Social Media Strategy: Canadian Wildlife Federation - Case Study Example

Social Media Strategy Name: Institution: Table of Contents Social Media Strategy 1 Table of Contents 2 Organizational Overview 3 Organization’s Current Social Assets 4 Even though not as popular as the Facebook Page, CWF twitter (@CWF_FCF) has about 9,927 followers as of August 11, 2014. The organization has only one twitter handle, which it uses to convey important information to the followers. 4 Executive Summary 5 Current Social Media and Mobile Technology Strategy 6 Future Strategy 7 Target Audience 8 Social Media Goals 9 Value-Adding Content 10 Campaign-Specific Content 11 Compatible with other online campaigning areas, content as mentioned by MarketingCharts (2009) reigns king in social media campaigning. CWF must ensure is providing information of valuable that organization’s idyllic clients will find fascinating. For that reason, CWF must generate a selection of content by putting into practice social media videos, images, as well as infographics not counting archetypal text-based content. An example of a campaign that can be used by CWF is United for Wildlife so as to exploit the social media power to request younger generation who are the biggest population in social media to campaign against unlawful killing of wildlife animals. Evidently, the unlawful wildlife trade prospers for the reason that it is secreted, and this makes it simpler for criminals to function. But using campaign hash tag #UnitedforWildlife, CWF can ask social media users to m support the campaign by posting content with has tag in through, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, subscribing to the organization’s YouTube channel. In this regard, younger generation can promote wildlife conservation by participating or watching in United for Wildlife events. 11 Channel assessment and strategy 11 Action Plan 12 Measuring Success and Effectiveness 13   14 References 14 Appendix A 16 Organizational Overview The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is arguably the biggest non-profit organization in Canada, which is dedicated to habitat and wildlife conservation. Being a non-governmental organization, it persuades other Canadians to help the organization through donation of their money, time as well as effort. CWF was instituted in 1961 and chartered a year later, and it membership was limited to just ten wildlife federations at provincial level (CWF, 2014). But early 70s the organization permitted entity Canadians to become supporters as well as members. Basically, CWF is committed to teaching the public to value the natural world so as to make certain a long-lasting legacy of strong wildlife as well as a habitat that is hassle-free. CWF always inform Canadians concerning wildlife through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and other media channels such as community events, WebPages, magazines, posters and newsletters,. In so doing, CWF anticipates to motivate other Canadians to support it through donations so as to run the agendas that educate Canadians concerning wildlife (CWF, 2014). As a non-profit organization, CWF ensures that the percentage of income used up on aid programs is high as possible, and ensures the fund-raising and administrative expenses are kept to a minimum. In 2010, CWF got more than $13.5 million in donations as well as $1.5 million in returns, and most of this amount was used on wildlife aid programs (CWF, 2014). Organization’s Current Social Assets Social media has offered CWF a great means to build and protect its digital reputations. These days thanks to social media, organisations can communicate and interact with its customers easily. 1.0 Facebook The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a Facebook fan page that allows the users to connect with wildlife and get up to speed information concerning the organisation. As of August 11, 2014, the page has some interactivity with a total of 38,409 Facebook likes and can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/CanadianWildlifeFederation. 2.0 Twitter Even though not as popular as the Facebook Page, CWF twitter (@CWF_FCF) has about 9,927 followers as of August 11, 2014. The organization has only one twitter handle, which it uses to convey important information to the followers. 3.0 YouTube The CWF uses YouTube to present engaging and informative videos that associate with wildlife, conservation, as well as habitat. It has 191 subscribers, 2,462 views across all uploaded videos, and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/CanadianWildlifeFed. Executive Summary The report highlights the present current social engagement strategy for Canadian Wildlife Federation using social networking and mobile technologies to create that sense of loyalty and community for their consumers. Presently, CWF makes use of Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter to engage with the public, but it lacks presence in other vital media platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram. The presented social media strategy will address channels that CWF will partake in going to engage with the public and the reasons for opting not to engage in others. What’s more, the report elaborates the goals for the various channels and the messages that CWF will be projecting. Integrating mobile technology is undoubtedly helpful for any orgnaisation, so the report highlights how this will sustain CWF social presence. Other important elements