go above and beyond.
RECRUIT AMBASSADORS
An ambassador program with no ambassadors is worthless, so recruitment is key.
USE OWNED MEDIA
Owned media should be the biggest avenue for recruitment because most ambassadors are already deeply involved with your organization. Use compelling email campaigns that drive to an informational landing page with more information. Your landing page should offer a centralized place for potential ambassadors to learn about the program and sign up. Immediately follow up with automated emails to thank and enable potential new recruits.
USE EARNED MEDIA
Earned media creates a special opportunity to personally engage with ambassadors on a public social space or face-to-face. Take advantage of your leadership team to personally recruit digital ambassadors. Ask newly signed up ambassadors to invite others to join the movement as a digital volunteer.
USE PAID MEDIA
Paid media allows for specific targeting, which is where your list of ambassador characteristics come in handy. Use your ideal ambassador as a targeting persona for ads on social platforms. Additionally, develop email segments by gathering past donors and volunteers. Utilize Facebook custom audiences and these segments for relevant ads and effective recruitment.
ACTIVATE COMMUNITIES
EMAIL YOUR AMBASSADORS
Email works so use it. Keep your ambassadors posted on how far you are from your goals and give them the opportunity to share pre-scripted social posts. Quickly and directly communicate your message, send out an update, and engage your ambassadors.
BUILD AN AMBASSADOR HUB MICROSITE
One great way to activate your community is creating a micro-site. An example of this is the Lyme disease ambassador program site. Offer information on the role of the ambassador, the goals of the program and all the tools needed to further your mission. Design you microsite to enable above and beyond ambassadorship!
ENGAGE ON SOCIAL
Based on your target audience, determine what social platforms to focus on. Is Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or another platform best for your audience? Begin reaching out and interacting with your audience. Utilize effective strategies and platform-specific tools that make that platform unique. Evaluate the different platforms and decide which will benefit your organization the most.
KEEP AMBASSADORS FOCUSED ON A GOAL
In all communication, remind ambassadors why they are involved. You may need to raise $500,000. Ambassadors can't forget that they are an incredibly valuable part of your campaign until the goal is met! Once the goal is met, you can celebrate and thank your social media ambassadors.
OFFER SHARING TOOLS
Offer ambassadors the tools to recruit other ambassadors. Offer campaign logos, branded profile templates along with pre-scripted emails and social messages. These provided tools make sharing easy and fun! Your ambassadors feel like insiders by receiving instant access to engaging content to activate their community.
MAINTAIN LOYALTY
STAY IN CONTACT
Keep in touch with ambassadors via emails and social media interactions. They want to hear from you. Provide updates on progress towards your goal and how they are helping the cause. Remember that passionate people want to make a change.
MAKE AMBASSADORS FEEL VALUED
Give them access to better resources to be closely connected with your organization. Since these digital volunteers are your advocates, give them exclusive insight to support your upcoming campaigns. Share specific stories of how digital ambassadors impact the end goal of your organization. Release your next video to them exclusively before the public. Make ambassadors understand their value and keep them more knowledgeable about your organization. Exclusive content tailored just for ambassadors will jumpstart more conversation and solidify their passion.
Have any questions about how to build your ambassador program? We can help! Start a conversation with us today to learn how a customized social strategy can benefit your brand.