To Increase Engagement – Try Facebook Questions

Facebook recently rolled out a new feature called questions and answers. It’s been in the beta stage since July and is now available to all users including page administrators. While many of the questions I’ve seen so far focus on frivolous topics, the feature does present an opportunity to engage users around more serious topics.

Most people like to express their opinions and sharing those opinions with others. For many, that’s their primary activity on social media. So the Question and Answer feature can provide a variation for how you engage with your audience. Respondents can also share their answers and continue to follow the question. By doing so, the question will appear in the news feed of more people and ultimately bring them to your page.

Here’s the entry from Facebook’s help page on how to get started.

Can Pages ask or answer a question?

If you’re a Page admin, you can ask, follow and answer questions as your Page. When a Page asks or answers a question, people who like the Page can see the story. 

To ask a question as a Page:

1. Go to the Page you administer.
   
2. From the top of your Page’s Wall, click “Question.”
   
3. Enter your question in the “Ask Something” field. If you want to make your question a poll, click “Add Poll Options” below the open field.
   

To follow or respond to a question as a Page:

1. Open your Account drop down menu.
   
2. Choose “Use Facebook as Page.”
   
3. Go to the question. Actions you take (following or responding) will be done on behalf of your Page.
   

The key to using this feature is to keep your questions short and interesting. You can make it a weekly feature that mixes mission-related trivia type questions, timely political opinion polls and fun topics that relate to upcoming holidays or event. Trivia questions can relate to events in history, movie or song mentions that connect to what your organization does.  The important thing is to experiment with different topics and have fun.

Getting the Board “on-board” with Social Media

From my experience I have found that most non-profits recognize the need to have a social media presence, but are often challenged by limited resources. In addition, it can be difficult to make a case to the board that the effort is worth the investment without a clear path to monetary results.

While some non-profits have had tremendous success raising money through social media, those results will not happen over-night. To be successful social should be viewed as an engagement strategy first, that is part of the overall marketing plan. By approaching it this way the value can be viewed in relation to other important communication tools like the website, annual report, organizational brochure and newsletters.

In this context here are some points I recommend when making the case to the board:

• Connect the strategy to your mission. If your mission includes educating the public about your cause, then it is essential to find new avenues to expand your audience. If advocacy is a priority then you may want to focus your initial efforts on a specific call to action.
• Communicate specific goals that are time-sensitive. With regard to goals, it is important to include both qualitative and quantitative goals. Quantitative goals can include reaching a specific number of followers, amount of comment activity, website traffic and shares or re-tweets. Qualitative goals creating an engaged community that regularly contributes content. Some examples would include fans posting or tagging photos from an event, making frequent comments and sharing your blog or website content on their page.
• Provide regular reports on the progress toward the goals.
• Demonstrate the tools you plan to use and get the board involved initially. Ask them to “like” your Facebook page and follow you on Twitter. This will enable them to see the activity and interact on the page. Provide training to anyone who is not comfortable with the tools.
• Keep the focus on the big picture. This is a long-term strategy that requires consistency to be successful.

Social media is an ideal forum for non-profits to engage new audiences. People are using these platforms to communicate about things that interest them. If you can capture their interest, you may win a friend for life.

What’s the “Right” Time Investment in Your Social Media Strategy?

I was just reviewing the 2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report published by Social Media Examiner and it found some really exciting trends that are relevant for non profits. The study, authored by Michael Selzner, surveyed 3,342 marketers, 47% of which were either self-employed or small business owners. While the respondents did not include non-profits, I think much of the key findings for small businesses are also relevant to small and mid-sized non-profits.

• 88% found that social media helps them get increased exposure
• 72% reported increased traffic and subscriptions

What’s really important about the findings is that they confirm the idea that results with social media requires a commitment over time.

• Of those with 3 years or more experience with social media 80% reported developing new partnerships, compared to 25% who are just getting started.
• 75% who reported increased traffic dedicate just 6 hours a week to their social media efforts, more than double when compared to those who reported spending 5 or fewer hours.

Other major findings that non profits can glean from relate to the use of videos and email marketing.

• 77% of all marketers reported plans to increase their use of video in 2011.
• Nearly two-thirds plan to increase their email marketing efforts.

None of these findings are surprising. They confirm that a consistent, integrated approach works over time.

Can an Intern Manage Your Non-Profit’s Social Media Program?

Many non-profits will take the approach of assigning their social media efforts to an intern. Often the thinking is that a student or recent graduate probably has more expertise in this area than seasoned development and communications professional. Limited staff resources is also a factor. It takes time to build a social media presence and it’s difficult to justify that time if it’s being diverted from priority activities like meeting with donors or putting out the next newsletter.

The question that should be asked is would you trust an intern to communicate directly with major donors or to write your annual report? Just because a person understands how to use platforms like Facebook and Twitter does not necessarily mean they have the communication savvy to speak on behalf of your non-profit brand which is exactly what we are doing every time we tweet, comment or add a new post.