discussed in the report include: how aggregation tools will be valuable to CWF; how CWF will measure and manage its success/reach; means of handling absences and how frequently they post on their social media platforms. Towards the end the report discussed how CWF will handle conflicts and criticism through the rules of engagement and the protections/policies need to protect CWF’s social media accounts from being compromised. Current Social Media and Mobile Technology Strategy In the novel social media sphere, CWF has had a momentous presence, enabling the organisation to approach its members as well as create awareness of its wildlife-related campaigns. All over the web, CWF appears to be close at hand, whether it is with the latest video on YouTube, a photo gala on Facebook or just updates on Twitter. To develop a stronger wildlife constituency, CWF is turning to social media so as to keep members updated and also use them to promote an online community that circles around linking people with wildlife. Since the Web and social media has gone mobile, CWF has been hesitant to espouse the mobile technology. According to Solis (2013), organisations that have espoused mobile-related technologies have as a result empowered their visionaries, embraced change promptly, and importantly garner the advantages of being early espousers. CWF has failed to use Text-messaging for fundraising as well as advocacy. Services such as mGive present mass Text-to-Give as well as text-messaging services for not-for-profit organizations. Other mobile technologies that CWF has not yet adopted include The MobileCause, Frontline SMS, EzTexting, and TextMarks (Mansfield, 2009). However, the organization has shown intentions of starting using these technologies before 2015. Still, CWF presence in mobile websites is stronger bearing in mind that all major web social media sites have a mobile version: m.facebook.com, m.twitter.com, and m.youtube.com. What’s more, service such as mobiSiteGallore as well as Instant Mobilizer has helped CWF develop a respectable mobile Website. Through mobile devices and social media, CWF has become real-time reporters. Instead of reporting Annual Gala Dinner highlights in printed newsletter some weeks afterwards, social media applications as well as smartphones allow CWF to report in real-time. In this regard, CWF have failed to take advantage of social media to report live from conferences and fundraisers through their Twitter account, YouTube channel, and Facebook Page. Future Strategy The aforementioned social media strategy of CWF is inadequate for a big orgnaisation. The organization supporters as well as future supporters are out there, making connections on LinkedIn, sharing photos on Instagram, updating status on Facebook, tweeting, as well as watching videos on YouTube. Therefore, CWF should take advantage of over 1.3 billion email users, more than 1 billion Facebook Users, and over 150 million blogs to cement its presence on the online platform. CFC must understand that Mobile will keep being an important element with regard to how the organization engages with its members. According to Saint (2013), over 50% of emails are at present read using mobile phones, smartphones, and tablets. This connotes that CWF must have a mobile-friendly approach so as to connect with target audience more easily. Mobile technologies are rapidly turning out to be the preferable platform for collaboration and computing and for that reason has can change how CWF leverage data. Social media as per Elisa (2014) are the preferable channel of communication for the up-and-coming generations and therefore will turn out to be more enveloping for CWF use. Networks like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn must offer access to links of potential supporters, members, volunteers, donors, and so forth. In the future, mobile applications will flawlessly integrate if CWF will comprehend and embrace the aforesaid changes it will undoubtedly be best placed to be successful in the foreseeable future. Target Audience Over 1 billion individuals across the globe are at the moment using social media, and so the vast majority of CWF’s target audience is possibly to be active members of social media sites.  Social networks offer a rapid, inexpensive, and straightforward means for CWF to communicate with the target audience (clients, volunteers, and donors). The first target audience is donors, and so a social media and marketing plan that is effective generates a conversation with clients and enthuses sensation in organisation’s donors, as a consequence establishing the brand.  CWF should understand that being an excellent fundraiser is concerned with enthusiasm to work healthy with others. Thus, creating a social business strategy must include this view; while simultaneously demonstrate a valid concern for the individuals the organisation is serving and not only a desire to encourage financial support.  The second target audience is clients, who from time to time advocate for organizations they respect. Therefore, social media can help CWF connect with clients and donors by making them feel allied to the organization’s mission. The final target audience is volunteers, and therefore, CWF should understand that a range of organizational goals only if the acknowledge their volunteers through social media can accomplish. CWF must openly acknowledge their competitor in a manner that exhibits their work is consequential as well as appreciated. Social media can also show potential volunteers the significance of the organisation in protecting nature and habitat. Social Media Goals There are manifold prospects in social media for CWF to arrive at its organizational goals and objectives. Lack of ability to articulate how to arrive at these goals and objectives is part of the challenges that sinks scores of organisations. Therefore, having a planned social media strategy, which lines up with organisational goals is fundamental. If CWF has social media goals it will not just notify the organisation if it is meeting or falling short of organisational goals, but the organisation will learn from measuring its social media ability as well as making changes in instantaneous. The social media goals for CWF would be: (i) Sharing news concerning the organization; (ii) Fundraising; (iii) sharing news concerning the cause; (iv) Brand recognition, and (v) recruitment of volunteers. Value-Adding Content The biggest mistake organisations or marketers make, is to reveal their promotion content through channels of social media. And whilst it is reasonable to argue that the vital goal is to get hold of new clients, sell products/services or otherwise make the organisation bigger, CWF must know that what succeeds in print media cannot equally succeed in social media, for the reason that social media is actually a two way communication. Therefore, when CWF is taking its campaigning content online it must build trust once more and this can be achieved by creating connections, which sequentially starts by providing something valuable to the public. According to Collins (2013), something valuable could be enlightening, or it could be by offering a client with an opportunity to offer the organisation feedback, it may connote pointing the clients to something different that may be of use to them. CWF must keep in mind, social media is not a channel for marketing; rather it is a channel for relationship. This is because the organisation will be handling individuals directly, even though the organisation is doing it in mass on social networking sites. To offer value and usefulness, CWF must listen to its audience and allow them understand that the organisation pay attention to them by making change. What’s more, CWF should not continuously blast out or spam campaigning content because clients will become anaesthetized to them. The organisation must be cautious not to spread half-truths; therefore, the organisation must know it facts and when uncertain, then double check. Always bear in mind that anything CWF post on-line will and can be used against the organisation. Campaign-Specific Content Compatible with other online campaigning areas, content as mentioned by MarketingCharts (2009) reigns king in social media campaigning. CWF must ensure is providing information of valuable that organization’s idyllic clients will find fascinating. For that reason, CWF must generate a selection of content by putting into practice social media videos, images, as well as infographics not counting archetypal text-based content. An example of a campaign that can be used by CWF is United for Wildlife so as to exploit the social media power to request younger generation who are the biggest population in social media to campaign against unlawful killing of wildlife animals. Evidently, the unlawful wildlife trade prospers for the reason that it is secreted, and this makes it simpler for criminals to function. But using campaign hash tag #UnitedforWildlife, CWF can ask social media users to m support the campaign by posting content with has tag in through, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, subscribing to the organization’s YouTube channel. In this regard, younger generation can promote wildlife conservation by participating or watching in United for Wildlife events. Channel assessment and strategy Over one billion social media users have made it a social, economic, and cultural phenomenon. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, as well as other social media sites can be utilised to update status on pertinent news, legislation or events that have an effect on the organisation. In this regard, organisations such as CWF utilise Facebook to recognize its volunteers as well as recruit others. In this regard, CWF can begin by posting pictures of present volunteers working as well as a message of thanks to donors and volunteers, and afterwards posting messages concerning the volunteer and donor needs of the organisation.  Social media can be used as a tool for promoting the organisation’s unique events, and so the organisation must not disregard to engage its fans by requesting them to invite their friends. Essentially, social media, particularly Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is a vital channel for recognizing new or long-time donors and volunteers. The organisation can show appreciation to the donors and volunteers in a number of places on Facebook and twitter: for instance, writing a post on Facebook and tagging them or write a tweet and include their Twitter handle. Action Plan Even though presence in social media is turning out to be more and more non-negotiable for not-for-profit organisations, it must not be observed as a responsibility but rather as a chance to connect usefully with the target audience. Therefore, putting a quantity of research and time into creating an efficient social media action plan can aid CWF communicate with the target audience as well as set up a social