It’s social media’s accessibility that makes it such a powerful tool for engaging with your audience. When managed well your fans and followers will include many important constituents including program officers, major donors, board members, prospects. journalists, influential bloggers, members and clients. Consistent on-brand communication to such a broad audience requires a deep understanding of your organization’s mission and the value it brings to its community.  For these reasons social media activities need to be part of an overall strategic plan with daily oversight of activities managed at a high level.

In an upcoming post I will provide some tips on how to make the case to your board and executive team to invest in the endeavor.

The Facebook “Like” Button – Is Your Non-Profit Maximizing it’s Power?

In the last post I talked about the new Facebook “Like” button and how it can be used to share content from your website or blog. So why is that important element to your social media engagement strategy? It really gets to the core of what makes Facebook social. If your constituents are sharing content they find interesting it will increase the number of people who see your content.

More importantly, sharing your content sends a message to the algorithm that Facebook uses to determine what posts from friends and pages that each person sees in their news feed that your page is something they are actively engaged with. Just as with Google search algorithm, the formula that Facebook uses to determine the specific content that each user sees in their news feed is a well protected secret that changes frequently.

What’s important to understand is that only a small percentage of your pages fans will see each post. It’s a pure numbers game. You can see about 30 posts in your news feed at an given time, 60 if you click “more”. If you have 200 friends and like another 50 pages and half of them post once per day, some of those posts will never reach your news feed. What you actually see is determined by a number of factors but the most important one is how frequently you engage with that friend or page through likes and comments to posts, link-sharing and direct communication through messages or chat. In addition, posts that attract a high number of likes and comments will remain in a users news feed for several days. The message, you can’t assume that all your fans see your posts so it is essential to create interesting content that will result in a high level of likes and engagement.

Facebook Changes – What Non-Profits Need to Know

So there have been a lot of changes to Facebook lately and I’m not sure that most non profits have recognized how that will impact their social media strategy. Over the next few weeks I will offer some specific advice that will provide non profits guidance for how to navigate the changes to facebook.

The New “Like” Button

The big development here is that Like is now Share and share will be phased out. This presents a tremendous opportunity for your organization. Pushing the new Like button creates a news feed item that can be seen by connected friends and more importantly, it allows third party publishers to send updates to those who have liked their content. This gives the content owner (in this case the non profit) the opportunity to increase engagement with current fans as well as build new relationships with friends of your fans who engage about the post.

So what does this mean to you. First, make sure your website contains interesting content that your constituents will want to share. Whether it’s the release of a new study, a press release announcing a major development or an upcoming event, all content should include the Like button.  This provides an opportunity for your fans to share with their friends the great work your organization is doing.

Look for my next post discussing the value of Likes on Facebook.

Job Market Finally Shows Positive Momentum, However Competition for Available Jobs Will Remain Fierce

With the announcement by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, that unemployment had fallen below 9% for the first time since April 2010, it is expected that many new job seekers, spurred by the prospect of economic recovery, will begin to enter the job market this spring. As reported by CNN Money in December 2010, a survey released by Manpower, a job-placement firm, found that an astounding 84% of American workers plan to change jobs in 2011. This is an increase of 24% from the previous year.

“You will need more than one in your job search”

The major factor driving this mindset for many employees is frustration with factors in their current jobs like frozen or reduced compensation, increased cost of benefits and increased workloads resulting from previous layoffs. “Employees feel that now that they have weathered the storm it’s time to seek greener pastures”, said Hal Eskenazi, President of Profiles Worldwide, a national recruiting firm.

As job applicants prepare to enter the job market, the biggest challenge they may face is getting their resume to be seen by a human, in order to get an interview. This is especially apparent in business sectors of like finance, media and publishing but realistically for any industry that experienced significant job losses during the recession since jobs have changed and responsibilities have been redefined.

With most companies employing Application Tracking Systems (ATS) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technologies, job seekers need to be able to customize their resume for each specific opening. The systems make it easier for human resources staff, recruiters and hiring managers to search applicants for a specific position based on pre-programmed keywords. For example, Oracle’s PeopleSoft, an enterprise human capital management system that services many Fortune 1000 companies, includes a feature called Candidate Gateway. The system will automatically select candidates to be reviewed based on how closely the applicant matches the core functions in the job description. Even small to mid-sized companies are able to use this technology by outsourcing to providers who can develop and manage a company branded application page on their website. Only applications that contain the requisite keywords will be reviewed by human resources staff and given the “green light” for an interview. The others don’t exist as far as the technology is concerned. Additionally, many candidates we’ve talked with are not aware of the ATS & OCR systems and how they can prevent them from even being in the company’s data base if they are not correctly formatted.

According to Mr. Eskenazi, who is also a subject matter expert on recruiting, resume writing, and interview preparation, “if your resume is not targeted to the opportunity you’ve substantially diminished your chances for an interview.”

In this competitive labor market many job seekers have turned to professional resume writers at a cost of $700 – $1500, to develop a resume that will hopefully help them stand out. However, not all resume writers have the expertise required in hiring and recruiting to understand the complexities of today’s job market. For $225 and reasonable writing skills, anyone can become certified as a resume writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers (www.parw.com)

Investing time in a self-prepared resume has the benefit of providing the candidate with the ability to easily adapt the resume while giving them a head-start on interview preparation. There are [free] classes available and an untold number of books for you to do research on how to write that résumé. Of course the key here is spending the time on classes and/ or research.

Keeping in mind the old adage that you get “one chance to make a first impression” your resume has to be on target. A resume that is customized for each offering is the most effective tactic. Realistically speaking who knows more about your background, skills talents and capabilities then you? How would it increase an individual’s opportunities to get interviews and job offers if they could get the training to OWN the SKILL of customized, targeted, resume writing at their convenience in less than 2 hours and at a very affordable price?

A new service that provides job seekers the clear and easy-to-use tools they need to develop customized resumes, and as Mr. Eskenazi indicates, “You will need more than one in your job search”, is now available through 15SecondResume. It is an online, on-demand training that teaches people about how these tracking systems work and gives them the skills to develop a targeted, customized, directed resume that will get past the gate blockers that are preventing them from getting the interview. This is not just another “resume templates” tool. The uniqueness of this training program is that it was developed by actual recruiters from Profiles Worldwide* in coordination with Hal Eskenazi. Profiles Worldwide is a national recruiting firm, working in the financial community, and has a keen understanding how to position one’s background to get the interview and get the job. The training is available at http://www.15SecondResume.com

Whether you choose to prepare your own resume with the help of a course or a book, or hire a writer to do it for you, it is essential that you are prepared to customize your resume for each job opportunity based on the job description provided.

Hal Eskenazi is President of Profiles Worldwide, a national recruiting firm specializing in the financial services industry and founder of 15SecondResume.com.

Contacts

15SecondResume.com
Sheila O’Connor, 516-330-9467
Director, Marketing and Social Media
sheila@15secondresume.com
Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110316005028/en/Job-Market-Finally-Shows-Positive-Momentum-Competition

Creating a Resume that Gets Past the Technology

The financial industry is beginning to see a comeback with major companies like Citigroup and Chase having announced plans to add new positions. This is good news for the labor market which still includes over 13 million unemployed Americans, 6 million of whom that have been out of work for 27 weeks or more. However, companies will continue be very selective in their hiring efforts starting with the interview process. As job applicants prepare to approach these opportunities the biggest challenge they may face is getting their resume to be seen by a human, in order to get an interview. This is especially true in the financial community since the meltdown as jobs have changed and responsibilities have been redefined.

With most companies employing Application Tracking Systems (ATS) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technologies, job seekers need to be able to customize their resume for each specific opening. The systems make it easier for human resources staff, recruiters and hiring managers to search applicants for a specific position based on pre-programmed keywords. For example, Oracle’s PeopleSoft, an enterprise human capital management system that services many Fortune 1000 companies, includes a feature called Candidate Gateway. The system will automatically select candidates to be reviewed based on how closely the applicant matches the core functions in the job description. Even small to mid-sized companies are able to use this technology by outsourcing to providers who can develop and manage a company branded application page on their website. Only applications that contain the requisite keywords will be reviewed by human resources staff and given the “green light” for an interview. The others don’t exist as far as the technology is concerned. Additionally, many financial services candidates we’ve talked with are not aware of the ATS & OCR systems and how they can prevent them from even being in the company’s data base if they are not correctly formatted.

Hal Eskenazi, a subject matter expert on recruiting, resume writing, and interview preparation, indicates that “if your resume is not targeted to the opportunity you’ve substantially diminished your chances for an interview.”

In this competitive labor market many job seekers have turned to professional resume writers to develop a resume that will hopefully help them stand out. There are alternatives to approaching this challenge if you cannot afford the $700-$1500 the average resume writer will charge.

There are [free] classes available and an untold number of books for you to do research on how to write that résumé. Of course the key here is spending the time on classes and/ or research.

Keeping in mind the old adage that you get “one chance to make a first impression” your resume has to be on target. A resume that is customized for each offering is the most effective tactic. Realistically speaking who knows more about your background, skills talents and capabilities then you? How would it increase an individual’s opportunities to get interviews and job offers if they could get the training to OWN the SKILL of customized, targeted, resume writing at their convenience in less than 2 hours and at a very affordable price?

A new service that provides job seekers the clear and easy-to-use tools they need to develop customized resumes, and as Mr. Eskenazi indicates, “You will need more than one in your job search”, is now available through 15SecondResume. It is an online, on-demand training that teaches people about how these tracking systems work and gives them the skills to develop a targeted, customized, directed resume that will get past the gate blockers that are preventing them from getting the interview. This is not just another “resume templates” tool. The uniqueness of this training program is that it was developed by actual recruiters from Profiles Worldwide* in coordination with Hal Eskenazi. Profiles Worldwide is a national recruiting firm, working in the financial community, and has a keen understanding how to position one’s background to get the interview and get the job. The training is available at http://www.15SecondResume.com

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