media presence that is consistent and solid, and also save the organisation from lots of stress. Akin to everything in business planning, the action plan of social-media is merely the same as the actions it brings about. People, tracking, actions, as well as goals results in a review and revise session planned beforehand frequently, like one time per month. CWF must take a look at the plan, evaluate it to concrete outcomes, talk about the causes for the disparity between real and plan, and afterwards modify the plan. This should as well involve reviewing organisation’s performance and certain undertakings in opposition to their numeric measurement. In Appendix A, an action plan is drafted with several actions for important social media website (Facebook and Twitter) used by CWF, together with a succinct account of what all action involves. Measuring Success and Effectiveness Social media has offered CWF with a complete novel toolbox for campaigning and engaging with its targeted audience. Although every tool is somewhat distinct, they all generate chances for CWF to communicate and to demonstrate the individual personalities, and side of the organisation work. Even though CWF is making enormous steps to comprehend the most valuable approaches and techniques for utilising social media tools, the organisation still has plenty to learn concerning measurement of social media success and effectiveness. Evidently, social media is still enormously unexplored territory, and to be successful CWF have to be ready to try-out and carry on with feasible practices while disposing of impracticable practices. Through measuring can establish which practices are feasible, and which are impracticable. Even though it is motivating to see CWF followers increase above 10,000 and YouTube video viewed more than 1,000 times, eMarketer (2014) posits that none of such accomplishments are above all consequential if they fail to fit into the wider social media strategy. The effectiveness and success of social media strategy is measured by the number of people using and engaging in the organisation’s social media, how the organisation is supporting discussion, diversity, and civic engagement through social media. To succeed and be effective, CWF strategy must drive quality users back to its social media sites, and make sure social media bringing commentators as well as contributors to the organisation. Importantly, CWF must know its largest contributors and if the number of contributors is rising or reducing. There is nothing bad with examining social media statistics on Facebook and Google Analytics daily, but CWF must be checking its stats every week, or once per month. So as to understand what is working effectively, CWF must regularly look at: the reach of certain Tweets, total number of Twitter and Facebook followers, interaction level per week, and number of Facebook likes and Twitter follower per week. Regardless of how often the organisation checks its statistics, CWF must ensure to collect stats every month. This will aid in demonstrating the organisation overall trends for its social media sites, and so will get more followers and likes.   References Collins, O. (2013, November 30). Charities and NGOs: How to Use Technologies to Bring Social Change. Retrieved from EtonDigital: http://www.etondigital.com/charities-ngos-use-technologies-bring-social-change/ CWF. (2014). About the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Retrieved from Canadian Wildlife Federation: http://cwf-fcf.org/en/about-cwf/ Elisa, T. (2014, February 11). The Good Guys Need a Plan Too: Non-Profits and Social Media. Retrieved from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tulani-elisa/the-good-guys-need-a-plan_b_4761121.html eMarketer. (2014, June 30). Finally, Most Brands Measuring Social Content Effectiveness. Retrieved from eMarketer : http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Finally-Most-Brands-Measuring-Social-Content-Effectiveness/1010961 Mansfield, H. (2009, October 5). Social Media is Going Mobile, and So Should Your Nonprofit. Retrieved from Nonprofit Tech for Good.: http://www.nptechforgood.com/2009/10/05/social-media-is-going-mobile-and-so-should-your-nonprofit/ MarketingCharts. (2009, September 23). Content Reigns King for Online Americans. Retrieved from MarketingCharts: http://www.marketingcharts.com/traditional/content-reigns-king-for-online-americans-10503/ Saint, A. (2013, July 10). 50 Amazing Mobile Marketing Statistics to ACT Now. Retrieved from Writtent: http://writtent.com/blog/50-amazing-mobile-marketing-statistics-that-will-move-you-to-action/ Solis, B. (2013, February 5). Forget about Social Media for a moment. What’s your mobile strategy? Retrieved from Brian Solis: http://www.briansolis.com/2013/02/forget-about-social-media-for-a-moment-whats-your-mobile-strategy/ Appendix A Action Type Priority Level Action Details Frequency Metric / Tracking Time per Week Means Create Events 1 Creating Voluntary services event Monthly 1200 attendees 4 hours Facebook and Twitter Post Content 1 Share nature and habitat photos and videos and updating status ongoing 25000 likes and 9500 retweets 1 hour Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Respond to Posts 2 Respond to feedbacks and comments made in organisation sites daily 40% of total comments or inquires 30 minutes Facebook and YouTube Edit Page Info 3 Updating page information and twitter handle yearly 10 updates made to page 10 minutes Facebook and Twitter Read More